Edwin Rist, the Feather Thief

The target: The British Museum of Natural History. The payload: A suitcase full of dead birds. The criminal: A flute player obsessed with the rare art of Victorian fly tying.

Content note: This episode contains discussion of the "Asperger's defense," a controversial mental health defense in the British court system. We're discussing the legal and medical terminology that was used at the time; understanding of the autism spectrum has evolved since then.

Sources, show notes, and a whole lot of pictures of wild feather art here

Purchase The Feather Thief here