The Feather Thief

The Feather Thief by American author, screenwriter, and journalist Kirk Wallace Johnson is about the 2009 heist of the British Natural History Museum at Tring. It retraces the background of the 20-year-old American thief, professional flautist, and master fly-tier, Edwin Rist, who stole 299 rare bird skins from the museum. Johnson first heard about the heist while fly-fishing on a river in New Mexico. Living with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after years of aid work in Iraq, Johnson uses fly-fishing as a form of therapy. Initially, Johnson became motivated to research the strange heist to avoid his own problems. However, he soon realizes that this heist has far more significance to humankind and our relationship to the natural world. Johnson combines a classic true-crime narrative with discussions of his own investigation into the feather heist alongside the historical, cultural, and scientific context of humankind’s obsession with feathers.

The book received positive criticism for shining light on the feather underground and the consequences the illegal feather trade has on humankind. It is in the process of being turned into a series adaptation with Universal International Studios. This guide references the paperback edition published by Penguin Books in 2018.

Summary

The book is divided into three parts. Part 1 focuses on the historical relationship between humans and the natural world, including bird skins. Johnson begins his discussion in the 1800s during the Victorian era. People during this time period were obsessed with collecting natural specimens, which came to be seen as status symbols. For example, the infamous naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace (1823-1913) collected tens of thousands of natural specimens from the Malay Archipelago, which is located between the Indian and Pacific oceans and consists of thousands of islands of Indonesia and the Philippines. While Wallace was partly motivated by profit, he also was deeply interested in understanding the origins of species and believed in the power of museums to be protectors of knowledge. Aristocrat and naturalist Lionel Walter Rothschild (1868-1937) also amassed a collection of natural specimens, including the largest private bird skins collection. He later turned this collection into the British Museum of Natural History at Tring, which housed many of Wallace’s bird skins.

The Victorian era’s obsession with birds, especially for women’s fashion, also led to what is known as “feather fever.” Feather fever resulted in the deaths of hundreds of millions of birds, resulting in a women-led conservationist movement at the end of the 19th century and early-20th century to end the use of birds in women’s fashion. This movement prompted governments to pass laws that protected wildlife. As Johnson illustrates throughout the book, these laws are ineffective at curbing the feather underground. For example, the Victorian-era hobby of salmon fly-tying was primarily controlled by the elite because it involved the use of rare and expensive bird feathers.  

In Part 2, Johnson turns to the events leading up to the Tring heist, how the heist went down, and its immediate aftermath. Edwin Rist, an American citizen, initially moved to London, England to enroll at the Royal Academy of Music. A talented flautist and master fly-tier, Edwin was upset that he had to leave his fly-tying supplies in the US. After visiting the Tring museum under false pretenses to investigate its bird skins collection, Edwin hatched a plan to break into the museum to steal the skins. With a wire cutter, glass cutter, rock, and suitcase, Edwin successfully stole 299 bird skins, including some collected by Wallace, from the museum. While a guard reported a broken window, museum staff did not initially believe anything was stolen. They soon realized, however, that they were wrong and asked the police to reopen the case. Police and museum curators were initially perplexed because they did not understand why someone would steal bird skins. The museum made a public announcement about the theft in hopes that people would come forward with information.

Edwin started selling some of the skins on fly-tier forums and eBay to support his studies and his hobby. Despite the police’s active involvement in the case, Edwin was not on their radar until a retired detective suspected that the bird skins he saw at a fly-tier convention were of museum quality, likely belonging to the Tring. Police raided Edwin’s apartment where they recovered some of the bird skins. Much to Edwin’s surprise, the fly-tier community turned on him quickly, mostly to protect themselves because many bought feathers from him. Edwin and his family were deeply concerned that he would go to prison for his crime. They hired a defense lawyer who suggested that Edwin undergo a mental health evaluation. Dr. Simon Baron-Cohen diagnosed Edwin with Asperger’s syndrome (a diagnosis Johnson disagrees with), which ultimately led the judge to reduce the severity of his sentence. Edwin avoided prison. Johnson is deeply troubled by the outcome of Edwin’s case, especially because many of the missing bird skins were never recovered. This is what inspires Johnson’s six-year investigative reporting journey to find the missing Tring bird skins.

The final section of the book details Johnson’s research into the many missing bird skins that were identified at Edwin’s trial but for which Edwin was not held accountable. When Johnson starts interviewing members of the fly-tying community, one member proclaims that the museum was lying about the number of bird skins missing. At the Tring museum, Johnson speaks with museum curators who emphasize how the bird skins without their biodata labels represent a catastrophic loss to the scientific community and humankind more broadly. They also provide Johnson with evidence that supports their missing count. Edwin initially refuses an interview with Johnson, so Johnson continues to circle his friends in the hopes that they lead to new information. This method is successful as it helps Johnson determine what happened to a few of the missing bird skins.

Johnson also realizes that Edwin might have had an accomplice named Goku. Based on research from a professor who was also invested in solving the case, Johnson realizes that Goku is Long Nguyen, a Norwegian fly-tier and artist. When Johnson finally secures an interview with Edwin, Edwin casts doubt on his Asperger’s syndrome diagnosis and demonstrates no remorse for his crime. One positive thing to come from this interview is that Long is willing to meet with Johnson. Johnson spends three days in Norway speaking with Long. During these interviews, Johnson realizes that Edwin used Long to fence the stolen goods. Long also admits to Johnson that he still has several hundred feathers. Johnson urges Long to return these feathers to the Tring, but Long is hesitant. He feels deep remorse for his part in the crime.

In the last two chapters of the book, Johnson comes to realize that he will likely never solve the missing Tring bird skins. By this point, the bird skins have likely all been sold on the feather underground. Without their labels, it will be next to impossible to track them down. They have also lost all scientific value. Long does eventually return the feathers.

Johnson’s book says a lot about human nature and our relationship with the natural world. Our obsession to preserve and obtain beautiful things over the last several hundred years, including for clothing, fly-ties, and private and museum collections, has destroyed entire ecosystems and resulted in many species going extinct. There is a stark divide over whether we should use these natural specimens left in museums for science or for art. The latter drove Edwin to commit the feather heist. Despite nearly going to prison, many of his community members still participate in the feather underground. Their obsession with beauty is a powerful and destructive allure. The black market for feathers continues to prosper, making it seem like greed has beat knowledge. Yet, there are signs of positive change. Long and others are trying to create a sustainable fly-tying movement. Johnson hopes that by reading The Feather Thief more people come to realize the important role feathers and museums play in our understanding of our past, present, and future.