On the Shoulders of Giants - photographs by Susan McConnell

This is an Archive of a Past Event

Elephants are amazing. They are huge. They are social. They are intelligent. And they are in big trouble. International demand for elephant ivory has created a poaching crisis that threatens wild elephants with extinction. On the Shoulders of Giants is an exhibition of photographs by Susan McConnell, Professor of Biology at Stanford University, exploring the natural history of elephants and the ongoing ivory crisis. The photos celebrate the enormity of elephants, illuminate their daily lives, examine our relationships with them, and illustrate the brutal toll of elephant poaching. Finally, the photos frame a pressing question: will we choose to live in a future with wild elephants, or only elephant ghosts?

Susan McConnell is a neuroscientist and Professor of Biology at Stanford University. In addition to her scientific research, McConnell is an avid and successful photographer with a deep interest in wildlife conservation. Her photos have published in magazines including National GeographicOutdoor Photographer, Nature’s Best Photography, and a cover story on African elephants in Smithsonian magazine. McConnell teaches an undergraduate seminar at Stanford on conservation photography.