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Zara Beard, new director of The Peter
Beard Estate (and the artist’s daughter)
joined Taschen to celebrate the relaunch
of the photographer’s landmark book, The
End of the Game, at The Explorers Club.
For Zara and her family, the evening was
deeply meaningful. Her father died
during the COVID-19 pandemic, and this
was the first time they felt he had been
properly mourned and celebrated. Opening
the evening, Zara said, “My father’s
diaries, letters, photographs, and
artworks defy categorization. They’re
not simply illustrations of an
argument—they are the argument. He
didn’t record what he saw; he absorbed
it, wrestled with it, and transformed it
into something impossible to ignore.”
A panel of experts on art and nature,
and longtime friends of Beard, spoke
that evening; acclaimed documentary
filmmaker Jon Bowermaster, art director
Vincent Fremont, conservationists
William James and Russell Mittermeier,
and moderated by climate activist Rajiv
Joshi. “We’re not here to simply
celebrate the publication of a
remarkable book,” said Joshi, “We’re
here because The End of the Game
continues to ask us a question that has
only become more urgent with time—what
we notice, what we overlook, and whether
we can still understand ourselves as
part of nature, not separate.” Explained
Mittermeier, “The End of the Game called
attention to the fact that the idyllic
view we had of Africa was rapidly
changing. It did so before the term
‘biodiversity conservation’ even
existed.
James recalled Beard’s expedition to
Lake Turkana in Kenya: “He was on a boat
with a guide over these
crocodile-infested waters, and it sank.
He swam two miles to reach camp, and
built a raft from gasoline containers
and empty peanut butter jars, then
paddled back two miles to rescue his
guide. That’s six miles in
crocodile-infested waters.” Bowermaster
offered, “Peter understood the power of
imagery. He documented Africa at a time
when it was changing rapidly. His were
among the last great photographs of a
disappearing world.” Fremont concluded,
"I look at Peter as a true artist
because he was accepted by artists. His
relationships with Francis Bacon and
Andy Warhol weren't shallow—they were
deep friendships built
on mutual respect."
Guests included Steven M.L. Aronson,
Anson Beard, Deborah Beard, Kelly
Bensimon, Gigi and Harry Benson, Renee
Cox, Richard Johnson, Sara and Hussein
Khalifa, Neil Leifer, Gillian McCain,
Carlo Tunioli, Shelley Wanger, Albert
Watson, Bruce Weber and Nan Bush, and
Will Zinterhofer.
The End of the Game, first published in
1965, has expanded and been revised over
several decades. It is widely regarded
as an indispensable historical document
of Africa’s wildlife crisis, revealing a
continent depleted by human ideas of
progress. Across two decades of Beard’s
images of elephants, rhinos, and hippos,
it captures not only what was lost, but
what these losses reflect on us. Now
reissued by Taschen it will include
additional essays, interviews, and
archival material that further
contextualize Beard’s work within
today’s biodiversity crisis. To
pre-order The End of the Game, visit
www.taschen.com
The Peter Beard Estate preserves and
promotes the work of Peter Beard,
overseeing his studio archive of African
wildlife photography, mixed-media
diaries, and unpublished writings. It
also works with museums and galleries
worldwide to curate exhibitions of his
work and maintain public engagement with
his practice. Alongside its archival
role, the Estate supports ongoing
conversations around environmental
change and wildlife conservation,
reflecting Beard’s lifelong focus on the
human impact on nature. More information
is available at
https://www.peterbeard.com/ |