Sanderson, Ivan T.

Sanderson, Ivan T. (1911–1973) Scottish explorer and biologist Ivan T. Sanderson was one of the founders of the discipline known as cryptozoology, a field he popularized through his many books, articles, and television appearances. He is also known for coming up with the name globster for the mysterious blobs of flesh that sometimes wash up on beaches (and which some people believe are the remains of sea monsters). Sanderson’s first books, such as Animal Tales (1946), Living Mammals of the World (1955), and Monkey Kingdom (1957), described the fairly conventional animals he saw during his explorations. In the 1940s, however, he started writing articles about mysterious beasts, including sea monsters and lake monsters, and in the 1950s and 1960s he regularly appeared on television to discuss such creatures as well. During this period he began to take a particular interest in the abominable snowman, Sasquatch, and similar legendary humanoids, and in 1961 he wrote Abominable Snowman: Legend Come to Life, one of the most important books on the subject. Four years later he founded the Society for the Investigation of the Unexplained to support the search for mysterious creatures. He also continued to search for such creatures himself. After Sanderson died in 1973, others stepped forward to take up his work.

SEE ALSO:

• Abominable Snowman
• Globsters

SOURCE:

The Greenhaven Encyclopedia of Paranormal Phenomena – written by Patricia D. Netzley © 2006 Gale, a part of Cengage Learning