American naturalist and taxidermist Martha Maxwell became famous in the 1870s for her skill and expertise in collecting and preserving specimens of Colorados wildlife but is virtually unknown today. On the Plains and Among the Peaks written in 1879 by Maxwells halfsister Mary Dartt provides a fascinating case study of how women practiced natural history and taxidermy as well as a fresh look at the early exploration and settlement of Colorado. ampnbsp Dartts book tells the story of Maxwells lifelong passion and dedication to work and education that made her a pioneer in more ways than one. It catalogs her important scientific contributions and development of museum habitat groupings and lifelike taxidermy mounts showcases engaging accounts of wilderness excursions on the frontier of the Western United States in the 1860s and 1870s and testifies to her resolve to show that women were capable of succeeding in traditionally maledominated fields. ampnbsp This scholarly edition of On the Plains and Among the Peaks will spark renewed interest in Maxwell and Dartt as neglected figures in nineteenthcentury US history and literature opening a conversation that other literary scholars and historians will join to further situate their work within the numerous disciplines to which it speaks including nineteenthcentury American literature womens western environmental and natural history and gender museum and animal studies. ampnbsp