Description![Beerstecher.jpg][1] ![__beerstecher2lore.jpg][2] ![beerstecher2lr.jpg][3]![beerstecher4lr.jpg][4]    Charles A. Beerstecher, "Doplhe" to his family and friends, was born in Switzerland in 1832 and came to America in 1856 via sailboat to New York. He first came to Kalamazoo, Michigan where he worked in a bookbindery. He was also the assistant fire chief while there. Eventually he opened his own bookbindery in Centreville. In terms of his taxidermy work, he created a large collection of mounted birds and animals of Michigan, eight cases of which are ?/ were at Kalamazoo College. He also made a collection of Indian relics and other curiosities. He was very well versed in natural history. Charles spoke seven languages and was a graduate of College of Neuville, Switzerland. ![beerstecher6lr.jpg][5] ![beerstecher3lr.jpg][6]   Home of Charles Adolphe and Mary Thanks to Charles Beerstecher's great granddaughter, Patrice Cutler Marialke, for this information. Binders ticket collection ABM 00097, prov TJ [1]: /media/attachments/bbdir_entry/513/Beerstecher.jpg (Beerstecher) [2]: /media/attachments/bbdir_entry/513/__beerstecher2lore.jpg (__beerstecher2lore.jpg) [3]: /media/attachments/bbdir_entry/513/beerstecher2lr.jpg (beerstecher2lr.jpg) [4]: /media/attachments/bbdir_entry/513/beerstecher4lr.jpg (beerstecher4lr.jpg) [5]: /media/attachments/bbdir_entry/513/beerstecher6lr.jpg (beerstecher6lr.jpg) [6]: /media/attachments/bbdir_entry/513/beerstecher3lr.jpg (beerstecher3lr.jpg)