James Bond originated in Philadelphia. At least, his name did.
The real-life James Bond was not an international spy. He was a Montco native born in in 1900 who spent much of his childhood in Gwynedd Valley.
After graduating from Cambridge University, he returned home to work as an ornithologist at the Academy of Natural Sciences. He eventually became the museum’s curator of ornithology.
Within the scientific community, Bond was best known for his work in the Caribbean. He crisscrossed the region documenting bird species, many of whom were threatened with extinction.
In total, he visited more than 100 islands during his exhaustive research trips.
In 1936, Bond published his seminal work: “Birds of The West Indies.” This field guide contained information on hundreds of species in the region, making it the definitive resource for ornithologists and amateur birders alike.
The book received several top honors over the decades, including the prestigious Brewster Medal from the American Ornithologists’ Union.
Right around that time, unbeknownst to Bond, his name was beginning its journey to immortality.
In 1952, 44-year-old Ian Fleming published his first spy novel: “Casino Royale.”
Fleming wanted the protagonist to have a neutral name that would contrast with his wild adventures. Or to put it more bluntly — as Fleming later did in an interview with the New Yorker — he wanted his spy to have the “simplest, dullest, plainest-sounding name” possible.
Inspiration came in the form of a hobby.
Fleming was a birder who lived long stretches in Jamaica. Because of that, he owned “Birds of the West Indies.” And in the author’s name, Fleming found what he was looking for.
“It struck me that this brief, unromantic, Anglo-Saxon and yet very masculine name was just what I needed,” Fleming later wrote to the wife of the real-life Bond. “And so a second James Bond was born.”
You know what happened to the “second” James Bond. 14 novels. 27 films. A lofty place in the cultural cannon.
Meanwhile, the first James Bond — Philly’s James Bond — had to deal with his sudden and unsought fame.
He only became aware of the spy novels in 1961, when he began receiving strange, anonymous phone calls from fans, according to Smithsonian Magazine. Fleming had never told Bond he was using his name.
Eventually, Fleming and Bond met, in Jamaica, shortly before Fleming’s death.
The meeting was cordial. Bond told Fleming he never read his books. Fleming told Bond he didn’t blame him.
By cribbing Bond’s name, Fleming changed the scientist’s life. His impressive ornithological work would forever take a backseat to the fictional creation. But his science lives on — and even showed up in a subtle crossover.
In an early scene from the 2002 movie “Die Another Day,” the fictional James Bond examines a book.
Its title: “Birds of the West Indies.”
The author’s name is scratched out.
Originally posted by Avi Wolfman-Arent (@Avi_WA) on Nov. 23, 2023
