Review: The Perfectionist: Peter Kilham and the Birds by Larry Kilham

A paean to a father by an admiring son, The Perfectionist: Peter Kilham and the Birds is a remarkable chronicle of invention, exploration, and a lifelong search for perfection.

Author Larry Kilham’s childhood was idyllic, living on a homestead with his parents and siblings. His father Peter ran a thriving business, Tekton, designing and selling innovative metal furniture to wealthy clients. When his products began to be supplanted in the 1950s by mass-produced items like aluminum-tubing lawn chairs, Peter switched to the manufacture of metal-bending machines, on which he held significant patents.

Peter Kilham concentrated so minutely on the perfection of his inventions that most of his capital was used up in production and there were only small profits. Because of his self-absorption his wife left him, and with his children in college or working, Peter struck out on his own.

His next endeavor was called Droll Yankees, a recording company. Initially he and a partner engaged a local yarn spinner to tell tales of the sea accompanied by realistic noises of “buoys clanging, and seagulls cawing.” Recording challenged Peter, combining his intense interest in nature, and especially in birds, with a new possibility of perfection in the audio realm. His son added an audio reflector dish to his father’s recording equipment, with “Birds on a May Morning” being the first of Peter’s nature recordings using the dish.

This modest business had its heyday, supported by the Audubon Society and enthusiastic patronage from President John Kennedy and his wife Jacqueline who personally enjoyed the recordings. It also brought Peter in touch with Dorothy, a fan who would become his wife and an important part of his businesses. The next invention was a better birdhouse, consisting of a vertical tube design, again aided by the author, who recommended a durable plastic that would not deteriorate in sunlight. Droll Yankee birdfeeders set a new standard for that product that has endured to current times.

The author has composed this fascinating biographical study with great respect, highlighting all of Peter’s notable skills: as a talented artist, a tireless experimenter, a mechanical savant, and technical writer capable of composing complex patent applications. Though he realistically cites his father’s weaknesses as an entrepreneur who sometimes had to be supported by a son struggling to work his way through college, the central emphasis throughout is on Peter’s genius and work ethic; he could be fairly compared to the historical figure he most adulated – Leonardo Da Vinci.

One could make the argument that this comparison may be taking things a bit too far, but Larry Kilham really does make the case for his father’s singular intelligence, without seeming overly fawning. This is a book written with immense admiration and appreciation. Obviously, the book is not entirely objective – as it is in part about the respect of a son for his father – but this is another compelling layer to the read, as families can be contentious, and there is inspiration in not only reading about the elder Kilham’s accomplishments, but in the younger Kilham’s sincere adulation of his father’s character and life’s work.

All in all, The Perfectionist is an inspiring biography of a man who may not be world famous, but most certainly left an indelible impact through his inventions, and his generosity throughout his life.