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When Monster Hunting Became Organized

Sanderson's Society for the Investigation of the Unexplained gave monster reports a home, but also mixed very different mysteries together.

On this page

  • Why SITU mattered as a research society
  • How files and correspondence built a community
  • The problem of grouping cryptids with every anomaly
Preview for When Monster Hunting Became Organized

Introduction

For Ivan T. Sanderson, monster hunting was never meant to remain a collection of isolated stories. By the mid-1960s he was trying to build something more durable: an organisation that could gather reports, preserve evidence, connect investigators and encourage field research. The result was the Society for the Investigation of the Unexplained, usually known as SITU. Founded from the earlier Ivan T. Sanderson Foundation and formally operating under the SITU name from 1967, the organisation became one of the most important institutional homes for cryptozoology and related anomalous research in North America.[APS Manuscript Collections]as.amphilsoc.orgAPS Manuscript Collections Ivan Terence Sanderson papers, [ca1920-1973]In 1965, Sanderson established the Ivan T. Sanderson Foundation, later called Society for the Investigation of the Unexplained…SITU illustration 1 SITU mattered because it attempted to transform monster hunting from a series of individual enthusiasts into a network. At the same time, it revealed a persistent problem within cryptozoology: reports of unknown animals were collected alongside UFOs, paranormal claims, mysterious disappearances and many other anomalies. That broad scope gave researchers access to a large archive of unusual reports, but it also blurred the boundaries between zoological investigation and a much wider world of unexplained phenomena.[Encyclopedia.com]encyclopedia.comSanderson in 1965, for the acquisition, investigation and dissemination of information on reports of all tangible…

When Monster Hunting Became Organised

"Flatwoods monster" witnessed after 1952 UFO landing discussed by Ivan Sanderson & Stanton Friedman

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Why SITU Mattered as a Research Society

SITU’s influence came less from spectacular discoveries than from its role as an information hub. The organisation gathered reports from around the world and attempted to preserve them in a central archive. Its activities reflected Sanderson’s belief that unusual observations should be documented first and judged later.[cryptidarchives.fandom.com]cryptidarchives.fandom.comSanderson on the suggestion of LorenSociety for the Investigation of the UnexplainedThe Society for the Investigation of the Unexplained (SITU) was an investigative and arch…

Several features distinguished SITU from simple fan clubs or correspondence circles:

  • Centralised records: The society accumulated files, maps, reports, photographs and clippings relating to cryptids and other unexplained phenomena.[Encyclopedia.com]encyclopedia.comSanderson in 1965, for the acquisition, investigation and dissemination of information on reports of all tangible…
  • Publication programmes: SITU circulated information through newsletters and later through its journal Pursuit, allowing members to share investigations and theories.[Internet Archive]archive.orgsitu no 1 5 combinedInternet ArchiveSITU Newsletters 1-5: Ivan T. SandersonSep 17, 2020 — Pursuit was the journal published by the Society for the Investiga…
  • Field investigation: The organisation encouraged members to conduct on-site inquiries rather than relying solely on second-hand stories.[Encyclopedia.com]encyclopedia.comSanderson in 1965, for the acquisition, investigation and dissemination of information on reports of all tangible…
  • Long-term preservation: Sanderson hoped that reports dismissed at the time might become valuable if future evidence emerged.[cryptidarchives.fandom.com]cryptidarchives.fandom.comSanderson on the suggestion of LorenSociety for the Investigation of the UnexplainedThe Society for the Investigation of the Unexplained (SITU) was an investigative and arch…

This archival mentality became an important part of later cryptozoological culture. Many researchers inherited the idea that collecting witness reports, newspaper accounts and local traditions was itself a meaningful activity, even when definitive proof remained elusive.SITU illustration 2

How Files and Correspondence Built a Community

The most important product of SITU may have been neither discoveries nor theories but community formation. Decades before digital databases and online forums, investigators depended heavily on letters, newsletters and personal contacts. SITU became a clearing house through which people interested in cryptids could find one another.[Encyclopedia.com]encyclopedia.comSanderson in 1965, for the acquisition, investigation and dissemination of information on reports of all tangible…

The organisation maintained extensive files at Sanderson’s New Jersey headquarters. Archival records from Sanderson’s papers show the scale of his collecting activity, which eventually encompassed thousands of documents and research items. The collection included material on cryptozoology, UFOs, lake monsters, sea-serpent reports, unexplained animal sightings and many other subjects.[American Philosophical Society]amphilsoc.orgnew digital library ivan sanderson papersAmerican Philosophical SocietyNew to the Digital Library: Ivan Sanderson papersNov 21, 2022 — Sanderson founded the Society for the Inves…

This system performed several functions at once:<div class="content-enhancement content-enhancement--step-flow" markdown="1">

  1. Preservation of reports. Witness accounts that might otherwise have vanished were copied and stored.
  2. Comparison across cases. Investigators could compare sightings from different regions and periods.
  3. Recruitment of researchers. People with niche interests found collaborators through SITU’s publications and correspondence.
  4. Creation of continuity. Reports from one generation could be revisited by the next.</div>

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The Problem of Grouping Cryptids with Every Anomaly

The same feature that made SITU distinctive also became one of its greatest weaknesses. Sanderson did not limit the organisation to unknown animals. SITU investigated a broad range of unexplained phenomena, including UFOs, the Bermuda Triangle, strange archaeological claims, poltergeist reports and other Fortean mysteries.[American Philosophical Society+2APS Manuscript Collections]amphilsoc.orgnew digital library ivan sanderson papersAmerican Philosophical SocietyNew to the Digital Library: Ivan Sanderson papersNov 21, 2022 — Sanderson founded the Society for the Inves…

From Sanderson’s perspective, this broad approach made sense. Influenced by the Fortean tradition associated with Charles Fort, he believed that apparently unrelated anomalies might reveal gaps in accepted knowledge. The organisation therefore treated many mysteries as part of a common investigative landscape.[Wikipedia+2Wikipedia]WikipediaFortean SocietyFortean Society

However, critics argued that this approach weakened cryptozoology’s credibility. Unknown-animal reports involve questions that are, at least in principle, zoological: tracks, specimens, habitats, ecology and biological identification. UFO reports and paranormal claims often require very different methods of investigation. By grouping them together under one institutional umbrella, SITU risked making cryptozoology appear inseparable from a wider catalogue of fringe claims.[Encyclopedia.com]encyclopedia.comSanderson in 1965, for the acquisition, investigation and dissemination of information on reports of all tangible…

This tension became a recurring issue in later cryptozoological organisations. Some researchers attempted to narrow their focus to biological mysteries, while others embraced the broader Fortean model that SITU had exemplified.SITU illustration 3

SITU’s Legacy for Cryptozoology

Spacetime Bigfoot Brothers podcast episode 2: Ivan T. Sanderson interviews Louis Leakey

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        See on Amazon</a></div></div></article><article class="fr-book-card"><a class="fr-book-cover" href="https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Abominable+Snowmen%2C+Legend+Come+to+Life+by+Ivan+T.+Sanderson&amp;i=stripbooks&amp;tag=searcht-20" target="_blank" rel="sponsored noopener noreferrer" aria-label="Open Abominable Snowmen, Legend Come to Life on Amazon"><span class="fr-book-cover-fallback">Book</span><img class="fr-book-cover-thumb" src="https://books.google.com/books/content?id=MVZSSkqDCU4C&amp;printsec=frontcover&amp;img=1&amp;zoom=1&amp;edge=curl&amp;source=gbs_api" alt="Cover for Abominable Snowmen, Legend Come to Life" loading="lazy" decoding="async" fetchpriority="low" referrerpolicy="no-referrer" onerror="this.hidden=true;this.closest('.fr-book-cover').classList.add('fr-book-cover-placeholder');"></a><div class="fr-book-info"><h4 class="fr-book-title"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Abominable+Snowmen%2C+Legend+Come+to+Life+by+Ivan+T.+Sanderson&amp;i=stripbooks&amp;tag=searcht-20" target="_blank" rel="sponsored noopener noreferrer" title="Abominable Snowmen, Legend Come to Life">Abominable Snowmen, Legend Come to Life</a></h4><p class="fr-book-author">By Ivan T. Sanderson</p><p class="fr-book-desc">Connects directly to the founder&#x27;s influence on organized monster hunting.</p><div class="fr-book-actions"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Abominable+Snowmen%2C+Legend+Come+to+Life+by+Ivan+T.+Sanderson&amp;i=stripbooks&amp;tag=searcht-20" class="fr-amazon-btn" target="_blank" rel="sponsored noopener noreferrer">
        See on Amazon</a></div></div></article><article class="fr-book-card"><a class="fr-book-cover" href="https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Bigfoot%21+by+Loren+Coleman&amp;i=stripbooks&amp;tag=searcht-20" target="_blank" rel="sponsored noopener noreferrer" aria-label="Open Bigfoot! on Amazon"><span class="fr-book-cover-fallback">Book</span><img class="fr-book-cover-thumb" src="https://books.google.com/books/content?id=CsDBqy9oHHkC&amp;printsec=frontcover&amp;img=1&amp;zoom=1&amp;edge=curl&amp;source=gbs_api" alt="Cover for Bigfoot!" loading="lazy" decoding="async" fetchpriority="low" referrerpolicy="no-referrer" onerror="this.hidden=true;this.closest('.fr-book-cover').classList.add('fr-book-cover-placeholder');"></a><div class="fr-book-info"><h4 class="fr-book-title"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Bigfoot%21+by+Loren+Coleman&amp;i=stripbooks&amp;tag=searcht-20" target="_blank" rel="sponsored noopener noreferrer" title="Bigfoot!">Bigfoot!</a></h4><p class="fr-book-author">By Loren Coleman</p><p class="fr-book-desc">Shows how networks of investigators shaped cryptid research.</p><div class="fr-book-actions"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Bigfoot%21+by+Loren+Coleman&amp;i=stripbooks&amp;tag=searcht-20" class="fr-amazon-btn" target="_blank" rel="sponsored noopener noreferrer">
        See on Amazon</a></div></div></article><article class="fr-book-card"><a class="fr-book-cover fr-book-cover-placeholder" href="https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Mysterious+creatures+%3A+a+guide+to+cryptozoology.+2.+%5BN+-+Z%5D+by+George+M.+Eberhart&amp;i=stripbooks&amp;tag=searcht-20" target="_blank" rel="sponsored noopener noreferrer" aria-label="Open Mysterious creatures : a guide to cryptozoology. 2. [N - Z] on Amazon"><span class="fr-book-cover-fallback">Book</span></a><div class="fr-book-info"><h4 class="fr-book-title"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Mysterious+creatures+%3A+a+guide+to+cryptozoology.+2.+%5BN+-+Z%5D+by+George+M.+Eberhart&amp;i=stripbooks&amp;tag=searcht-20" target="_blank" rel="sponsored noopener noreferrer" title="Mysterious creatures : a guide to cryptozoology. 2. [N - Z]">Mysterious creatures : a guide to cryptozoology. 2. [N - Z]</a></h4><p class="fr-book-author">By George M. Eberhart</p><p class="fr-book-desc">Discusses organizations, investigators, and the development of the field.</p><div class="fr-book-actions"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Mysterious+creatures+%3A+a+guide+to+cryptozoology.+2.+%5BN+-+Z%5D+by+George+M.+Eberhart&amp;i=stripbooks&amp;tag=searcht-20" class="fr-amazon-btn" target="_blank" rel="sponsored noopener noreferrer">
        See on Amazon</a></div></div></article></div><div class="fr-section-footer"><div class="fr-browse-links" aria-label="Browse more on Amazon"><span class="fr-browse-links-label">Browse more on Amazon:</span><a class="fr-browse-more" href="https://www.amazon.com/s?k=On+the+Track+of+Unknown+Animals&amp;i=stripbooks&amp;tag=searcht-20" target="_blank" rel="sponsored noopener noreferrer">On the Track of Unknown Animals</a><a class="fr-browse-more" href="https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Abominable+Snowmen%2C+Legend+Come+to+Life&amp;i=stripbooks&amp;tag=searcht-20" target="_blank" rel="sponsored noopener noreferrer">Abominable Snowmen, Legend Come to Life</a><a class="fr-browse-more" href="https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Bigfoot%21&amp;i=stripbooks&amp;tag=searcht-20" target="_blank" rel="sponsored noopener noreferrer">Bigfoot!</a></div><p class="fr-disclosure">As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.</p></div></div></section>

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Endnotes

1. Source: Wikipedia
Title: Ivan T. Sanderson
Link:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ivan_T._Sanderson

<summary>Source snippet</summary><p>Ivan T. SandersonSanderson founded the Ivan T. Sanderson Foundation in August 1965 on his New Jersey property, which became the Societ…</p>
Published: August 1965

2. Source: encyclopedia.com
Link:https://www.encyclopedia.com/science/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/society-investigation-unexplained-situ

<summary>Source snippet</summary><p>Sanderson in 1965, for the acquisition, investigation and dissemination of information on reports of all tangible…</p>

3. Source: cryptidarchives.fandom.com
Title: Sanderson on the suggestion of Loren
Link:https://cryptidarchives.fandom.com/wiki/Society_for_the_Investigation_of_the_Unexplained

<summary>Source snippet</summary><p>Society for the Investigation of the UnexplainedThe Society for the Investigation of the Unexplained (SITU) was an investigative and arch…</p>

4. Source: archive.org
Title: situ no 1 5 combined
Link:https://archive.org/details/situ-no-1-5-combined

<summary>Source snippet</summary><p>Internet ArchiveSITU Newsletters 1-5: Ivan T. SandersonSep 17, 2020 — Pursuit was the journal published by the Society for the Investiga…</p>

5. Source: Wikipedia
Title: Fortean Society
Link:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fortean_Society

6. Source: Wikipedia
Title: Charles Fort
Link:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Fort

7. Source: thebiggeststudy.blogspot.com
Link:https://thebiggeststudy.blogspot.com/2011/03/society-for-investigation-of.html

<summary>Source snippet</summary><p>Society for the Investigation of The Unexplained: SITU.20 Mar 2011 — It was founded by naturalist/zoologist/anomalies-lover Ivan Sanderso…</p>

8. Source: as.amphilsoc.org
Title: APS Manuscript Collections Ivan Terence Sanderson papers, [ca
Link:https://as.amphilsoc.org/repositories/2/resources/1789

<summary>Source snippet</summary><p>1920-1973]In 1965, Sanderson established the Ivan T. Sanderson Foundation, later called Society for the Investigation of the Unexplained…</p>

9. Source: amphilsoc.org
Title: new digital library ivan sanderson papers
Link:https://www.amphilsoc.org/blog/new-digital-library-ivan-sanderson-papers

<summary>Source snippet</summary><p>American Philosophical SocietyNew to the Digital Library: Ivan Sanderson papersNov 21, 2022 — Sanderson founded the Society for the Inves…</p>

10. Source: scribd.com
Title: Ivan T
Link:https://www.scribd.com/document/768208743/Ivan-T-Sanderson-Investigating-the-Unexplained

<summary>Source snippet</summary><p>Sanderson - Investigating The Unexplained | PDFSociety for the Investigation of the Un- Tjisondari, Java, 51 explained (SITU), 185, 200…</p>

11. Source: occult-world.com
Title: society for the investigation of the unexplained
Link:https://occult-world.com/society-for-the-investigation-of-the-unexplained/

<summary>Source snippet</summary><p>Sanderson, the Society for the Investigation of the Unexplained (SITU) is dedicated to…Read more…</p>

Additional References

12. Source: facebook.com
Link:https://www.facebook.com/groups/acfa.cryptozoology/posts/2736137730082562/

<summary>Source snippet</summary><p>Cryptozoology founder's hoaxes exposedHe wrote books about Bigfoot, lake monsters, and the Bermuda Triangle. He founded the Society for t…</p>

13. Source: hangar1publishing.com
Link:https://hangar1publishing.com/blogs/cryptids/ivan-t-sanderson-cryptozoologist?srsltid=AfmBOor0V_0gRlidZpGB1Cm9dhECLsIyHG-QiChPyFHrqe0KxDHPDYAg

<summary>Source snippet</summary><p>Discovering Ivan T. Sanderson: The Pioneering…SITU's mission extended beyond cryptozoology to encompass a wide range of anomalous phen…</p>

14. Source: scribd.com
Link:https://www.scribd.com/document/326663685/PURSUIT-Newsletter-No-4-September-1968-Ivan-T-Sanderson

<summary>Source snippet</summary><p>Society for Unexplained Investigations | PDF | UfologyThis document provides information about The Society for the Investigation of the U…</p>

15. Source: reddit.com
Link:https://www.reddit.com/r/HighStrangeness/comments/1f8tbcx/the_ivan_t_sanderson_files_origin_of_the/

<summary>Source snippet</summary><p>The Ivan T. Sanderson Files: Origin of the Thunderbird PhotoThis article is the product of six years of intensive research and interviews…</p>

16. Source: richardgrigonis.com
Title: Zippy’s Telecom Blog / Grigonis Research Ivan T
Link:https://www.richardgrigonis.com/Ch10%20Charles%20Hoy%20Fort.html

<summary>Source snippet</summary><p>Sanderson — Chapter 10 — Charles Hoy Fort and the…ITS Foundation becomes the Society for the Investigation of the Unexplained (SITU) I…</p>

17. Source: youtube.com
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0gGTsQkrUAw

<summary>Source snippet</summary><p>"Flatwoods monster" witnessed after 1952 UFO landing discussed by Ivan Sanderson & Stanton Friedman…</p>

18. Source: scribd.com
Link:https://www.scribd.com/doc/290759327/Pursuit-Magazine-No-60-70-Combined

<summary>Source snippet</summary><p>rson, SITU's founder, talked early, late and often about education…</p>

19. Source: reddit.com
Link:https://www.reddit.com/r/Cryptozoology/comments/1oox0mp/isc_newsletters_international_society_of/

<summary>Source snippet</summary><p>ISC newsletters (International Society of Cryptozoology)…ISC newsletters (International Society of Cryptozoology) archive from 1982-19…</p>

20. Source: facebook.com
Link:https://www.facebook.com/groups/ufoupdates/posts/10157749830611790/

<summary>Source snippet</summary><p>nd alleged anomalous phenomena by many of the leading Fortean…</p>

21. Source: youtube.com
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZEn-L5lkA00

<summary>Source snippet</summary><p>Spacetime Bigfoot Brothers podcast episode 2: Ivan T. Sanderson interviews Louis Leakey…</p>

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