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What does a year of "unusual activity in the herpetological department" of the United States National Museum look like? Curator Leonhard Stejneger's report covers the remarkable gains and the less impressive areas of progress in plain language. Head curator of the Department of Reptiles for just three years, he has supervised the relocation of the collections and uncovered several areas where the collections needed urgent attention. Please help us transcribe Stejneger's report and learn what "unusual activity" meant to this highly-respected herpetologist.
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When you look back over the past year, what brings you satisfaction? Herpetologist Leonhard Stejneger, curator of the United States National Museum's Department of Reptiles, submits this report of his department's activity for which it has "every reason to look back upon the year 1891 - '92 with satisfaction." Please help us to transcribe this curatorial report and learn details that are not always included in the Institution's overall annual report.
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What is it like to develop collection of reptiles for a national museum, managing rapid growth without sacrificing quality? Now add to that, the additional task of preparing an exhibit for the Chicago World's Fair. This was the challenge for curator Leonhard Stejneger and the staff of the United States National Museum's Department of Reptiles in 1892 and 1893. Join us as we transcribe Stejneger's report and examine how they rose to the challenge.
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Contributions of specimens to the United States National Museum came from all over the world. In his report of his department's activity for 1893 - 1894, Reptiles curator Leonhard Stejneger identifies the individuals and groups from four different continents whose generosity was helping to build a truly international collection. Please help us to transcribe his report and learn more about how this department cared for this collection and the specimens that had been exhibited earlier in the year at the Chicago World's Fair.
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Apart from the very challenging handwriting of what might be a rushed letter to the Assistant Director of the United States National Museum, H. C. Yarrow's report of the work of the Department of Reptiles for 1882 is quite legible and organized in comparison to some of the other departments' reports. Please join other volunteers in this transcription effort. The latter pages might help to get a sense of Yarrow's unique penmanship.
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The handwriting in this brief report from H. C. Yarrow to the United States National Museum Assistant Director G. Brown Goode is a bit challenging to read. The last two pages are written in a different hand altogether. Your contributions to this transcription help make this report and those that will follow more accessible to researchers, citizen scientists and people all over the world.
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What does Teddy Roosevelt have to do with reptiles and the Smithsonian? Help us transcribe this brief annual report from honorary curator H. C. Yarrow to learn about the contributions from the future United States President. The report includes a special note to ensure the Museum's Assistant Director would file it under the correct year.
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How do you build a museum full of high-quality collections useful not only for general education, but also for extensive research from which to further increase our understanding of the world? Many naturalists who had amassed their own personal collections were glad to see a National Museum move forward in the early 1880's. The year 1884 proved to be a very good year for the Department of Reptiles among others. Honorary Curator H. C. Yarrow's succinct report covers the *many* highlights. Please help us transcribe this typescript report to make it accessible for advanced searching.
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This report covers the last half of the 1885 fiscal year, the honorary curator having been requested to submit a follow-up report to his earlier report of work accomplished in 1884. Please help us transcribe the details of this report.
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With the United States National Museum just five years old, the donation of reptile specimens increased noticeably. Specimens from Russia, Colombia, Mexico, Korea, the Caribbean and locations across the United States arrived in 1886 and 1887. Despite this boon, curator H. C. Yarrow still had some long-standing concerns. Join other volunteers to help us transcribe these reports from 1886 and 1887.
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What was it like to receive specimens from ornithologists across the continent and beyond in 1882? How do you go about processing and organizing hundreds of bird skeletons that were prepared for shipment at the campsites and other temporary accommodations across the continent? Join us in the transcription of the monthly reports of honorary curator R. W. Shufeldt during the early years of the United States National Museum.
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The Smithsonian has had to tackle some interesting storage issues in its 170 year history--like where would you find space for something that had actually been to space? The iconic missiles of Rocket Row found a home at the National Air and Space Museum (NASM)! Learn the story behind NASM's incredible collection with these out-of-this-world Division of Aeronautics curator's reports, 1946-47. These reports document the beginning and development of the museum, as well as how curators collected objects during World War II. Join other digital volunteers in transcribing a unique piece of Smithsonian history!