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USNM Curators Annual Reports: Department of Marine Invertebrates, Annual Report 1888-1889
How can a big drop in specimen donations be a good thing? Honorary Curator Richard Rathbun (1852-1918) begins his annual report using glowing terms to describe his department's 1888-1889 accomplishments. However, the department's largest specimen donor, year after year, had drastically reduced its contributions. How does one make sense of that? Join other digital volunteers who are helping us transcribe this handwritten report of the Department of Marine Invertebrates' activities in 1888 and 1889.
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82 Total pages
19 Contributing members
USNM Curators Annual Reports: Department of Marine Invertebrates, Monthly Reports 1890
Join your fellow volunpeers to transcribe this batch of monthly reports from the Department of Marine Invertebrates in 1890. Like the reports from each of the various departments of the US National Museum, these would eventually be compiled into an annual report for the leadership of the Institution. Get a deeper look into the administrative history of the Smithsonian!
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102 Total pages
30 Contributing members
USNM Curators Annual Reports: Department of Marine Invertebrates, Reports 1891-1892
The Smithsonian Institution is an American museum complex—but not only did our founding donation come from an Englishman who never set foot in North America, many of the items that now make up our national collections were donated from abroad by colleagues of Smithsonian employees. Richard Rathbun's annual and monthly reports make note of those specimens received by the Department of Marine Invertebrates from locations across the globe, including the British Museum and private collectors throughout England. Join your fellow volunpeers in gaining additional insight into the US National Museum as we approach the turn of the twentieth century!
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60 Total pages
14 Contributing members
USNM Curators Annual Reports: Department of Mollusks, 1885-1886
What were working conditions like work in the first United States National Museum? Over a century later, it may be hard for us to imagine what that experience was like. Fortunately Honorary Curator of Mollusks William H. Dall's candid report of his department's annual activity goes straight to the issue. Help us transcribe this Department of Mollusks report from 1885-1886 and learn more about what Dall thought was behind a harmful work environment.
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62 Total pages
13 Contributing members
USNM Curators Annual Reports: Department of Mollusks, 1886-1887
Within the past year, the United States National Museum had received a large donation of Tertiary fossils from a survey conducted by the United States Geological Survey. The fossils were placed in the care of the Department of Mollusks led by naturalist and honorary curator William Healey Dall (1845-1927) and his staff of two. Illnesses still plagued the department, but assistance was "rendered from time to time" by the USGS in processing the fossils they had donated. Join other volunteers to transcribe this annual report and get a sense of the department's dedication to their collections while Dall fought for better working conditions.
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35 Total pages
9 Contributing members
USNM Curators Annual Reports: Department of Mollusks, 1888-1889
William Healey Dall, curator in the Division of Mollusks, got things done. He authored 500 scientific publications and described nearly 4,000 uncharacterized species. This is probably why Dall seemed so frustrated by the division’s lack of resources in 1888–89. He described a need for “at least a competent clerk” to reconcile an entire half of the collection that Dall deemed improperly registered and labeled. He also complained that “much annoyance has been suffered” by construction noises. Join a group of #volunpeers in transcribing the division’s work and collections that year, despite the setbacks.
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72 Total pages
19 Contributing members
USNM Curators Annual Reports: Department of Mollusks, 1889-1890
How much difference can a person make? In the previous years' annual reports to the United States National Museum's director, Department of Mollusks curator William H. Dall had called attention to working conditions and staff illness. The United States Geographical Survey, itself a donor of specimens to the new museum, had detailed staff to help in the department's work. This year saw the addition of one more dedicated staffperson. Still, needed analysis of recent contributions from the U. S. Fish Commission Steamer Albatross's work in California and expeditions like U.S. Eclipse Expedition to West Africa (1889-1890) added to the workload. Join Transcription Center volunteers in transcribing the curator's 1889-1890 annual report and see the difference the addition of one Mr. Simpson made to the Department of Mollusks in 1890.
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43 Total pages
11 Contributing members
USNM Curators Annual Reports: Department of Mollusks, 1890-1891
Sometimes, it is said, the fuller story is found between the lines. You might find that to be true in the 1890-1891 annual report submitted by the US National Museum's honorary curator of the Department of Mollusks, William Healey Dall (1845-1927.) Lines crossed out, other text inserted, and comments in the margin show up in handwriting that is different from the overall report. Do these edits tell their own story about the work of the department this particular year? Join in with other digital volunteers to transcribe Dall's report and decide for yourself!
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36 Total pages
9 Contributing members
USNM Curators Annual Reports: Department of Mollusks, 1891-1892
Curator William Healey Dall (1845-1927) submitted this handwritten report to the Director of the United States National Museum describing the work of the Department of Mollusks from July, 1891 to June, 1892. The number of new accessions had increased just a little compared to the year before, but duplicate specimens - that was another matter. Museums and other scientific organizations had a practice of loaning study collections to each other. However, the Department of Mollusks' backlog in processing duplicates limited what it could safely lend out. Had curator Dall and his team made any headway on this score? Join other volunteers and learn more about how the department balanced normal operations and backlogs.
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60 Total pages
19 Contributing members
USNM Curators Annual Reports: Department of Mollusks, 1893-1894
What might be buried in a large donation of "miscellaneous materials?" Honorary Curator of Mollusks and Invertebrate Cenozoic Fossils, William Healey Dall (1872-1927) reports on a remarkable donation from Dr. Leander Carmichael and his wife Francis Lea Chamberlain. Help us to transcribe Dall's annual report of his department's activities from July 1893 to June 1894 and discover what kinds of conditions can make such a donation especially valuable.
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57 Total pages
34 Contributing members
USNM Curators Annual Reports: Department of Mollusks, 1894-1895
Fifteen years after it had opened to the public, the United States National Museum's collections continued to expand at a remarkable rate and the Department of Mollusks was no exception. Curator William Healey Dall reported on his department's activities from July 1984 to June 1985 using the new format requested by the Smithsonian's Assistant Secretary in charge of the Museum, G. Brown Goode. Please help us to transcribe Dall's report and learn more about "four very fine and valuable accessions" and the other accomplishments of the Mollusks staff.
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24 Total pages
30 Contributing members
USNM Curators Annual Reports: Department of Mollusks, 1895-1896
A donation does not have to be big to be valuable. Curator and noted naturalist William Healey Dall (1845-1927) starts off his 1895-1896 annual report of the Department of Mollusks activities to the Director of the United States National Museum with a description of several small donations of shells received and what they meant to the steadily growing Museum's collections. Join in with other volunteers transcribing this project and see what else the department staff accomplished. If you've worked some other Department of Mollusks projects, you will probably recognize some of the names and some of the specimens!
