What could bring the work of a museum department to a virtual standstill - for almost a year? In 1893, the World's Columbian Exposition was planned to commemorate the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus's first landing in the New World. The United States National Museum Department of Birds was tasked with preparing an exhibit for what came to be known later as the Chicago World's Fair. There were only two problems: not enough taxidermists and not enough specimens. Please join us in transcribing curator Robert Ridgway's annual and monthly reports to get the inside story and make it easier to search.
What could bring the work of a museum department to a virtual standstill - for almost a year? In 1893, the World's Columbian Exposition was planned to commemorate the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus's first landing in the New World. The United States National Museum Department of Birds was tasked with preparing an exhibit for what came to be known later as the Chicago World's Fair. There were only two problems: not enough taxidermists and not enough specimens. Please join us in transcribing curator Robert Ridgway's annual and monthly reports to get the inside story and make it easier to search.
Learn more about the collection of curators annual reports and browse the collection finding aid here.