Alexander Wetmore - Photo Album, Haiti and Dominican Republic, 1927, 1931

Have you ever wondered what kinds of birds live on the Caribbean island of Hispaniola? Go exploring with Alexander Wetmore, ornithologist, curator, and former Secretary of the Smithsonian, and his 1927/1931 photo album. This unique collection of images was taken while Wetmore traveled through Haiti and the Dominican Republic, collecting natural history specimens for the US National Museum (now the National Museum of Natural History). The photos document not just the birds Wetmore collected, but also rain forests and caves, archaeological excavations, and the preparation work behind the expedition. Join us in transcribing the image captions in Wetmore's album and get a look into the Smithsonian's history of specimen collecting!