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Catalog Data

Author:
Coffman, Douglas  Search this
Subject:
National Museum of Natural History (U.S.)  Search this
United States National Museum  Search this
United States National Museum Division of Mammals  Search this
National Collections  Search this
South Hall of the United States National Museum  Search this
Exhibits Modernization Program United States National Museum  Search this
Montana Agricultural Center and Museum Museum of the Northern Great Plains  Search this
University of Montana--Missoula  Search this
University of Montana (Missoula, Mont. : 1965-1994)  Search this
Montana Fish and Game Commission  Search this
Montana Board of Game and Fish Commissioners  Search this
Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks Commission  Search this
Museum of the Rockies  Search this
Edition:
First
Physical description:
Number of pages : 67; Page numbers : 1-54
Place:
Montana
Date:
2013
Category:
Smithsonian History Bibliography
Summary:
Coffman traces the remarkable history of the bison group prepared by the noted taxidermist William Temple Hornaday for the United States National Museum at the Smithsonian. The author opens with Hornaday's completion of an iconic museum display of American bison in 1888 and the note he tucked into its base for his successors. He follows the specimens as they are removed in the Exhibits Modernization Program at the National Museum of Natural History in the 1950s and their transfer to Montana and dispersal to a several sites, the University of Montana at Missoula, the Montana Office of Fish, Wildlife and Parks, and the Museum of the Rockies. Coffman traces the detective work necessary to locate all the specimens, document their ownership, and restore and recreate Hornaday's American bison group at the Museum of the Northern Great Plains in Fort Benton, Montana, in 1996. The story is filled with twists and turns, and captures the dedication and determination of those, especially Coffman himself, who sought to "give the devil his due" (to quote Hornaday) and preserve his display for generations to come.
Contact information:
Institutional History Division, Smithsonian Institution Archives, 600 Maryland Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C. 20024-2520, SIHistory@si.edu
Topic:
American bison  Search this
Zoological specimens--Collection and preservation  Search this
Taxidermy  Search this
Taxidermists  Search this
Wildlife conservation  Search this
Exhibitions  Search this
Buffalo  Search this
Mammals  Search this
Animals  Search this
Specimens  Search this
Endangered species  Search this
Publisher:
Fort Benton, Montana: The River & Plains Society
Data Source:
Smithsonian Archives - History Div
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:siris_sic_14090