The Smithsonian Institution Archives began its Oral History Program in 1973. The purpose of the program is to supplement the written documentation of the Archives'
record and manuscript collections with an Oral History Collection, focusing on the history of the Institution, research by its scholars, and contributions of its staff. Program
staff conduct interviews with current and retired Smithsonian staff and others who have made significant contributions to the Institution. There are also interviews conducted
by researchers or student on topics related to the history of the Smithsonian or the holdings of the Smithsonian Institution Archives.
Jennie V. Emlong was interviewed for the Oral History Program to provide a full picture of her talented and multi-faceted son, Douglas Ralph Emlong, who had close ties
with the Department of Paleobiology, National Museum of Natural History.
Descriptive Entry:
Jennie V. Emlong was interviewed by Clayton Edward Ray on June 20, 1980 to provide a full picture of her talented and multi-faceted son, who possessed the unique personality
characteristics requisite to the really successful collector. The interview covers his family background, childhood, education, development of interests in collecting, relationships
with paleontologists, major fossil finds, artistic activities, and personality.
Historical Note:
Jennie Emlong's son, Douglas Ralph Emlong (1942-1980), was an amateur field collector of fossils in the Pacific Northwest. He had close ties with the Department of
Paleobiology, National Museum of National History (NMNH) which purchased many of his collections and often supported his field work. Douglas Emlong was self-educated in paleontology
and displayed an early penchant for collecting. During his childhood, he spent much of his time roaming the hills and desert of Southern California, collecting cacti, minerals,
agates, and fossils. When he was in the eighth grade, his family moved to the Oregon coast, and he began collecting marine fossils found on the beach and in surrounding cliffs.
For several years after high school, he operated a fossil and rock museum and shop, and lectured extensively on the paleontology of the Oregon coast. He became acquainted
with many prominent West Coast paleontologists, notable Arnold Shotwell, in his search for information on the complex geology of the region.
Douglas Emlong's first contact with the Smithsonian was with A. Remington Kellogg of the NMNH who was interested in his fossil cetaceans. His relationship with the museum
was solidified by Clayton E. Ray, curator of the Department of Paleobiology, who encouraged and funded Emlong's fossil collecting, and purchased his unique marine fossils.
Emlong possessed the individualistic and brilliant mind of the gifted amateur collector. He was largely self-taught, worked alone, and was truly enthralled by the search
for clues to the past. These searches produced many new specimens of fossils, ranging from plants to invertebrates to marine mammals, notably fifteen new species of marine
mammals and two previously unknown families. Emlong was a creative and intuitive individual. He was a musician and composer, a painter and a writer. He was intrigued by mysticism,
telepathy, and other frontiers of human intellect.
This accession consists of the "Cerro Ballena" website as it existed on June 16, 2014. Cerro Ballena is a unique paleontological site located in the Atacama Region
of Chile. In 2010, paleontologists discovered a rich fossil site containing dozens of whale skeletons, along with the remains of other extinct marine mammals and other marine
vertebrates. In 2011, paleontologists from Chile and the United States conducted rapid documentation and digitization of this site. This website provides information about
the site and the project which was led by Nicholas D. Pyenson, Research Geologist in the National Museum of Natural History, Department of Paleobiology. The Digitization Program
Office within the Smithsonian Institution, Office of the Chief Information Officer, provided three-dimensional digitization support for the project. Data from the digitization
is not included in this accession. Materials are in electronic format.
National Museum of Natural History. Division of Mammals Search this
Extent:
21 cu. ft. (21 record storage boxes)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Manuscripts
Compact discs
Floppy disks
Electronic records
Date:
1961-2009
Descriptive Entry:
This accession consists of records documenting the professional interactions of James G. Mead, Curator, 1972 - , with other museum staff, scientists, curators, professional
societies, and the public. Mead specializes in marine mammal paleontology, particularly whales. Materials include incoming and outgoing correspondence as well as associated
manuscripts, grant proposals, biographical materials, and other informational materials. Some materials are in electronic format. A small amount of materials was created by
Mead prior to his appointment to the National Museum of Natural History.
This accession consists of the "Cerro Ballena" website as it existed on December 8, 2016. Cerro Ballena is a unique paleontological site located in the Atacama Region
of Chile. In 2010, paleontologists discovered a rich fossil site containing dozens of whale skeletons, along with the remains of other extinct marine mammals and other marine
vertebrates. In 2011, paleontologists from Chile and the United States conducted rapid documentation and digitization of this site. This website provides information about
the site and the project which was led by Nicholas D. Pyenson, Research Geologist in the National Museum of Natural History, Department of Paleobiology. The Digitization Program
Office within the Smithsonian Institution, Office of the Chief Information Officer, provided three-dimensional digitization support for the project. Data from the digitization
is not included in this accession. Materials are in electronic format.
Über die fossilen Reste der Zeuglodonten von Nordamerica mit Rücksicht auf die europäischen Reste aus dieser Familie / von Joh. Müller ; mit 27 Steindrucktafeln
Untersuchungen über die fossilen und subfossilen Cetaceen Europa's, von J. F. Brandt, mit Beiträgen von Van Beneden, Cornalia, Gastaldi, Quenstedt und Paulson, nebst einem geologischen Anhange von Barbot de Marny, G. v. Helmersen, A. Goebel und Th. Fuchs, durch xxxiv tafeln erläutert
On the fossil genus Basilosaurus, Harlan, (Zeuglodon, Owen) with a notice of specimens from the Eocene green sand of South Carolina. By Robert W. Gibbes ..
Author:
Gibbes, Robert W (Robert Wilson) 1809-1866 Search this
Ostéographie des cétacés vivants et fossiles, comprenant la description et l'iconographie du squelette et du système dentaire de ces animaux, ainsi que des documents relatifs à leur histoire naturelle, par MM. van Beneden [et] Paul Gervais
Author:
Beneden M. van (Pierre Joseph) 1809-1894 Search this
