#field museum

Hello my Tumblr science nerd friends.

After almost 3 years of running the Photo Archives Tumblr, it is time for me to say goodbye.

Thank you so much for joining me in this photo archives worm hole.

The Tumblr will go on a small hiatus, but will be back in full force soon.

-Karen Bean 

 Throw back Thursday to one of my all time favorite photos in the archives.

Opening Day on June 2nd, 1894. I love all of the people and their amazing outfits.

© The Field Museum, GN78508.

Opening Day crowds. Field Columbian Museum June 2, 1894

6/2/1894 

One of my favorite series of photos we have is the Move Series.

Seeing how they moved all of the exhibits and objects on train cars from our old building to the new one is really fascinating. 

Also getting a chance to scan all of these glass plates was really fun.

© The Field Museum, CSGN40514, Photographer Charles Carpenter.

Thirteen (13) men including Security Guard unloading dorsal vertebrae of Apatosaurus fossils. Parts of a skeleton in several wood crates or exhibit cases, outside new Field Museum building. Museum move series.

5x7 glass negative

4/26/1920

Taxidermy Tuesday, Putting the skin on. 

This is one of my favorite taxidermy photos. It is so interesting to see the skin being put on to the mold. 

© The Field Museum, RF78615.

Mr. Julius Friesser and Frank Wonder working on panda, 4th floor taxidermy area. For Raymond Foundation.

5x7 negative

1939 

Mammal Monday, Llamas and a dapper gentleman.

This week will mark my last week running the Field Museum Photo Archives Tumblr so I’ll be featuring my favorite picks. 

Today’s Mammal Monday is Llamas by far my favorite mammal.

© The Field Museum, GN91443_6d, 

Mr. Henry Nichols and live llamas in South America.

Hand Colored Lantern

Fun Find Friday. 

I found this image this week while scanning. I love all of the random symbols of natural history all mingling together. 

I would for sure hang this painting in my house.

© The Field Museum, GN79197.

Artist Paul Banks with his vivid pastel chalk painting called Arrangement of Animal Symbols. He is a first year student at Art Institute. Miss Ethel Spears is his instructor teacher.

8x10 negative

4/16/1956 

Here is a throw back to the Fighting Elephants in 1948. 

You can see why they are now on a taller base. It keeps people from being able to touch them. 

© The Field Museum, GN78722.

Stanley Field Hall with students. Shows several girls and a few boys with their teachers (nuns in habit), Penicillin exhibit, wood benches, girl touching one of the elephants legs, displayed at floor level, looking towards south staircase, Akeley Lion Spearing Bronze sculpture in background.

8x10 negative 

4/16/1948 

Taxidermy Tuesday, Here is a much more finished look from last week’s Taxidermy Tuesday. They are adding the skin to the mold. 

© The Field Museum, Z80768.

John Moyer and Frenchie (verify if Mr. John La Bontè) putting skin over unidentified bird specimen.

8x10 negative 

12/13/1937 

Fossil Find Friday.

What do you think he found?

© The Field Museum, GEO79797.

Man working at fossil site. 

4x5 Interpositive

1939

Throw Back Thursday to a 1957 science fair at the museum. 

Check out Mechanical Man.

© The Field Museum, GN79295.

Chicago Area Science Fair contestant Jack Growoig and three women demonstrating Sam, The Mechanical Man.

4x5 negative

5/1/1957 

I don’t know about you, but I am the worst at identifying Poison Ivy.

I may start carrying this photo around with me. 

© The Field Museum, B80814.

Poison Ivy. Exhibit case, plant models.

8x10 negative

1953

Taxidermy Tuesday, bird. 

Check out the modeled feet attached to the bones, they look pretty creepy.

© The Field Museum, Z80766.

John Moyer modelling unidentified bird specimen.

5x7 negative

12/13/1937 

 Mammal Monday, Dog Faced Baboon riding a donkey. 

© The Field Museum, CSZ55784, Photographer Wilfred H. Osgood.

Small Dog-faced baboon on a donkey. 

Daily News Abyssinian Expedition Zoology Mammals, Birds Africa Abyssinia Wilfred Osgood, Louis Agassiz Fuertes, Charles Suydam Cutting, Jack Baum, Alfred M. Bailey Start Date: 9/7/1926 End Date: 5/20/1927

4x5 Interpositive 

1927

Fossil Friday, working in tight spaces. 

Sometimes fossils aren’t in the easiest place to reach. Imagine slowly chipping away at a fossil for hours in this small space.

© The Field Museum, CSGEO32665, Photographer Elmer S. Riggs.

John B. Abbott collecting the skull of Dolichorhinus longiceps Douglass, divide near White River, Gilgenite vein #2 Geology specimen P12175

5x7 glass negative 

6/1/1910

Throwback to 1920 moving the totem poles to the new building.

Nothing like some good old fashioned man power.

© The Field Museum, GN84603, Photographer Herbert P. Burtch, Oriental Institute.

Men moving Totem Pole outside Field Museum by train.

5x7 negative 

4/26/1920

We have tons of photos from the 40s, 50s, and 60s of staff members posing with models.

Two “Man Killers” the Electric eel and the piranha were added to the hall of fishes in 1947.

We thought this electric eel made a pretty fun prop.

© The Field Museum, GN84155.

Mrs. Helen Moyer holding large model of an eel.

1947 

Taxidermy Tuesday, Scavenger Beetles. 

© The Field Museum, Z88195.

Scavenger Beetles on Dead Mouse Nature’s clean up squads.

8x10 negative

2/1/1963 

Fossil Friday… fossil jacket opening. 

Fossils are transported from the field to the museum in plaster jackets.

© The Field Museum, GEO81473.

Orville “Gilly” Gilpin opening a plaster jacket with a crow bar in the Geology prep area on the 3rd floor.

5x7 negative 

11/5/1954 

Here is a throw back to 1960. These two trucks were used to deliver Harris Loan teaching materials to schools.

Teachers can still check out amazing teaching materials from our N.W. Harris Learning Collection.

© The Field Museum, HE78691.

Benjamin Cascard, John Dykstra, Chris Priesmeyer and William Foust outside outside the South Entrance of the FM building with 2 N.W. Harris Public School Extension Chicago Natural History Museum delivery trucks. Note that the halls rooms with Caryatid porches are shaded or bricked up. Delivery truck and staff of Norman W. Harris Public School Extension.

8x10 negative 

6/14/1960 

 It’s hump day! 

We hope your Wednesday is easier than training a camel.

© The Field Museum, CSZ6050_LS, Photographer Carl Akeley.

Camel “breaking” men training a camel to sit by pulling its front legs with a leash or rope.

Africa Expedition Zoology Mammals Africa D.G. Elliot, Carl Akeley, Mr. Dodson [London] Start Date: March 27, 1896 End Date: December 1, 1896

Lantern Slide 

4/1/1896