American Museum of Natural History Research Library
author: American Museum of Natural History

Asiatic Zoölogical Expedition (1st : 1916-1917); Asiatic Zoölogical Expedition of the American Museum of Natural History (1st : 1916-1917); Andrews First Asiatic Expedition; First Asiatic Zoological Expedition; First Asiatic Expedition
birth: 1916
death: 1917
The American Museum of Natural History Asiatic Zoological Expedition of 1916-1917 was led by Roy Chapman Andrews. The goal of the expedition was to collect Asian mammals and birds to add to the planned Asiatic Hall of the Museum. The Expedition traveled through areas of eastern and southwest China, particularly in the Yunnan Province. They ultimately crossed over 2000 miles on horseback, camping at such varied altitudes as 1500 to 15000 feet above sea level while collecting approximately 3000 specimens for the Museum. (1)
The Asiatic Zoological Expedition is alternately referred to as the First Asiatic Expedition or the First Asiatic Zoological Expedition. The nominal and observable aim of this expedition was to collect zoological specimens to help populate the American Museum of Natural History’s upcoming Hall of Asiatic Life but more importantly, this expedition would also provide a foundation to Andrews’ plans for a series of expeditions in Asia. Building upon the “Out of Asia” theory that was at the time supported by many scientists, including the Museum president Henry Fairfield Osborn, Andrews saw the potential for exploration of the area for evidence of mammalian origin, including that of human life. (2) It was thus relatively easy for Andrews to get the interest and support of the Museum. The Museum provided half of the $14,000 required through the Morris Jesup Fund, and Andrews was able to raise the remaining funds from patrons and members of the Museum. He would ultimately prove to be particularly adept at fundraising and promotion throughout his career.
As China was undergoing revolution and rebellion at the time, they were advised to postpone the expedition. Nevertheless, Andrews and his wife Yvette Borup Andrews made the decision to continue and sailed from San Francisco on March 28, 1916 en route to Japan. Andrews would take the role of general director and big-game hunter and Yvette, as a trained photographer, would act as expedition photographer. Still and motion picture photography proved valuable documentary tools for all of Andrews’ Asiatic expeditions, and among the supplies for this trip was one of the motion picture cameras developed by Carl Akeley of the Museum. (3) The other member of the expedition team would be Edmund Heller. Heller was a naturalist who had been previously been associated with one of Roosevelt’s African Expeditions. He would take responsibility for maintaining the quality of the specimens collected and be in charge of collecting smaller mammals. Other individuals assisted the expedition and many additional staff members were hired locally, including their interpreter Wu Hung-tao from the Anglo-Chinese College in Fuzhou, various English-speaking cooks, and four hunters from the Moso province who were engaged along with their hunting dogs.
Before Heller joined the group in July of 1916, the Roy and Yvette Andrews were met by and went hunting near Fuzhou with Harry R. Caldwell, a Methodist Missionary as well as big game hunter. Caldwell had written to Andrews expressing his desire to hunt together for the fabled “blue tiger.” (4) Although they did not find the creature, many specimens were collected for the Museum. By August of 1916 Roy, Yvette and Heller were headed to the Yunnan Province interior, where for nine months they traveled and collected throughout the region until leaving Bhamo for Rangoon on June 9 of 1917. (5) They had amassed over 3000 specimens, "2100 mammals, 800 birds, 200 reptiles and batrachians, 200 skeletons and formalin preparations for anatomical study, 150 Paget color plates, 500 photographic negatives, and 10,000 feet of motion picture film." (6) They were able to collect such diverse species as serows, gorals, takin, muntjac, porcupines, gibbons, and other monkeys. (7) When they reached Rangoon at the end of their collecting period, there were transportation difficulties so they had to travel overland across India to Bombay to find available shipping. (8) They returned to New York on October 1, 1917. This would prove to be just the beginning of Andrews’ explorations in the Central Asiatic region.
1916 San Francisco (Calif.)
1916 March 28Left San Francisco, San Francisco.
1916 JulyHeller joined group
1916 August 6began travel to Ta-Li Fu in Yunnan Province
1916 Mid-Novemberreached Yangtze River
1917 January 13Mekong to Nam-Ting Valley
1917 June 9Left for Rangoon
1917 October 1Returned to New York, New York.