Endangered! Exploring a World at Risk (Exhibition)

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Exist Dates

1997 March 8 - 1997 September 1

Biographical or Historical Note

abstract
Exhibition. Opened March 8, 1997 and closed September 1, 1997. Located in Section 3, Floor 3 in Gallery 3 at American Museum of Natural History. Endangered! Exploring a World at Risk examined endangerment and extinction through specially created dioramas, specimens from the Museum’s collections, live animals, and videos.

Summary

Endangered! Exploring a World at Risk examined endangerment and extinction through specially created dioramas, specimens from the Museum’s collections, live animals, and videos. The Museum’s Hall of Biodiversity, which opened in 1998, expanded upon the theme of this exhibition (1). Ross MacPhee, curator and chairman, Department of Mammalogy, organized the major exhibition (2, p. 29).

Highlights (1; 4):

*Diorama of pandas in their native habitat, with video highlighting plight of giant panda as a result of habitat loss

*Diorama of an alligator hole in the Florida Everglades, formerly one of the largest wetlands in the world

*Volkswagen Beetle encrusted with zebra mussels, a European mollusk, after four months of submersion in Lake Erie, demonstrating the problem of introduced species

*Video about non-native Nile perch, which caused the extinction of native species in Lake Victoria and the effect of this on the human population that depends on the Lake

*Displays illustrating how animals have been commercially exploited with many items confiscated from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, including a 19th century parlor, 20th century fashion boutique, contemporary shop with medicines derived from animal parts

*Live animals, including tortoises and Chinese alligators, which were part of the Species Survival Plans coordinated by the Bronx Zoo and the New York Aquarium for Wildlife Conservation

*Video illustrating rate of extinction since the 17th century

*Presentation on the Endangered Species Act and resource area with information on public policy, legislation, and recovery efforts around the world

Preparators who worked on this exhibition included Joyce Cloughy, who painted the background for the Everglades diorama and Alec Madoff, who was part of a group who created the foreground for the Everglades diorama, both of whom traveled to Florida Everglades National Park; Marco Hernandez, who consulted with George B. Schaller, author of The Last Panda and science director of international programs at the Wildlife Conservation Society, to create the model for the giant panda diorama; and David McCormick, who sculpted a model of perch pursuing cichlids (3)

Related programs included workshops, lectures and demonstrations, a two-day symposium, walking tours, a performance, and film festival. The exhibition was sponsored and supported by Volkswagen AG and Sue Erpf Van de Bovenkamp of the Armand G. Erpf Fund. The public education programs for the exhibition were made possible through the Lila Acheson Wallace/American Museum of Natural History Fund. Support for English- and Spanish-language publications and education materials was provided by the Louis and Virginia Clemente Foundation and the City of New York Department of Cultural Affairs 1997 Cultural Challenge Program (1).

This is a condensed summary of the exhibition. For additional information, see Sources and/or Related Resources.

Sources

    (1) American Museum of Natural History. Endangered! Exploring a World at Risk. New York: American Museum of Natural History, [1997] [brochure]
    (2) American Museum of Natural History. Annual Report. New York: American Museum of Natural History, 1996-1997.
    (3) "Behind the Scenes: At Work On Endangered!" Rotunda (November 1996)
    (4) Giusti, Ellen. "A Summary Evaluation of Endangered! Exploring a World at Risk from the Visitor’s Perspective." August 1997.

Terms

place
New YorkExternal link

Related Corporate, Personal, and Family Names

American Museum of Natural History. Gallery 3.
Location of exhibition 1997 March 8 – 1997 September 1 (4)
American Museum of Natural History. Hall of Biodiversity.
Expanded on themes in exhibition and displays some of the same specimens; opened the following year, 1998 (1)
Armand G. Erpf Fund
Funded exhibition (1)
Cloughy, Joyce
Preparator; painted background of Everglades diorama and traveled to Florida Everglades Nationals Park in preparation (3)
Erpf Van de Bovenkamp, Sue
Funded exhibition (1)
Hernandez, Marco
Preparator; created giant panda diorama model and consulted with George B. Schaller (3)
Lila Acheson Wallace/American Museum of Natural History Fund
Funded related programs (1)
Louis and Virginia Clemente Foundation, Inc.
Funded related publications and educational materials (1)]
MacPhee, R. D. E.
Organized exhibition; curator and chairman, Museum Department of Mammalogy (2)
Madoff, Alec
Preparator; part foreground artist team on Everglades diorama and traveled to Florida Everglades Nationals Park in preparation (3)
New York (N.Y.). Department of Cultural AffairsExternal link
Funded related publications and educational materials through 1997 Cultural Challenge Program (1)
New York Zoological ParkExternal link
Coordinated Species Survival Plans with New York Aquarium for Wildlife Conservation, which provided live animals for exhibition; Bronx Zoo in Museum documentation (1)
Schaller, George B.
Consultant for giant panda diorama; author of The Last Panda and science director of international programs at the Wildlife Conservation Society (3)
VolkswagenwerkExternal link
Corporate sponsor of exhibition; Volkswagen AG in Museum Documentation (1)
Wildlife Conservation Society (New York, N.Y.)External link
Coordinated Species Survival Plans with Bronx Zoo, which provided live animals for exhibition; New York Aquarium for Wildlife Conservation, in Museum documentation (1)

Related Resources

American Museum of Natural History. Annual Report. New York: American Museum of Natural History, 1996-1997: 7, 12-14, 23, 29.
American Museum of Natural History photographic drawers
Repository: AMNH Special Collections [Black and white contact sheets of exhibition in preparations and on view]
American Museum of Natural History press releases, 1933-1990s
"Advance Exhibition Schedule and Programs.” July 1996; “Endangered! Exploring a World at Risk Opens at the American Museum of Natural History.” March 1997; “New Endangered! Special Exhibition Shop Opens at the American Museum of Natural History.” March 1997; “Special Programs Held in Conjunction with Endangered! Exploring a World at Risk.” March 1997; “Biography: Ross D.E. MacPhee, chairman and curator, Department of Mammalogy, and curator, ENDANGERED! Exploring a World at Risk.” [1997]; “Audio Expedition, Guidebook, and Children’s Poster Complement Endangered! Exploring a World at Risk.” March 1997; “International Symposium on Species Extinctions Addresses Causes and Preventions April 17 and 18, 1997.” [1997]; “Fact Sheet.” April 1997; “American Museum of Natural History and Bronx Zoo Join Forces to Educate Public About Species Endangerment.” March 1997; “Media Alert: Endangered! Exploring a World at Risk Opens at the American Museum of Natural History on view March 8 – September 1, 1997.” March 1997.
American Museum of Natural History vertical files
Repository: AMNH Special Collections [Exhibition brochures; invitation to exhibition preview; Rotunda article; report: “A Summary Evaluation of Endangered! Exploring a World at Risk from the Visitor’s Perspective” by Ellen Giusti, August 1997; news articles]
subjectOf
Before it's too late / NWF: Endangered! (2 Endangered! exhibit programs), 1996. Endangered! : exploring a world at risk, EXH.028 L-0222. American Museum of Natural History Library Special Collections.
subjectOf
Before it's too late / NWF: Endangered! (2 Endangered! exhibit programs) back-up master, 1996. Endangered! : exploring a world at risk, EXH.028 L-0224. American Museum of Natural History Library Special Collections.
subjectOf
Endangered! : exploring a world at risk. American Museum of Natural History Library Special Collections.
Date of resouce: 1990-1997; 26 Videorecordings : 18 Betacam SP, 3 1-inch, 5 VHS; 4 Sound Recordings : 1 1/4-inch audio, 3 DAT
subjectOf
Endangered! Exploring a World at Risk exhibition construction photographs, 1997. American Museum of Natural History Library Special Collections.
subjectOf
Endangered! Exploring a World at Risk exhibition photographs, 1997. American Museum of Natural History Library Special Collections.
Rotunda.
"Behind the Scenes: At Work on Endangered!" (November 1996)

Written by: Clare O'Dowd
Last modified: 2018 December 7


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