American Museum of Natural History. Bashford Dean Hall of Fossil Fishes.

Exist Dates

1929 - 1952

Biographical or Historical Note

abstract

Permanent exhibition. Opened June 10, 1929 and closed approximately 1950-1952. Located on Floor 4, Section 5. The Bashford Dean Hall of Fossil Fishes at the American Museum of Natural History was located in the tower room adjoining the Hall of Fossil Reptiles. Curators included Bashford Dean and William K. Gregory (1, 1929, p. 20; 1, 1936 p. 11-12).

The Bashford Dean Hall of Fossil Fishes featured many of the same exhibits as its immediate predecessor, the Fossil Fish Hall. These exhibits included a fossil aquarium, a model of Dinichthys suspended from the ceiling, and restoration jaws of the fossil shark, Carcharodon megalodan (2, 1931, p. 111). A bronze portrait plaque of Bashford Dean stood at the entrance to the halls. In 1935-1936 evolutionary charts were installed, including an illuminated diagram illustrating the sequence of different groups of fishes throughout the fossil record and another illustrating the classification and anatomy of the various groups of the fossil ostracoderms (1, 1936, p. 11-12). The fossil fish exhibits moved to an alcove in the Jurassic Dinosaur Hall between 1950 and 1953.

Sources

1) American Museum of Natural History. Annual Reports. New York: American Museum of Natural History, 1929-1936.

2) American Museum of Natural History. General Guide to [the Exhibition Halls of] the American Museum of Natural History. New York: American Museum of Natural History, 1931.

Information for the hall appears in the following Museum publications:

American Museum of Natural History Annual Reports for years 1929 (page 20, 123); 1936 (page 11); 1941 (page 35)

American Museum of Natural History General Guides for years 1931 (page 111); 1932 (page 111); 1933 (page 113); 1934 (page 115); 1935 (page 115); 1936 (page 115); 1939 (page 38); 1943 (page 38); 1945 (page 39); 1947 (page 39); 1949 (page 49);

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Related Corporate, Personal, and Family Names

Conrad, George Miles 1911-1964
Revised, rearranged and developed with Joseph Guerry and under the direction of William Gregory cases illustratiing of groups of pediculate fishes, triggers and surgeon fishes, chimaroids, and cyclostomes (1, 1936 p. 11-12).

Dean, Bashford 1867-1928
Curator for whom hall was named.

Fossil Fish Hall
The Bashford Dean Hall of Fossil Fishes replaced the Fossil Fish Hall.

Gregory, William K. (William King) 1876-1970
Curator for the hall (1, 1936, p. 11-12)

Guerry, Joseph M. 1906-1967
Revised, rearranged and developed with George Conrad and under the direction of William Gregory cases illustratiing of groups of pediculate fishes, triggers and surgeon fishes, chimaroids, and cyclostomes (1, 1936 p. 11-12).

Hall of Dinosaurs
The Bashford Dean Hall of Fossil Fishes was located in the tower room of the Hall of Dinosaurs (1929-1938)(2, 1931, p. 111).

Hall of Early Dinosaurs
The Bashford Dean Hall of Fossil Fishes was located in the tower room of the Hall of Early Dinosaurs (1939-1952, approximate)(2, 1939, p. 38).

Related Resources

subjectOf

Historic Halls of the American Museum of Natural History
Curated digital images of permanent halls in the American Museum of Natural History Library, Digital Special Collections.

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