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

American Museum of Natural History. Darwin Hall.; Invertebrate Zoology; Synoptic Hall; Darwin Hall of Invertebrate Zoology; Darwin Hall; Invertebrates; Darwin Hall, Invertebrates; Darwin Hall of Biology; Darwin Hall of Evolution; Invertebrates (Darwin Hall); Invertebrates, Darwin Hall, Corals; Hall of Invertebrates; Darwin Hall of the Evolution of Life
birth: 1904
death: 1952
Permanent exhibition. Opened approximately 1904 and closed approximately 1950-1952. Located on Floor 1, Section 5. The Darwin Hall at the American Museum of Natural History was primarily devoted to invertebrate zoology, relationships between various groups of animals, and the evolution of life. On February 12, 1909, the 100th anniversary of the birth of Charles Darwin and the 50th anniversary of the publication of the Origin of the Species, the hall was rededicated by the Trustees as the Darwin Hall of Invertebrate Zoology (1, 1906, p. 26). Curators and artists for the Darwin Hall included Roy W. Miner, Henry Edward Crampton, George H. Childs, B.E. Dahlgren, Show Shimotori, Chris E. Olson, Herman O. Mueller, Ignaz Matausuch, Worthington H. Southwick, L.W. Williams, and Janet Smedley (1, 1906, p. 22; 1, 1913, p. 63; 1, 1917, p. 70; 1, 1920, p. 75; 1, 1929, p. 60; 1, 1936, p. 9).
The Synoptic or Invertebrate Zoology Hall, as it was then known, also contained exhibits of vertebrates such as fishes and reptiles. With the opening of the East Mammal Hall and the North Corridor in 1906, it was possible to move those collections into more appropriate halls (1, 1906, p. 22). In 1912 the sections of the giant sequoia (an iconic exhibit also known as the Big Tree) and red wood trees were transferred from the Darwin Hall to the Forestry Hall (1, 1911, p. 30; 1, 1912, p. 33). With the opening of the Hall of Fishes and the Hall of Ocean Life, it was decided to render the three adjoining halls with the same color scheme, suggestive of sea tones (1, 1925, p. 23).
The Darwin Hall was known for its models of invertebrates, many of them glass, which included clam, oyster, common squid by L.W. Williams, and malarial mosquitos by B.E. Dahlgren, one of which is on display in the Hall of North American Forests as of 2017. Other exhibits included a case with coral, specimens of giant lobsters and crab, which may be the same lobster and crab later exhibited in the Hall of Living Invertebrates (2, 1911, p. 29-32; 2, 1919, p. 31-32; 3). The Darwin Hall featured the Tree of Life, a family tree of the animal kingdom with each class of animal represented by a color sketch and a bust of Charles Darwin by William Couper presented to the Museum by the New York Academy of Sciences on the Darwin centenary (2, 1928, p. 35).
The hall also featured a synoptic series of alcoves, which showcased examples of various groups or orders included in the classes of the Tree of Life and window or habitat groups, both of which moved to the Hall of Ocean Life after the closure of the Darwin Hall (2, 1953, p. 75-82). The complete list of the synoptic series and habitat groups was as follows:
Synoptic Series:
Alcove 1: Protozoa
Alcove 2: Sponges
Alcove 3: Polyps
Alcove 4: Flatworms
Alcove 5: Roundworms
Alcove 6: Rotifers
Alcove 7: Sea-Mats and Lamp-Shells
Alcove 8: Sea-Stars and Their Relatives
Alcove 9: Annulates
Alcove 10: Arthropods
Alcove 11: Mollusks
Alcove 12: Chordates, including Vertebrates
Habitat Groups:
Marine Worm Group
Shore Mollusk Group
Wharf Pile Group
Rock Tide-Pool Group
Sound Bottom Group
Bryozoa Group
Rotifer Group (2, 1949, p. 56-60)
The hall closed between 1950 and 1952 to make way for the new Hall of North American Forests.