American Museum of Natural History. Fossil Fish Hall.

Exist Dates

approximately 1909 - approximately 1928

Biographical or Historical Note

abstract

Permanent exhibition. Opened approximately 1909 and closed approximately 1928. Located Floor 4, Section 5. The Fossil Fish Hall at the American Museum of Natural History was located in the tower room adjoining the Hall of Fossil Reptiles. The curator for the hall was Bashford Dean (1, 1928, p. 46).

The fossil fishes in the hall were arranged chronologically and included early plate-covered fishes, sharks, ganoids, and teleosts (bony fishes). Highlights included an alcove of early fossil sharks, a fossil aquarium depicting a scene from the Old Red Sandstone of Scotland, a life-sized model of Dinichthysm and restoration jaws of a giant fossil shark, Carcharodon megalodon, which were suspended from the ceiling at the entrance (1, 1909, p. 33; 1, 1911, p. 49-50; 2, 1911, p. 84; 1, 1915 p. 65).

In 1929 the hall was replaced by the Bashford Dean Hall of Fossil Fishes, which was also located in the tower. Many of the same exhibits, including Dinichthys, the fossil aquarium, and the jaws of Carcharodon megladon, carried over to the new hall.

Sources

(1) American Museum of Natural History. Annual Reports. New York: American Museum of Natural History, 1909-1928.

(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, 1911.

Information for the hall appears in the following Museum publications:

American Museum of Natural History Annual Reports for years 1909 (page 33); 1911 (page 49); 1915 (page 65); 1928 (page 46)

American Museum of Natural History General Guides for years 1911 (page 84); 1913 page 99); 1914 (page 109); 1916 (page 114-118); 1918 (108-111); 1919 (page 111-113); 1920 (page 111-113); 1921 (page 111-113); 1922 (page 111-113); 1923 (page 111-112); 1926 (page 39); 1927 (page 39)

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Related Corporate, Personal, and Family Names

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

Dean, Bashford 1867-1928
Curator for the hall (1, 1928, p. 46).

Hall of Dinosaurs
Fossil Fish Hall was exhibited in the Tower Room of the Hall of Dinosaurs (2, 1911, p. 84).

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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