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

American Museum of Natural History. Hall of the Natural History of Man.; Races of Man Hall; Races of Man; Hall of the Natural History of Man; Hall of Anatomy; Natural History of Man Hall; Natural History of Man; Anatomy of Man Hall; Hall of the Races of Man; Anthropology; Comparative Anatomy; Biology of Man; Hall of Comparative Anatomy
birth: approximately 1932-1934
death: approximately 1959-1960
Permanent exhibition. Opened approximately 1932-1934 and closed approximately 1959-1960. Located on Floor 3, Section 4. The Hall of the Natural History of Man at the American Museum of Natural History was created under the supervision of the Departments of Comparative Anatomy and Anthropology and covered topics related to physical anthropology. The curators for the hall were Harry L. Shapiro and William K. Gregory. George E. Brewer and Harry C. Raven created exhibits for the hall (1, 1931, p. 46-47; 1, 1932, p. 12).
The Hall of the Natural History of Man was divided into two parts: Human and Comparative Anatomy and the Races of Man. Exhibits included Man in His Cosmic Aspect; The Skeleton from Fish to Man; The Position of Man Among the Vertebrates; Exhibits Illustrating Human Biology; Organ Systems of Sharks and Man; Elements of the Locomotor Apparatus; Maintenance of Upright Posture; Hands and Feet of Primates; Embryology; Comparative Embryology from Fish to Man; Skulls, Jaws, and Teeth; Man Among the Primates; Elements of the Nervous System; Rise of the Human Brain; and The Brain and its Functions. The hall also included a series of model vertebrate heads, models of facial muscles, an exhibit that divided man by different demographic groups, an exhibit explaining the science of physical anthropology, the Family Tree of Man with model skulls, and the mounted skeleton of "Meshie", a domesticated chimpanzee who lived with Harry C. Raven (2, 1934, p. 103-105; 2, 1939, p. 114-117; 2, 1943, p. 125; 1, 1938, p. 10). Another, related exhibit, the Early Races of Man, which featured model heads of hominids, appeared in the Age of Man Hall (2, 1939, p. 118). The hall was replaced in concept by the Hall of Human Biology in 1961.