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

American Museum of Natural History. New York State Exhibits.; Local Birds; Mammals of New York State; New York State Exhibits
birth: 1936
death: 1971
Permanent exhibition. Opened 1936 and closed 1971. Located in Sections 12 and 12a, Floor 1 in the Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Hall of the New York State Roosevelt Memorial. The New York State Exhibits at the American Museum of Natural History featured exhibits of New York area birds, minerals, invertebrates, butterflies, moths, and insects, amphibians and reptiles, and mammals.
The New York State Exhibits at the American Museum of Natural History featured exhibits of New York area birds, minerals, invertebrates, butterflies, moths, and insects, amphibians and reptiles, and mammals.
In 1936 the Local Birds collection, which featured New York City area birds, moved from the west corridor on the second to Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Hall. The installation of the local birds exhibits here included the addition of the Roosevelt Wildlife Sanctuary diorama (1, 1936, p. 14). The rotating exhibits of seasonal birds continued in the Roosevelt Memorial Hall. The General Guides between 1939 and 1943 list the bird species featured as chimney swift, green heron, red-winged blackbird, red-tailed hawk, Baltimore oriole, kingbird, wood thrush, and mourning dove (2, 1939, p. 90; 2, 1943, p. 96). The New York State bird exhibits were rearranged, featuring 32 cases, between 1953-1955 (1, 1954/55, p. 50; 2, 1956, p. 132).
In 1937, the New York City reptiles and amphibians were installed with mounted specimens and color transparencies (1, 1937, p. 14). By 1939, the New York States Exhibits added the Geology and Minerals of New York State, the Mammals of New York State, the Invertebrates of New York State, and the Butterflies and Moths of New York State (2, 1939, p. 4-5).
The Geology and Minerals of New York State featured two cases, one showing the principal minerals of the state and localities in which they were found and the other showing the extent of sedimentary, igneous, and metamorphic areas of the state (2, 1939, p. 31). The Mammals of New York State included skins of medium-sized mammals, models of larger mammals, and cut-outs of large sea mammals such as whales (2, 1939, p. 113). The exhibits of New York area minerals and invertebrates do not appear in the General Guides after 1945.
In 1971 the New York State Exhibits closed. The following year, collections exhibited as part of the collections of New York birds and mammals were installed in the Halls of New York City Birds and New York State Mammals (1, 1971/72 p. 28, 30).
This is a condensed summary of the exhibition. For additional information, see Sources and/or Related Resources.
1936The Collection of Local Birds, which opened in 1894, moves from its own location in the west corridor of the second floor to be part of the New York State Exhibits in the Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Hall.
19371937: New York State Reptiles and Amphibians are added to the New York State Exhibits.
1945Last mention of New York State Geology and Minerals and New York State Invertebrates in General Guides.
1971New York State Exhibits closes.
1972The New York City Birds and New York State Mammals exhibits from the New York State Exhibits move to their own halls on the third floor, the Hall of New York City Birds and the Hall of New York State Mammals.