Ward-Coonley Meteorites (Collection)

Exist Dates

1910 - 1912

Biographical or Historical Note

abstract

Permanent exhibition. Located in West Corridor, Floor 1, just off the Grand Gallery. The Ward-Coonley Meteorites at the American Museum of Natural History was a collection of 603 meteorite falls.

The Ward-Coonley Meteorites at the American Museum of Natural History was a collection of 603 meteorite falls (1, 1911, p. 18). Curator L.P. Gratacap oversaw the collection. Scientist, explorer, and founder of Ward’s Natural History Science Establishment in Rochester, NY, Henry A. Ward and his wife, Lydia Avery Coonley loaned the collection to the Museum in 1901, where it was originally exhibited in seven cases in the Hall of Geology and Invertebrate Palaeontology. The collection moved to the Foyer in 1910. Ward died in 1906 and in 1912, Lydia Coonley sold the collection to the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago (2, p. 277-278; 3, 1910, p. 46).

Sources

(1) 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.

(2) Ebel, D.S. “History of the American Museum of Natural History meteorite collection,” in The History of Meteorites and Key Collections: Fireballs, Falls and Finds, eds. G.J.H. McCall, A.J. Bowden, and R.J. Howarth. London: Geological Society, c2006.

(3) American Museum of Natural History. Annual Report. New York: American Museum of Natural History, 1910.

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Related Corporate, Personal, and Family Names

American Museum of Natural History. Hall of Geology and Invertebrate Palaeontology
The Ward-Coonley Meteorites were originally exhibited in the Hall of Geology and Invertebrate Paleontology from 1901-1910 (2, 1910, p. 46).

Field Museum of Natural History
Collection sold by Lydia Avery Coonley to Field Museum in 1912 (2, p. 277-278)

Gratacap, L.P. (Louis Pope) 1851-1917
Curator who oversaw the Ward-Coonley collection (2, p. 277-278)

Ward, Henry A. (Henry Augustus) 1834-1906
Assembled Ward-Coonley meteorite collection and loaned it to the American Museum of Natural History (2, p, 277-278)

Ward, Lydia Avery Coonley, 1845-1924
Wife of Henry A. Ward; sold Ward-Coonley meteorite collection to the Field Museum of Natural History (2, p. 277-278)

Related Resources

subjectOf

American Museum of Natural History. Annual Report. New York: American Museum of Natural History, 1910.
(Page 46)

subjectOf

American Museum of Natural History annual reports, 1902-2001.
Department of Geology and Palaeontology/Vertebrate Palaeontology: 1906; 1907

subjectOf

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.
(Page 18)

subjectOf

Catalogue of the Ward Coonley collection of meteorites, by Henry A. Ward …
Date of resource: 1904; QB755 .W34 1904

subjectOf

Henry Augustus Ward papers relating to the Ward-Coonley collection of meteorites, 1896-[1901].. American Museum of Natural History Library Special Collections.
6 items ; (6 items ; 17-24 cm.); 1 Linear Foot (1 box); Identifier: Mss .W37

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.

subjectOf

Meteorites, 1904-1910. Edmund Otis Hovey papers, Mss .H682. American Museum of Natural History Library Special Collections.
From the Series: 15 Linear Feet (10 boxes); Identifier: Mss .H682

subjectOf

The history of meteoritics and key meteorite collections : fireballs, falls and finds / edited by G.J.H. McCall, A.J. Bowden and R.J. Howarth.
Date of resource: c2006; Geological Society special publication ; no. 256 QB755 .H57 2006

subjectOf

The Ward-Coonley collection of meteorites …
Date of resource: 1901; by Henry A. Ward; QE395 .W25 1901

subjectOf

The Ward-Coonley collection of meteorites / [Henry A. Ward]
Date of resource: 1901; QB755 .W34 1900

subjectOf

Ward-Coonley Collection, 1907-1913. Edmund Otis Hovey papers, Mss .H682. American Museum of Natural History Library Special Collections.
From the Series: 15 Linear Feet (10 boxes); Identifier: Mss .H682

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