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

Pasteur Centenary (Exhibition)
birth: 1923, Winter
death: 1923, Winter
Exhibition. Open in Winter 1923. Located in Section 3, Floor 1 in the Jesup Hall of North American Woods at the American Museum of Natural History. The Louis Pasteur Centenary, curated by George F. Kunz and in cooperation with the New York Mineralogical Club, the New York Academy of Medicine, the New York State Board of Health, and the United States Department of Agriculture, featured photographs, paintings, statues, letters, autographs, and memorabilia, and recreated some of Pasteur's most famous experiments.
Summary
The Louis Pasteur Centenary, curated by George Kunz and in cooperation with several institutional partners, including the New York Mineralogical Club, the New York Academy of Medicine, the New York State Board of Health, and the United States Department of Agriculture, featured "hundreds of photographs, paintings, statues, letters, autographs, and memorabilia" (1, p. 391) as well as recreated some of Pasteur's most famous experiments.
In an article for the July/August issue of Natural History, curator George F. Kunz describes the background of the exhibition, including the contributions from members of the United States Department of Agriculture (2, p. 391):
*Dr. E.D. Ball, director of scientific work
*Dr. E.T. Wherry, for the exhibit on the development of isomerism in crystals
*Dr. Charles Thom, of the Bureau of Chemistry, for the series showing experiments in lactic and alcoholic fermentation, processes carried out by Pasteur controverting the theory of spontaneous generation, aerobic and anaerobic life, and proof of germs in the atmosphere
*Dr. John S. Buckley and Dr. W.S. Gochenour, of the Bureau of Animal Industry, for an exhibit illustrating the work carried out by Pasteur on anthrax, chicken cholera, and rabies
*B.A. Linden, of the Bureau of Chemistry, contributed drawings, photo-micrographs, culture media, and glassware similar to that used by Pasteur
The flasks used in the lactic fermentation exhibit were exact reproductions of those used by Pasteur. The flasks on view contained bouillon, one of which had been heated to sterilize its contents and another that had been inoculated with cabbage, which caused the lactic organism to grow in great numbers (2, p. 392).
The U.S. Department of Agriculture intended to make a permanent exhibition from the Pasteur Centenary exhibition in Washington D.C. (2, p. 396)
This is a condensed summary of the exhibition. For additional information, see Sources and/or Related Resources.