Bears: Imagination and Reality (Exhibition)

Exist Dates

1993 June 4 - 1993 October 3

Biographical or Historical Note

abstract

Exhibition. Opened in June 4, 1993 and closed October 3, 1993. Located in Section 1A, Floor 1 in Gallery 77 at the American Museum of Natural History. "Bears: Imagination and Reality" was an exhibition showing the myths and realities surrounding one of the most potent symbols of the American wilderness.

Summary

"Bears: Imagination and Reality" was an exhibition showing the myths and realities surrounding one of the most potent symbols of the American wilderness. The exhibit focused on two species of bear, the grizzly and black bear of North America, both being vulnerable to habitat loss and human-caused mortality. The exhibit used interactive exhibits, videos, Native American artwork and artifacts, and dioramas to compare and contrast the bear of myth, art, literature, history and folklore. Guy Musser, Chairman of the Museum's Department of Mammalogy was the curator of the exhibit. The exhibition was developed by the scientific staff of the Science Museum of Minnesota with the advice of consultants from the fields of bear behavior, biology, management and the humanities. The exhibit was on view in Gallery 77 of the American Museum of Natural History from June 4 through October 3, 1993.

Individuals and institutions involved in the creation of the exhibition: Science Museum of Minnesota; Guy Musser; AMNH Department of Mammalogy.

Sources

American Museum of Natural History Press Release, April 14, 1993. Departmental Records, 101; American Museum of Natural History Library Archives.

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Related Corporate, Personal, and Family Names

American Museum of Natural History. Gallery 77.
Location of exhibition.

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