Amber: Window to the Past (Exhibition)

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Exist Dates

1996 February 10 - 1996 September 2

Biographical or Historical Note

abstract
Exhibition. Opened February 10, 1996 and closed September 2, 1996. Located in Section 3, Floor 3 in Gallery 3 at the American Museum of Natural History. Amber: Window to the Past displayed amber as both a decorative and cultural object and as a scientific archive of organisms that were trapped in hardened tree resin for millions of years.

Summary

Amber: Window to the Past displayed amber as both a decorative and cultural object, and as a scientific archive of organisms that were trapped in hardened tree resin for millions of years. Bringing together the worlds of science and art, the exhibition examined the dual roles in two sections, Amber in Nature and Amber in Art. The exhibition included 146 fossil specimens and 94 decorative objects carved from amber, curated by David Grimaldi, chairman and associate curator of the Museum's Department of Entomology (1, p. 3; 2, p. 1; 4, p. 25).

In Amber in Nature, a selection of amber from the Dominican Republic and Mexico, dating from 23 to 30 million years ago, was juxtaposed to a life-size re-creation of a grove of trees representing an ancient Dominican amber forest (2, p. 1; 4, p. 36). Also on display were fossils, offering evidence of the plants and animal life that existed in this ancient environment. Amber is one of the few substances that preserves fragments of DNA millions of years old. Specimens of Dominican and Mexican amber were on display from the Museum’s collection, as well as fossils entrapped in 65- to 94-million-year-old-amber from New Jersey (2, p. 1-2).

Highlights from the Amber in Nature section included (1, p. 3; 2, p. 2): 

*Small flowers, from an extinct species of Hymenaea tree

*Metalmark butterfly

*Small vertebrates, including a gecko lizard

*Two amblypygids, relatives of the spider

*Tree frog

*Pair of craneflies

*Mantis nymph with three ants

The process of making amber forgeries was also displayed (2, p. 3).

Amber in Art explored the use of amber by many civilizations, from amulets carved during the Mesolithic and Neolithic periods to its use in the decorative arts in Europe and Asia from the sixteenth to the nineteenth centuries. The centerpiece was the re-creation of the Amber Room, an 18th century chamber installed in the Ekatarininsky Palace, outside St. Petersburg. During the first two months of the exhibition three master artisans from St. Petersburg worked in the exhibition hall, recreating a panel from the lost Amber Room. A gilded bronze and porcelain clock from the original Amber Room and replicas of an inlaid corner-table, two wainscoting panels, and twenty decorative pieces of carved amber were also on display, along with other original objects from the amber collection of the Russian Czars (1, p. 4; 2, p. 4).

Among the many amber objects on view were carved figures and jewelry from Etruscan and Roman Tombs, eighteenth century cruets, a nineteenth century German chest with engraved medallions of amber, an ornate chessboard from the late seventeenth century, and a Chinese "wish-granting" scepter, carved during the eighteenth century (2, p. 4-5).

This is a condensed summary of the exhibition. For additional information, see Sources and/or Related Resources.

The objects were assembled from several prominent collections: American Museum of Natural History's Drummond Collection of Chinese decorative objects; The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; Museo degli Argenti Florence; the Victoria and Albert Museum, London; the Ekaterininsky Palace, St. Petersburg; and the Nationalmuseet, Copenhagen (2, p. 3). The exhibition was supported by Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Ross and The Ambrose Monell Foundation, with additional support from Plato Malozemoff, Don H. Nelson, and the National Endowment for the Arts (2, p. 5).

Companion text written by David Grimaldi was published by Harry N. Abrams, Publishers, titled Amber: Window to the Past (3; 4, p. 46). A four-part lecture series was held in March 1996, in conjunction with the exhibition (5). Spotlight Tours were available inside the exhibition (4, p. 51) and special presentations for school groups were held from March through June 1996 (6). A train trip to Europe was organized by Discovery Tours in conjunction with the exhibition. Curator David Grimaldi, accompanied the tour to provide lectures and discussions on the significance of amber in science, art and history (7).

Sources

    American Museum of Natural History. Press Release. “Advance Schedule of Exhibitions and Programs, September 1995 and July 1996.” Department Records, DR 101; American Museum of Natural History Library Archives.
    American Museum of Natural History. Press Release. February 1996. Department Records, DR 101; American Museum of Natural History Library Archives.
    American Museum of Natural History. Press Release. “Companion Text Produced for Special Exhibition About Amber.” February 1996. Department Records, DR 101; American Museum of Natural History Library Archives.
    American Museum of Natural History. Biennial Report. New York: American Museum of Natural History, 1994-95/1995-96.
    American Museum of Natural History. Press Release. “Special Lecture Series Held in Conjunction with Amber: Window to the Past.” February 1996. Department Records, DR 101; American Museum of Natural History Library Archives.
    American Museum of Natural History. Press Release. “Special Presentations for School Groups Offered in Conjunction with Amber: Window to the Past.” February 1996. Department Records, DR 101; American Museum of Natural History Library Archives.
    American Museum of Natural History Press Release. “Special Travel Program.” February 1996. Department Records, DR 101; American Museum of Natural History Library Archives.

Terms

place
New YorkExternal link
AMNH: Section 3, Floor 3

Related Corporate, Personal, and Family Names

Ambrose Monell Foundation
Sponsor of exhibition
American Museum of Natural History. Department of Entomology.
Amber specimens from the Department of Entomology were on display
American Museum of Natural History. Department of Exhibition.
Designed and executed exhibition
American Museum of Natural History. Gallery 3.
Location of exhibition 1996 February 10-1996 September 2
Ekaterininskiĭ dvoret︠s︡-muzeĭExternal link
Contributed objects to the exhibition; referred to as Ekaterininsky Palace in Museum documentation
Grimaldi, David A.
Curator of exhibition; chairman and associate curator, American Museum of Natural History Department of Entomology
Malozemoff, Plato
Sponsor of the exhibition
Museo degli argenti (Florence, Italy)External link
Contributed objects to the exhibition
Museum of Fine Arts, BostonExternal link
Contributed objects to the exhibition
National Council of American-Soviet Friendship (U.S.)External link
Sponsor of the exhibition
National Endowment for the ArtsExternal link
Sponsor of the exhibition
Nationalmuseet (Denmark)External link
Contributed objects to the exhibition
Nelson, Don H.
Sponsor of the exhibition
Ross, Arthur
Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Ross were sponsors of the exhibition
Victoria and Albert MuseumExternal link
Contributed objects to the exhibition

Related Resources

subjectOf
Amber : window to the past. American Museum of Natural History Library Special Collections.
Date of resource: 1990-1997; 28 Videorecordings : 19 Betacam SP, 3 1 in., 6 VHS
subjectOf
Amber : window to the past / David A. Grimaldi
Date of resource: 1996; exhibition catalog; Repository: AMNH Library, QE391.A5 G76 1996
subjectOf
Amber: Window to the Past photographic slides of exhibition construction
Date of resource: 1996; Color transparencies (35mm) of exhibition construction; Repository: AMNH Special Collections, PSC 527
subjectOf
Amber: Window to the Past photographic slides of exhibition.
Date of resource: 1996-1997; Color transparencies (35mm) of exhibition in gallery; Repository: AMNH Special Collections, PSC 50-51
American Museum of Natural History. Biennial Report [Annual Reports]. New York: American Museum of Natural History, 1994-1995/1995-1996.
Pages 3, 18, 25, 36, 45-46, 48-49, 51, 61, 77
American Museum of Natural History press releases 1933-1990s
“Amber: Window to the Past.” February 1996; “An Introduction to Amber.” February 1996; “Special Lecture Series Held in Conjunction with Amber: Window to the Past.” February 1996; “Companion Text Produced for Special Exhibition About Amber.” February 1996; “Biography: David A. Grimaldi, Chairman and Associate Curator, Department of Entomology, and Curator, Amber: Window to the Past.” [1996]; “Special Travel Program: The Ancient Amber Route: Through Middle & Eastern Europe by Train May 24 – June 3, 1996.” February 1996; “Amber from New Jersey.” February 1996; “Special Presentations for School Groups Offered in Conjunction with Amber: Window to the Past.” February 1996; Advance Schedule of Exhibition and Programs: Summer 1996 – Winter 1999.” July 1996 Repository: AMNH Special Collections, DR 101.
American Museum of Natural History Special Collections photograph drawers
Repository: AMNH Special Collections [Black and white photo prints and contact sheets of exhibition on view in the gallery and under construction. Also includes images of amber artists carving during the exhibition]
American Museum of Natural History Special Collections vertical files
Repository: AMNH Special Collections. [News articles; press releases; exhibition brochures; exhibition bookmarks; report: “Amber: Window to the Past Summative Evaluation Analysis of Visitor Behavior.” by Ellen Giusti and Allison Thau, May 1996]
[American Museum of Natural History temporary exhibitions posters] [poster]
Date of resource: [1975]-[2009]; Repository: AMNH Special Collections, MEM-FF-29
Rotunda.
“Amber: Window to the Past.” February 1996

Written by: Clare O'Dowd
Last modified: 2018 November 21


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