Akeley Memorial Hall of African Mammals

Dates

• Existence: 1936 - present

Historical Note

Abstract:

Permanent exhibition. Opened May 19, 1936. Located on Floor 2, Section 13 and Floor 3, Section 13. The Akeley Hall of African Mammals at the American Museum of Natural History, conceived in 1909 by Carl Akeley (1864-1926), showcases the large mammals of Africa. The hall features a freestanding group of eight elephants and surrounding 28 habitat dioramas on two floors. Each diorama is a recreation of a scene observed by scientists in the field in Africa, photographed, and sketched by accompanying artists in the 1920's and 1930's. Each scene depicts a particular location at a particular time of day (1). Carl Akeley and James L. Clark were the chief taxidermists. Other artists, taxidermists, and preparators included Francis Lee Jacques, Robert Kane, James Perry Wilson, Thomas Hull, George Peterson, Robert Rockwell, Fred Scherer, Charles Bender, Albert E. Butler, Richard Raddatz, Louis Paul Jonas, William R. Leigh, Dudley M. Blakely, Joseph Guerry, George Frederick Mason, and Raymond B. Potter. Early curators included Harold Anthony, T. Donald Carter, and G.H.H. Tate. Martin and Osa Johnson contributed photographic studies for backgrounds. Major donors, expedition members, and financiers were Mary L. Jobe Akeley, William Campbell, George Eastman, C. Oliver O’Donnell, Philip Plant, Daniel Pomeroy, Gertrude, Sidney, Morris Legendre, Daniel B. Wentz, and Arthur S. Vernay (2, 1931, p. 4-6; 2, 1937, p. 61-72; 2, 1941, p. 21; 6, 2006, p. 166). Expeditions which contributed to the hall were the Akeley African Expedition, the Akeley-Eastman-Pomeroy African Hall Expedition (1926), the Carlisle-Clark African Expedition (1928), the Sanford-Patterson-Legendre Abyssinian Expedition (1928-1929), the Davison African Expedition (1933), and the William D. Campbell African Expedition (1936-1937).

Summary

The conception of the Akeley Hall of African Mammals was ambitious and innovative for its time. Carl Akeley, explorer, naturalist, taxidermist, inventor, and sculptor, led three expeditions to Africa for the American Museum of Natural History. It was his life’s mission to preserve the wild mammal life of Africa, which even in his time was fast-disappearing (4, 1984, p. 32).

After returning from Africa in 1911, Akeley dreamed of a new African Hall, which was to be the “inspiration and unifying purpose of [his] work” from then on. He wrote that the new hall would serve to “tell the story of jungle peace; a story that is sincere and faithful to the Africa beasts as I have known them" (4, 1993, p. 19). His plans were for a darkened hall, simple and spacious, with artificially illuminated diorama habitat groups. This way, the worlds in the dioramas dominated instead of the exhibition cases.

Akeley, in addition to being an explorer, naturalist, and inventor, was a skilled sculptor and taxidermist. He pioneered the mounting technique used for specimens in the hall. James L. Clark assisted Akeley in sculpture and mounting for the hall and took over after Akeley’s death in 1926. Akeley also collected many of the specimens he later mounted during his expeditions to Africa (2, 1926, p. 36-37).

From conception to completion, the process of creating the Hall of African Mammals took over thirty years. Akeley first published his plans in 1914, but exploration and collection for the hall itself was delayed during the invasion of Belgium and periodic lack of funds. (2, 1924, p. 12-13; 2, 1925, p. 20) The African Elephant group, which dominates the center of the Hall, opened to the public in 1921 (2, 1921, p. 31) and the hall officially opened to the public on May 19, 1936. It was partially completed at this time, with sketches of future habitat groups displayed in sketch models (2, 1936, p. 3; 3, 1936, Appendix). By the end of that year, fourteen groups remained to be completed. As of 1939, the third floor was under construction and an expedition to Africa was made to collect materials for more animal groups (2, 1939, p. 5). It was finally completed by 1942 (2, 1942, p. 12).

Placed above the dioramas are silvered bronze relief sculptures with related scenes by John W. Hope. Two sculptures by Malvina Hoffman once stood at the entrance to the hall and at the opposite, a large pair of elephant tusks were installed, which remain as of 2017 (2, 1935, p. 14-15; 3, 1949, p. 102; 17).

Outline:

• Habitat groups on the lower (second) floor
• Water Hole Group
• Mountain Nyala Group
• African Buffalo Group
• Lion Group
• Bongo Group
• Giant Eland Group
• Upper Nile Group
• Plains Group
• Greater Koodoo Group
• Giant Sable Group
• Gemsbok Group
• Libyan Desert Group
• Okapi Group
• Gorilla Group

• Habitat groups on the third floor mezzanine
• Klipspringer Group
• Lesser Koodoo Group
• White Rhinoceros Group
• Black Rhinoceros Group
• Hunting Dog Group
• South African Group
• Ostrich Group
• Leopard and Bush Pig Group
• Colobus Monkey Group
• Chimpanzee Group
• Mandrill Group
• Impala Group
• Hyena-Jackal-Vulture Group
• Cheetah Group

From the late 1960’s to the mid-1980’s on-going refurbishing and relabeling were conducted in the Hall (2, 1968/69, p. 39; 2, 1971/72, p. 36; 20, p. 2, 1975/76; 21, p. 26; 2, 1985/86, p. 55).

The third floor mezzanine of the Akeley Hall of African Mammals was referred to as the Akeley Hall of African Mammals; Small Mammal Groups, Gallery; Akeley African Hall Gallery; Gallery of Akeley African Hall.

REFERENCES

(1) American Museum of Natural History. “Akeley Hall of African Mammals,” accessed February 24, 2017, http://www.amnh.org/exhibitions/permanent-exhibitions/mammal-halls/akeley-hall-of-african-mammals.

(2) American Museum of Natural History. Annual Reports. New York: American Museum of Natural History, 1921-1985/86.

(3) 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, 1936-1949.

(4) American Museum of Natural History. Official Guide to the American Museum of Natural History. New York: American Museum of Natural History, 1984-1993.

(5) Akeley Hall of African Mammals. American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY. March 1, 2017.

(6) Quinn, Stephen C. Windows on Nature: The Great Habitat Dioramas of the American Museum of Natural History. New York: Abrams; New York: American Museum of Natural History, 2006.

Information for the hall appears in the following Museum publications:

American Museum of Natural History Annual Reports for years 1927 (page 11); 1928 (page 51); 1929 (page 12, 73); 1930 (page 41, 43); 1931 (page 5); 1932 (page 62, 76); 1933 (page 7, 15); 1934 (page 3, 27); 1935 (page 3, 12, 14); 1936 (page 3, 14, 48, 52); 1937 (page 16, 66, 72); 1938 (page 10); 1939 (page 5, 17); 1940 (page 2, 5, 20); 1941 (page 4); 1942 (page 12); 1957 (page 19); 1962 (page 3); 1964 (page 7); 1967 (page 71); 1968 (page 39); 1969 (page 3, 5); 1970 (page 39); 1971 (page 13, 36); 1972 (page 21); 1973 (page 4); 1975 (page 26); 1978 (page 4); 1979 (page 49); 1981 (page 6, 27); 1983 (page 58); 1985 (page 55, 69); 1986 (page 7); 1987 (page 74); 1988 (page 7); 1991 (page 7); 1992 (page 80); 1993 (page 86); 1996 (page 4); 1998 (page 9); 2000 (page 99); 2006 (page 5, 30); 2007 (page 105); 2009 (page 54); 2010 (page 51).

American Museum of Natural History General Guides for years 1936 (Appendix); 1939 (page 94); 1943 (page 17, 18, 101, 102); 1945 (page 17, 18, 101, 102); 1947 (page 17, 18, 101, 102); 1949 (page 17, 18, 101, 102); 1953 (page 24, 132, floor plans); 1956 (page 26, 139); 1958 (page 26, 141); 1962 (page 12, 13); 1964 (page 12, 13, 29).

American Museum of Natural History Official Guide for years 1984 (page 10, 29); 1993 (page 19, 50); 2001 (page 61, 61).

American Museum of Natural History Pictorial Guide 1967.

American Museum of Natural History: An Introduction 1972, page 5, 8, 9, 15, 70.

American Museum of Natural History Floor Plan 2012

Quinn, Stephen C. Windows on Nature: the Great Habitat Dioramas of the American Museum of Natural History. New York: Harry N. Abrams, 2006. Print.

Alternative Name Forms

Outline:

• Uncontrolled name from AMNH publications (dates of use by year)
• Akeley African Hall (1927, 1929, 1930, 1931, 1933, 1934, 1936, 1937, 1938, 1939, 1940, 1942, 1943, 1945, 1947, 1949, 1953, 1956, 1958)
• African Hall, Akeley Memorial (1935)
• African Mammals (1943, 1945, 1947, 1949, 1953, 1962, 1964, 1967)
• Akeley African Mammal Hall (1930)
• Akeley Hall (1936, 1937, 1940, 1969, 1985)
• Akeley Hall of African Mammals (1928, 1929, 1932, 1940, 1941, 1957, 1967, 1971, 1973, 1975, 1978, 1981, 1984, 1985, 1991, 1993, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2014)
• Akeley Memorial (1962, 1964, 1972)
• Akeley Memorial African Hall (1932, 1933, 1934, 1935, 1993)
• Akeley Memorial African Hall (African Mammals) (1993)
• Akeley Memorial Hall of African Mammals (1935, 1936, 1937, 1939, 1943, 1945, 1947, 1949, 1953, 1956, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1969, 1972, 1979, 1983, 1986, 1987, 1988)
• Hall of African Mammals (1924, 1927, 1962, 1964, 1968, 1970, 1981, 1984, 1985, 1992, 1998)

Places

• New York (N.Y.)
  • Note: AMNH: Floor 2 and 3, Section 13.

Topics

• AMNH Permanent Exhibitions

Found in 11 Collections and/or Records: