Skip to main content

Lucas, Frederic A. (Frederic Augustus), 1852-1929

 Person

Biography

A zoologist and taxidermist who served as the Director at the American Museum of Natural History from 1911 to 1923 and honorary director from 1924 to his death in 1929.

Lucas worked for more than eleven years at Ward’s Natural Science Establishment with well known museum people such as William Hornaday, Carl Akeley, William Wheeler. He served as osteologist and curator for the National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C. from 1882 to 1904 and as the Curator-in-Chief of the Brooklyn Museum in Brooklyn, New York from 1904 to 1911.

Source Fifty years of museum work. Autobiography, unpublished papers, and bibliography of Frederic A. Lucas, SC. D https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.title.94498

Found in 20 Collections and/or Records:

Budget, 1917-1924

 File — Box: 1, Folder: 22
Identifier: Mss .H682
Scope and Contents

Primarily correspondence among E. O. Hovey, Chester Reeds, and museum administrators regarding budgets for the Department of Geology. Also includes handwritten budgets and notes.

Dates: 1917-1924

Central Asiatic Expeditions records

 Collection
Identifier: Mss .C446
Scope and Contents This collection is a record of the Museum’s explorations undertaken during the 1920s in the Gobi Desert under the leadership of Roy Chapman Andrews. A list of the men who participated in the CAE can be culled from the expeditions’ letterheads used by museum personnel in New York. All but three of the men cited on these letterheads are represented here. Those not found are Mont Reid, a physician, James Wang, an interpreter and G. Horwath of motor transport. The variety of other correspondents...
Dates: 1916-1940; Majority of material found within 1921-1933

American Museum of Natural History, Department of Preparation and Installation: Diorama and Hall construction

 Collection
Identifier: DR 104
Scope and Content Note This collection spans the planning and development of the Department of Preparations for the dioramas of the various halls. These folders detail the requests and expenditures for the efforts made in travel, models, and sketches. The majority of the correspondence is directed from or to James L. Clark, the Director of the Department of Preparations between the 1930’s-1940’s. Much of the correspondence from James Lippit Clark, is directed to trackers, guides, taxidermists, donors, and...
Dates: 1919-1962

William King Gregory papers, 1889-1948 (bulk 1906-1948)

 Collection
Identifier: Mss .G7441
Scope and Contents The collection consists of administrative, scientific, academic and personal papers, and correspondence. Papers include Gregory's general correspondence with universities, colleges and scientists about his research topics and publications; correspondence with museums about purchasing replicas of fossils; and with students seeking employement. Other papers include lecture notes prepared for zoology classes emphasizing evolution, 1925-1926 and 1939; and manuscripts and notes for his...
Dates: 1889-1948; Majority of material found within 1906-1948

George Newbold Lawrence correspondence

 Collection
Identifier: Mss .L39
Scope and Contents The George Newbold Lawrence Correspondence collection consists almost completely of handwritten, signed letters received by Lawrence from other ornithologists and naturalists from the United States and Europe discussing the classification of birds and the exchange of bird skins. Some of the folders contain drafts or copies of Lawrence's replies. While there is a small number of official letters from institutions, almost all of the letters are from individuals. In addition to 228 documents...
Dates: 1847-1894; Majority of material found within 1865-1894

Frederic A. Lucas collection of journals correspondence, and photographs

 Collection
Identifier: PPC .L832
Scope and Contents

Journals, collected writings, correspondence, and photographs of F.A. Lucas. Some images used in museum publication in collection.

Dates: 1890-1920

Frederic A. Lucas photographic print collection of American Museum of Natural History exhibits, other museums, and scientists

 Collection
Identifier: PPC .L833
Scope and Contents

Portraits, photographs of institutions, including Dept. of Comparative Anatomy, and Ward taxidermy studio illustrations.

Dates: undated

Frederic A. Lucas photographs

 Collection
Identifier: PPC .L83
Scope and Contents

Photographs of a Manta Ray that was caught by R. J. Coles in Punta Gorda, Florida. Signed on front, "Dr. F.A.Lucas, Compliments of R.J. Coles."; penguins possibly in South America; and a portrait photo of Lucas taken in 1868.

Dates: undated

Frederic A. Lucas photograph collection of portraits, and personal biographies of scientific staff

 Collection
Identifier: PPC .L831
Scope and Contents

This collection houses forms which were mailed out by F. A. Lucas of the U.S. National Museum containing biographical information on individual scientists as well as newspaper articles on same for the Johnnon's Universal Cyclopedia. The second folder contains portrait photographs of same..

Dates: 1892-1894

Matters relating to library, 1906-1918

 File — Box: 1, Folder: 24
Identifier: Mss .H682
Scope and Contents

Primarily correspondence from E. O. Hovey to R. W. Tower and others, regarding requests for materials from the AMNH library and suggesting titles for acquisition by the library.

Dates: 1906-1918