Falkenbach, Charles H.

Person

Staff Only

Biographical Note

Charles H. Falkenbach (1902-1962), who worked for the American Museum of Natural History for 46 years, was a pioneer in systematic stratigraphic vertebrate paleontology and a prolific contributor to the field. He was equally at home on expedition and in the laboratory. In taxonomic studies, colleagues regarded him as a "splitter" whereas he considered himself a "lumper". He was a specialist in creodonts. Falkenbach was born in N.Y.C. on April 1, 1902 and attended city schools. His father Charles and uncle Otto were skilled preparators in the Museum's VP lab and he apprenticed there with them from 1916 to 1920. The next year he joined the Frick Laboratory as a preparator and in 1924 became supervisor of the lab and a field assistant on expeditions in Arizona, California, Colorado, Montana, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Texas and Wyoming. He retired as Assistant Curator in the Frick Laboratory and Field and Laboratory Associate at the AMNH in 1962. He died July 8, 1962 at his home in Sante Fe, N.M.

Found in 3 Collections and/or Records:

Charles H. Falkenbach papers

Collection

Identifier: VPA 119

Scope and Contents Charles H. Falkenbach Administrative Files contain correspondence, AMNH pension fund records, expense accounts, specimen exchanges, field work accounts, manuscript notes, and geological surveys. The collection is arranged by individuals, institutions, and by subject. Box 1 (1927-1961) contains correspondence from A to Christman; Box 2 (1956-1959) contains correspondence from Davies to Frick; Box 3 (1956-1962) contains correspondence from Frick to Schultz; Box 4 (1950-1951)...

Dates: 1916-1962; Majority of material found within 1940-1962

Found in: Vertebrate Paleontology Archives / Charles H. Falkenbach papers

Series 1: Field diaries, 1891-1998

Series

Identifier: VPA 101

Scope and Contents

Consist of diaries, lists of specimens found, locations of finds, records of day to day activities, and step by step findings.

Most of the diaries from the Central Asiatic Expedition were transferred to the main museum archive in the 1970's. The Department of Vertebrate Paleontology Archive holds copies of those diaries.

The diaries of the Frick Laboratory expeditions have been trasferred to VPA 108 Frick Laboratory Field Work.

Dates: 1891-1998

Found in: Vertebrate Paleontology Archives / VPA 101, Department of Vertebrate Paleontology field work collection

Series 2: Field correspondence, 1891-1969

Series

Identifier: VPA 101

Scope and Contents

The field correspondence was written by field workers relaying events during excavations and expeditions. The collection includes department field communications from 1891 to 1969. The years 1960, 1962-1968 are missing.

Notable names in the field correspondence include Henry Fairfield Osborn, Walter Granger, Barnum Brown, Ted Galusha, Charles Falkenbach, and G. G. Simpson.

Dates: 1891-1969