Francis Lee Jaques field diaries and sketchbooks
Collection
Identifier: Mss .J37
The collection includes eight volumes of field diaries and sketchbooks by Francis Lee Jaques done on scientific expeditions for the American Museum of Natural History from 1925-1935. Each notebook contains drawings, particularly birds. The drawings include comments on wild life and "coded" and are generally chronological, although some the notebooks may begin at the front or back or both. Barro Colorado Expedition (Panama). (One sketchbook.) This book, covering 1925-1926, contains mainly sketches. The scenes of Bahamas and the Caribbean exemplify his "coded" sketches -- conveying color, light, time of day, camera exposure. He notes some expenses, lumber, and measurements. In the trip to Panama and Barro Colorado Island, Jaques collected materials and created artwork to support the Barro Colorado Bird Group diorama for the Birds of the World exhibition hall. Stoll-McCracken Siberian-Arctic Expedition. (Two diaries.) Written between April and October 1928, these journals contain dense reports about the voyage and are nearly full. Toward the end of the second diary, Jaques writes on travel at an early age in Kansas and Nebraska. Various names and addresses comprise its final pages. For almost half a year, the travelers explored Alaska and the Arctic region, including the Aleutian Islands and Bering Strait Islands, onboard the Morrissey, for dioramas in the Milstein Hall of Ocean Life. The diaries contain some specific notes on material for bird groups. North America Fieldwork. (Two diaries.) These field books cover December 1929-February 1930. The first starts at the front and the back. Both are about half full. Jaques reported on birds by the Illinois River and in Louisiana, South Carolina (especially Charleston), and North Carolina. Templeton Crocker Pacific Expedition. (Two diaries, one small sketchbook.) Jaques named this book the Junior Log of the Zaca. Topics he reported on include birds observed, skinning of birds, and his artwork (folder 6). Some sections of the second diary, titled Yacht Zaca, October 9, 1934-March 22, 1935, directly relate to the Whitney Memorial Hall of Pacific Bird Life. It contains notes by James Paul Chapin and Jaques on habitat groups, with sections on: Nuku Hiva Group (Marquesas Islands), Tuamotu Bird Group (Hao Island), Chincha Island Bird Group, and Galapagos Bird Group (Conway Bay, Indefatigable Island). Jaques wrote about the hibiscus, guava tree, grass and referred to drawings, oil sketches, photographs, and shipments of materials (folder 7). The small sketchbook, circa September 1934-February 3, 1935, contains drawings of birds in flight (in the Pacific, near Rapu Rapu Island, Pitcairn Island, etc.), with notes on flight pattern, coloring, etc. This book is about a quarter full (folder 8).
Dates
- 1925-1935
Creator
- Jaques, Francis Lee, 1887-1969 (Artist, Person)
Physical Description
Eight bound journals of varied sizes, containing handwritten entries (generally in script) and sketches in pencil and ink.
Access
Please contact Special Collections; materials are sometimes restricted.
Extent
0.5 Linear Foot (1 box)
Summary
Francis Lee Jaques (28 September 1887-24 July 1969), also known as Lee Jaques, is celebrated for his diorama paintings at the American Museum of Natural History, executed during the early and mid-twentieth century. A frequent collaborator with Museum curator and ornithologist Frank M. Chapman (1864-1945), the artist is especially associated with the Whitney Memorial Hall of Pacific Bird Life (that was co-designed with Robert Cushman Murphy, Museum curator and ornithologist). This collection of field diaries and sketchbooks documents much of the artist’s expeditional work during 1925-1935. Francis Lee Jaques was part of the scientific staff, and his contributions toward the Museum’s permanent exhibitions included site selection, collection of materials, taxidermy, and artwork.
Biographical Note
Francis Lee Jaques (28 September 1887-24 July 1969), also known as Lee Jaques, began his career as a self-taught artist depicting wildlife and outdoor scenes. He is celebrated for his diorama and habitat paintings at the American Museum of Natural History, notably the Whitney Memorial Hall of Pacific Bird Life. Jaques worked at the Museum from August 1924 to March 1957. He joined the Department of Preparation as a staff artist, painting the dome in the Birds of the World Hall. For a brief period, he served as interim head of the Exhibitions Department. His last background painting, for the Glacier Park Timberline group, was finished in 1954. Jaques' body of work for the Museum includes eighty painted backdrops, execution of the Whitney Memorial Hall, completed in the 1950s, and illustration of colleagues' books, such as Robert Cushman Murphy's Oceanic birds of South America (1936). In 1927, Jaques married Florence Page, who became a writer. The couple traveled frequently and collaborated on books (Canoe country, 1938, The geese fly high, 1939, and others), winning an award in 1946. Florence accompanied her husband on some AMNH expeditions, at times collecting materials, and painted small areas of his backgrounds. Jaques created art for other natural history institutions, including the James Ford Bell Museum of Natural History in Minnesota. He illustrated numerous books and magazines, and in 1966 began writing an autobiography. In 1969, the artist died of pulmonary embolism in St. Paul, Minnesota. Florence's biography on her husband was published in 1973.
Arrangement
Jaques’s field books were arranged in chronological order following their donation to the Library.
Condition
Good overall. Mostly intact bindings, but researchers might prefer support for some of the books. Little fading or smudging of pencil. A few pages stick together or bear mark of artists’ materials.
Source of Acquisition
Received from Dorothy Morey, 15 February 2013.
Physical Description
Eight bound journals of varied sizes, containing handwritten entries (generally in script) and sketches in pencil and ink.
- American Museum of Natural History. Department of Preparation and Installation
- Arctic regions -- Discovery and exploration
- Artists
- Bartlett, Bob, 1875-1946
- Birds -- Exhibitions
- Chapin, James Paul, 1889-1964
- Chapman, Clark R.
- Clark, James L. (James Lippitt), 1883-1969
- Crocker, Templeton, 1884-1948
- Diaries
- Manuscript Collection
- Museum construction
- Museum exhibits
- Natural history museums -- Employees
- North America
- Ornithology -- United States
- Scientific expeditions
- Scientific expeditions -- Arctic regions
- Shapiro, Harry L. (Harry Lionel), 1902-1990
- Voyages and travels
- Weyer, Edward Moffat, 1904-1998
Creator
- Jaques, Francis Lee, 1887-1969 (Artist, Person)
- Title
- Francis Lee Jaques field diaries and sketchbooks, 1925-1935
- Status
- completed
- Author
- Luise Trabucchi
- Date
- June 2015
- Description rules
- dacs
- Language of description
- English
- Sponsor
- The Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation provided support to make this finding aid available in ArchivesSpace (2016-2017). Finding aid created with support from the Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR) Hidden Collections grant, 2012.
Revision Statements
- 2017 July 13: Iris Lee edited Biographical note and Scope and Contents note for the Library catalog. Those revisions are reflected in this finding aid.
Repository Details
Part of the Research Library Special Collections Repository
Contact:
American Museum of Natural History
Library Services, Special Collections
Central Park West at 79th Street
New York 10024-5192 USA US
(212) 769-5420
speccol@amnh.org
American Museum of Natural History
Library Services, Special Collections
Central Park West at 79th Street
New York 10024-5192 USA US
(212) 769-5420
speccol@amnh.org
