Batty Expeditions to Mexico (1902-1906)

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Exist Dates

1902 December - 1906

Biographical or Historical Note

abstract
Expedition. Led by collector Joseph Batty under the direction of the Departments of Mammalogy and Ornithology and funded by John L. Cadwalader (1). Batty was charged with collecting specimens in lower California, Southern New Mexico, the mountains of Northern Mexico and was to continue on into Central America before the expedition ended abruptly with Batty’s death.

Batty was hired in 1902 by the American Museum of Natural History to collect in Lower California, Southern New Mexico and the mountains of Northern Mexico. In 1905, under the auspices of the museum, Batty traveled back to Mexico and continued to journey down to southern Mexico. The expedition was directed by J. A. Allen of the Department of Mammalogy and Frank Chapman of the Department of Ornithology. Batty and his assistants, M. S. Goodknight and later Sterling Rohlfs, collected and prepared specimens mainly from the States of Durango, Sinaloa, Jalisco, and Chiapas, Mexico, and included mammals and birds collected in lower California. (2)(3, p. 151)

The expedition contributed many specimens to both Mammalogy and Ornithology, some of which were used in the creation of the Collared Peccary group in the historic Allen Hall of North American Mammals (now the Bernard Family Hall of North American Mammals). (3, p. 151)(4, p. 72)

Batty was heading south to continue collecting across Guatemala and the Cauca region of southwestern Colombia when he died in the field at Pijijiapa, Chiapas, Mexico in May of 1906. (4, p. 117)

Sources

    (1) AMNH Research Library Vertical File
    (2) American Museum of Natural History Annual Report for 1903
    (3) American Museum of Natural History Annual Report for 1905
    (4) American Museum of Natural History Annual Report for 1906
    (5) Batty Expedition Correspondence, AMNH Central Archives
    (6) Charles Rohlfs, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Rohlfs, captured on June 24, 2021
    (7) Davis Monthan Aviation Field Register, https://dmairfield.org/people/rohlfs_st/index.html captured on June 24, 2021

Chronology

  • 1902 - 1903: Lower California, Texas, New Mexico, Chihuahua
  • 1903 - 1904: Southern Sinaloa (3, p. 154)
  • 1904 - 1905: Traveled overland through Tepic to Jalisco (3, p. 154)
  • 1905 - 1906: Explored the fauna of Mount Colima traveling south to Oaxaca. (3, p. 129)
  • 1906: Batty dies of a shooting accident in the field. (4, p. 117), PijijiapanExternal link.

Terms

localDescription
expedition
localDescription
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place
Baja CaliforniaExternal link
place
DurangoExternal link
place
SinaloaExternal link
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JaliscoExternal link
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ChiapasExternal link

Related Corporate, Personal, and Family Names

Allen Hall of North American Mammals
Batty collected specimens and accessories near Escuinapa in southern Sinaloa, Mexico, for the Collared Peccary group in the historic Allen Hall of North American Mammals (now the Bernard Family Hall of North American Mammals). (3, p. 151) (4, p. 72) The group was prepared at the Museum by Herbert Lang and Dr. D.E. Dahlgren.
Allen, J. A. (Joel Asaph), 1838-1921
associated dates: 1902-1906

Directed the expedition for the Department of Mammalogy, published many scientific papers on the specimens Batty collected for the museum.
American Museum of Natural History
associated dates: 1902-1906
Batty, Joseph, 1847-1906
associated dates: 1902-1906

Leader of the expedition.
Chapman, Frank M. (Frank Michler) 1864-1945
associated dates: 1902-1906

Directed the expedition for the Department of Ornithology.
Goodknight, M. S.
associated dates: 1902-1906

Traveled with Batty as an assistant to aid in the collecting and preparation of specimens and took many of the photographs documenting the expedition. Batty states in a letter to Bumpus that Goodknight was the nephew of Charles Goodknight of Texas, known for building and maintaining one of the last Buffalo herds in the south. (5)
Rohlfs, Sterling 1887-1928
associated dates: 1905-1906

Worked as an assistant to Batty from 1905 on. Rohlfs was the son of Anna Katharine Rohlfs (Green), a noted 19th century mystery author and Charles Rohlfs, a well-known furniture maker. He went on to settle in the west as a mine engineer with a degree from the Colorado School of Mines, in Denver he eventually followed his wife’s family business and managed ranches. (5)(6)(7)

Related Resources

subjectOf
Batty Expedition to Mexico and Central America Photographs
associated dates: 1903-1906

Creator: Joseph Batty, M.S. Goodknight Extent: approximately 350 images Repository and Call Number: Photocards
creatorOf
Museum Scrapbook no. 46
associated dates: 1903-1906

Creator: American Museum of Natural History Extent: 1 bound volume (circa 150 prints) Repository: AMNH Library Special Collections Description: Museum Scrapbook with 150 prints and some captions
creatorOf
Joseph H. Batty Collection
associated dates: 1902-1905

Creator: American Museum of Natural History Extent: 0.21 Linear Feet (1 folder) Repository: AMNH Ornithology Archives, ORN 203 Description: Consists of map and listing of collection localities.

Written by: Rebecca Morgan
Last modified: 2021 July 15


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