Morden-Clark Asiatic Expedition of the American Museum of Natural History (1926)

Exist Dates

1926 January - 1927 February

Biographical or Historical Note

abstract

The Morden-Clark Expedition, funded and planned by William James Morden and assisted by James L. Clark and a team of local guides, ventured into Central Asia in search of specimens for the Asian Hall of Mammals. The Expeditoin resulted in specimens of Ovis Poli sheep, Ibex, and Roe Deer, as well as film and photographs of the journey and the animals in their natural habitats. The Expedition set out in early 1926 and returned home in February 1927.

The Morden-Clark Asiatic Expedition of the American Museum of Natural History was a mission to gather specimens from Central Asia for use in the Asian Hall of Mammals. The expedition was funded and planned by William James Morden, a Field Associate for the Department of Mammalogy, and co-directed by James L. Clark, a noted scientist and explorer and the Assistant Director of the Museum. (1) The main objective was to secure specimens of the rare Ovis poli, also known as Marco Polo’s sheep, the likes of which already adorned the halls of the Field Museum of Chicago for some time thanks to donations by Theodore Roosevelt. (2) The expedition was successful due in part to the native people of Central Asia who served as guides and are mentioned in Morden's manuscript collection.

The team left the United States in January of 1926 and set out with their guides from Srinagar, Kashmir for the Pamir Mountains in present-day Tajikistan. The high peaks of this mountain range, which Morden called “the roof of the world” were accessed via the Gilgit-Hunza route, and this was the first time an expedition was granted permission to access this treacherous mountain passage. (3) It was in the Pamirs, the natural habitat of the sheep, that herds were recorded on film and 27 specimens were collected. The expedition’s next destination was the Tian Shan Mountains, presently located in China. Here the expedition secured specimens of Ibex and Roe Deer.

In Urumchi, the capital of Chinese Turkestan, the team re-outfitted and left for Kuchengtze on October 16 where they got camels to take them to Mongolia, which they entered on November 1. (4) The Morden-Clark team was scheduled to meet up with another museum team led by Roy Chapman-Andrews, but due to the instability and political unpredictability of in the area Chapman-Andrews backed out. (5)

In Mongolia some members of the team including Morden and Clark were captured by Mongolian Soldiers, who tied them to posts in sub-zero weather and tortured them for two days. (6) They were released and took the trans-Siberian railroad to Peking arriving there on January 1, 1927 where the expedition ended and the team returned to the United States in February 1927.

The expedition resulted not only in physical specimens along with skins, skeletons, and detailed measurements, but also a complete record of the trip in the forms of motion picture film, still photographs, and detailed field notes.

Sources

(1) (3) (4) (6) American Museum of Natural History Fifty-Ninth Annual Report For the Year 1927. New York: American Museum Press.

(2) (5) William James Morden 1886-1958. Morden, Col. William James (1886-1958) African Explorer. Vertical Files, American Museum of Natural History Research Library.

Morden William J. 1929. Marco Polo's Sheep: Collecting Ovis Poli in the High Pamirs. An Account of One Phase of the Morden-Clark Asiatic Expedition of the American Museum of Natural History.

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Related Corporate, Personal, and Family Names

participantIn

Andrews, Roy Chapman
associated dates: 1884-1960
Roy Chapman Andrews, noted explorer and paleantologist, was involved in the Morden-Clark Asiatic expedition. Although his team never did meet up with Morden's in Central Asia as planned, the two were in communication throughout Morden's expedition and Andrews was instrumental in it's planning and execution.

participantIn

Clark, James L.
associated dates: 1883-1969
James Lippitt Clark, explorer and scientist, served as the Assistant Director of the American Museum of Natural History and as the museum representiative on the Morden-Clark Asiatic Expedition. He was also a skilled taxidermist and sculptor and prepared many of the specimens that were put on display.

participantIn

Morden, William James
associated dates: 1886-1958
William James Morden, explorer, hunter, and engineer, funded and led an expedition for the American Museum of Natural History to Central Asia with the main goal of acquiring specimens of the Ovis poli sheep for the museum’s Asian Hall of Mammals. Morden would accomplish a number of expeditions for AMNH and become a Field Associate for the Department of Mammalogy and an Associate Founder of the museum.

Related Resources

creatorOf

The Morden-Clark Asiatic Expedition of the American Museum of Natural History
Creator: American Museum of Natural History. Extent: 1047 leaves in various foliations ; 29 cm. Repository: AMNH Special Collections, Rare Book Collection

creatorOf

The Morden-Clark Asiatic Expedition
Creator: American Museum of Natural History. Extent: 1 videocassette (73 min.) : si., b&w ; 3/4 in. Repository: AMNH Special Collections, Film Collection No. 225

creatorOf

William J. Morden papers, 1922-1957.
associated dates: 1922-1957
Field books, diaries, correspondence, drafts of publications, and maps relating to or written by both William J. Morden and his wife Irene Hambright Morden and their expeditions to Africa, Asia, and Alaska.

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