Evolution of the Horse: Sysonby (Exhibition)

Exist Dates

1908 November 13, 1908 - 1908 December/1909 January, approximately

Biographical or Historical Note

abstract

Exhibition. Opened November 13, 1908 and closed "several weeks" later (1, 1908, p. 114). Located in Section 3, Floor 4 in the Hall of Fossil Mammals at the American Museum of Natural History. Evolution of the Horse: Sysonby was the first public exhibition of the mounted skeleton of the famous American race horse Sysonby. After Sysonby's death in 1906, James R. Keene presented Sysonby's skeleton to the Museum and provided for the skeleton's preparation and installation. S.H. Chubb prepared the mount under the direction of Henry Fairfield Osborn.

Summary

Evolution of the Horse: Sysonby was the first public exhibition of the mounted skeleton of the famous American race horse Sysonby. After Sysonby's death in 1906, James R. Keene presented Sysonby's skeleton to the Museum and provided for the skeleton's preparation and installation. S.H. Chubb prepared the mount under the direction of Henry Fairfield Osborn (2, 1908, p. 117).

The Museum made a specialty of the study of the evolution of the horse and had extensive related collections. The mount of Sysonby was added to an existing two-part exhibit, including the Evolution of the Horse in Nature and the Evolution of the Horse Under Domestication, in the Fossil Mammal Hall (3, 1911, p. 76).

This is a condensed summary of the exhibition. For additional information, see Sources and/or Related Resources.

Sources

(1) American Museum of Natural History. "Special Exhibitions." The American Museum Journal, December 1908: 114.

(2) American Museum of Natural History. "Exhibit Illustrating the Evolution of the Horse." The American Museum Journal, December 1908: 117-122.

(3) American Museum of Natural History. General Guide to the Exhibition Halls of the American Museum of Natural History. New York: American Museum of Natural History, 1911-1923.

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Related Corporate, Personal, and Family Names

America Museum of Natural History. Hall of Late Mammals.
Sysonby was exhibited in section of the hall on the Evolution of the Horse. The hall was called the Hall of Fossil Mammals at the time (1, 1908, p. 114).

American Museum of Natural History. Hall of the Age of Man.
The Sysonby mount was later exhibited in this hall along with other mounts of modern horses (3, 1911, p. 76).

American Museum of Natural History. Horse Under Domestication (Hall).
The Sysonby mount was later exhibited in this section along with other mounts of modern horses (3, 1923, p. 117).

Chubb, S. Harmsted (Samuel Harmsted) 1863-1949
Artist prepared the mount under the direction of Henry Fairfield Osborn (2, 1908, p. 117).

Keene, James R. (James Robert), 1838-1913
Presented Museum with Sysonby's skeleton and funded its preparation and installation (2, 1908, p. 117).

Osborn, Henry Fairfield 1857-1935
S.H. Chubb prepared the Sysonby mount under Osborn's direction (2, 1908, p. 117).

Related Resources

American Museum of Natural History. Annual Report. New York: American Museum of Natural History, 1908.
Page 30

American Museum of Natural History. General Guide to the Exhibition Halls of the American Museum of Natural History. New York: American Museum of Natural History. 1911-1923.

The American Museum journal.
"Special Exhibitions." December 1908: 114; "Exhibit Illustrating the Evolution of the Horse." December 1908: 117-122

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