Ladies in the Field: The Museum's Unsung Explorers (Exhibition)

Exist Dates

1986 October 31 - 1987 October 26

Biographical or Historical Note

abstract

Exhibition. Opened October 31, 1986 and closed October 26, 1987. Located on Floor 4 in the Library Gallery at the American Museum of Natural History. Ladies in the Field: The Museum's Unsung Explorers featured photographs, diaries, published monographs, and mementos of women who traveled on and contributed to expedition work, including Delia Akeley, Mary Jobe Akeley, Dina Brodsky, Grace Murphy, Sally Clark, and Osa Johnson.

Summary

Ladies in the Field: The Museum's Unsung Explorers featured photographs, diaries, published monographs, and mementos of women who traveled on and contributed to expedition work, including Delia Akeley (first wife of Carl Akeley), Mary Jobe Akeley (second wife of Carl Akeley), Dina Brodsky (wife of Waldemar Jochelson), Grace Murphy (wife of Robert Cushman Murphy), Sally Clark (wife of James L. Clark), and Osa Johnson (wife of Martin Johnson). A Museum press release dated October 6, 1986 also refers to a "Mrs. Roy Chapman Andrews," which is most likely Roy Chapman Andrews' first wife, Yvette Borup Andrews who was a part of expeditions in Asia, but could also be his second wife, Wilhelmina Christmas Andrews. Objects from Dina Brodsky and Waldemar Jochelson's expedition were donated by Jochelson's niece, Lydia Domherr. Other materials in the exhibition were from the Museum Library's Art and Realia Collection (1, p. 1). A related exhibition, Friends from the Field, featuring photographs of animals adopted by Museum scientists on expeditions, was on view at the same time in the Library entrance hall (2, p. 57).

Highlights (1, p. 1-2):

*A group portrait of the Society of Women Geographers (counterpart of the Explorer's Club) with Delia Akeley, Grace Murphy, and Sally Clark

*A clock and case used by Waldemar Jochelson and Dina Brodsky in Siberian expeditions in the early 1900s

*Photograph taken by Carl Akeley in 1910 of Delia Akeley surrounded by elephant tusks she collected in Kenya

*Two books by Delia Akeley: Jungle Portraits and J.T., Jr., The Biography of an African Monkey, published in the 1930s

*Mary Akeley's canteen used during the 1926 Eastman Pomeroy Akeley Expedition to the Belgian Congo and diary, which includes an entry on the day of Carl Akeley's death

*Shells and stones collected by Dina Brodsky from Attu Island in the Aleutians in 1895

*Photographs of Osa Johnson in Kenya while filming "Simba, King of Beasts, Saga of the African veldt" circa 1926

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

Sources

(1) American Museum of Natural History. Press Release. "Women Explorers Will Be the Focus of Library Exhibition." October 6, 1986. Departmental Records, DR 101. American Museum of Natural History Library.

(2) American Museum of Natural History. Annual Report. New York: American Museum of Natural History, 1986-1987.

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Related Corporate, Personal, and Family Names

Akeley, Carl Ethan 1864-1926
Wives Delia Akeley and Mary Jobe Akeley featured (1)

Akeley, Delia J. (Delia Julia), 1875?-1970
Featured (1)

Akeley, Mary L. Jobe (Mary Lenore Jobe) 1878-1966
Featured (1)

Akeley-Eastman-Pomeroy African Hall Expedition of the American Museum of Natural History (1926)
Featured; expedition included Mary Jobe Akeley and Carl Akeley (1)

American Museum of Natural History. Department of Library Services.
Related department (1)

American Museum of Natural History. Library Gallery.
Location of exhibition 1986 October 31 – 1987 October 26 (1)

Andrews, Roy Chapman 1884-1960
Exhibition either featured first wife Yvette Borup (most likely) or second wife Wilhemina Christmas (1)

Andrews, Wilhelmina Christmas
Possibly featured (1)

Andrews, Yvette Borup
Likely featured (1)

Clark, James L. (James Lippitt) 1883-1969
Wife Sally Clark featured (1)

Clark, Sally 1883-1981
Featured (1)

Domherr, Lydia
Donated objects related to Dina Brodsky and Waldemar Jochelson; niece of Waldemar Jochelson (1)

Friends from the Field (Exhibition)
Related and concurrent Library exhibition (2, p. 57)

Jesup North Pacific Expedition (1897-1902)
Featured; expedition included Dina Brodsky and Waldemar Jochelson (1)

Jochelson, Waldemar 1855-1937
Wife Dina Brodsky featured (1)

Jochelson-Brodsky, Dina
Featured (1)

Johnson, Martin 1884-1937
Wife Osa Johnson featured (1)

Johnson, Osa 1894-1953
Featured (1)

Murphy, Grace E. Barstow
Featured (1)

Murphy, Robert Cushman 1887-1973
Wife Grace Murphy featured (1)

Related Resources

American Museum of Natural History. Annual Report. New York: American Museum of Natural History, 1986-1987: 57.

American Museum of Natural History press releases, 1933-1990s.
"Museum Programs & Exhibitions, October 1986." September 5, 1986.; American Museum of Natural History. Press Release. "Museum Programs & Exhibitions, November 1986." September 25, 1986.; "Women Explorers Will Be the Focus of Library Exhibition." October 6, 1986.; "Museum Programs & Exhibitions, December 1986." October 25, 1986.; "Museum Programs & Exhibitions, January-June 1987." December 5, 1986.; "Museum Programs & Exhibitions, February 1987." December 24, 1986.; "Museum Programs & Exhibitions, March 1987." January 29, 1987.; "Museum Programs & Exhibitions, April 1987." February 27, 1987.; "Museum Programs & Exhibitions, October 1987." August 17, 1987.

American Museum of Natural History Special Collections vertical files
Repository: AMNH Special Collections [News articles]

"J. T., jr."; the biography of an African monkey, by Delia J. Akeley; illustrated with photographs taken by Carl and Delia Akeley.
Date of resource: 1932

Jungle portraits, by Delia J. Akeley; with original photographs.
Date of resource: 1930

Waldemar Jochelson collection, 1899-1979 (bulk 1899-1942)
Date of resource: 1899-1942

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