Anthony, H. E. (Harold Elmer), 1890-1970

Exist Dates

April 5, 1890 - March 29, 1970

Biographical or Historical Note

abstract

Harold Elmer Anthony (born April 5, 1890, died March 29, 1970) was a mammalogist and worked at the American Museum of Natural History for over 50 years. He specialized in mammals of the Western Hemisphere and led many expeditions to South and Central America. Anthony was the Chairman and Curator in the Department of Mammalogy and was the Dean of Scientific Staff for several years. The Museum's mammal halls were created under his leadership: Hall of North American Mammals, Akeley Hall of African Mammals and Hall of South Asiatic Mammals. He wrote "Field Book of North American Mammals" (1928) and "Mammals of Porto Rico, Living and Extinct" (1925, 1926, in two volumes).

H. E. Anthony was born in Beaverton, Oregon, April 5, 1890.

Prior to working at the AMNH, Anthony was a field collector for the U.S. Department of Argriculture, Biological Society in North Dakota, Montana, and Wyoming. He began working for the Museum as a naturalist on the Albatross Expedition to Lower California, spring 1911. By September 1911, he was employed as Museum staff until his retirement in 1958. During this time, H.E. Anthony held several positions including Chairman, Curator of Mammals and Dean of Scientific Staff. In 1958, Anthony became curator of the Frick Laboratory, a research lab located in the Museum and maintained by the Childs Frick Foundation for the study of fossil life. He left this position in 1966. The lab was merged with the Department of Vertebrate Paleontology in 1968.

Outside the Museum, Anthony worked with wildlife and conservation organizations, including the Committee on Conservation of Land Mammals (Chairman 1931-1935), Committee on Wild Life (1932), National Association of Audubon Societies (Chairman and Director 1935)among many others. He was also interested in horticulture and served as president of the Greater New York Orchid Society, from which he received a gold medal.

RESEARCH INTERESTS

H.E. Anthony specialized in the mammals of the West Indies and South American. He was active in conservation issues, especially in the preservation of wild mammals in North America.

PUBLICATIONS (SELECTION)

• The Indigenous Land Mammals of Porto Rico, Living and Extinct, 1918

• Mammals of Porto Rico, Living and Extinct, 1925-1926

• Field Book of North American Mammals, 1928

• Horns and Antlers: Their Evolution, Occurrence and Function in the Mammalia, 1928-1929

• “The Facts About Shiva”, Natural History Magazine, December 1937

• “Christmas in Burma”, Natural History Magazine, December 1939

This is a condensed summary from a selection of sources.

Sources

American Museum of Natural History. Anthony, Harold Elmer [Staff C.V.], undated.

American Museum of Natural History Press Release. "Noted Mammalogist Dies in California." March 30, 1970.

Library of Congress Name Authority File

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Related Corporate, Personal, and Family Names

American Museum of Natural History. Akeley Hall of African Mammals.

American Museum of Natural History. Allen Hall of North American Mammals.

American Museum of Natural History. Bernard Family Hall of North American Mammals.

American Museum of Natural History. Department of Mammalogy
associated dates: 1911-1958
Held several positions: Associate Curator, Curator and Chairman.

American Museum of Natural History. Hall of Asian Mammals.

American Museum of Natural History. Hall of North American Forests.

American Museum of Natural History. Irma and Paul Milstein Family Hall of Ocean Life.
Appointed member of Committee on Decoration and Development of Fish and Oceanic Halls.

Anthony Jamaica Expedition (1919-1920)
associated dates: 1919 November-1920 March
Expedition leader. To study the zoology of the island.

Anthony Oregon Expedition (1912)
associated dates: 1912 August-September
Expedition leader. Collecting trip to eastern Oregon for Department of Mammals and Birds.

Anthony Wyoming Expedition
associated dates: 1934 August 16-September 21
Expedition leader. Trip to Jackson Hole, Wyoming to obtain Shiras moose.

Anthony-Ottley Venezuelan Expedition (1932)
associated dates: 1932 January-March
Expedition leader.

Anthony-Tate Expeditions to Ecuador (1920-1924)
associated dates: 1920 June-1923 December
Expedition Leader. To study the zoology of the island.

Bureau of Fisheries Expedition to Lower California aboard the "Albatross"
associated dates: 1911 January-April

Crampton Antilles Expeditions
associated dates: 1916 May-August
Expedition leader. Field work in Puerto Rico.

Expeditions to Eastern Panama (1914-1915)
associated dates: 1915 February-May
Expedition leader. Three months in eastern Panama collecting birds and mammals.

Friedman-Anthony Alaska Expedition
associated dates: 1948 August 8-September 26
To make an indepedent survey of the wolf-Dall sheep problem in Mt. McKinley National Park; visit Glacier Bay National Park and other National Park Service administered areas.

Mammal Department Expedition to Cuba
associated dates: 1917 January-March
Expedition to Cuba and Santo Domingo to investigate animals.

Ottley-Anthony South American Expedition
associated dates: 1929 November-1930 April
Expedition leader. For zoological reconnaissance and to collect specimens and material for the Aconcagua Group.

Patterson Grand Canyon Expedition of the American Museum of Natural History
associated dates: 1937 September 3-29
Expedition leader. Explored the tops of Shivas Temple and Wotans Throne in the Grand Canyon of Arizona.

Puerto Rican Expedition
associated dates: 1926 November-1927 June
Explored Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands and other islands under auspices of New York Academy of Sciences.

Shiras Expedition to Panama (1914)
associated dates: 1914 January-March
Expedition leader. Accompanied George Shiras on an expedition to Panama for mammals of the Gatun Lake region.

Stillman-Durrell Kenai Peninsula Expedition
associated dates: 1936 August 10-October 19
Expedition leader.

Stoll-McCracken Siberian Arctic Expedition of the American Museum of Natural History (1928)
associated dates: 1928 May-October
Expedition leader. In charge of the scientific work; visited Alaska and Siberian Coasts; collected for Bear Group, Pacific Walrus Group and Arctic Bird Group.

Taylor Sudan Expedition (1926-1927)
associated dates: 1926 November-1927 June
Expedition Leader.

Vernay Nyasaland Expedition
associated dates: 1946 May 8-November 12

Vernay-Cutting Burma Expedition of the American Museum of Natural History (1938-1939)
associated dates: 1938 October-1939 May
Expedition member. Biological survey of northeastern Burma.

American Museum of Natural History
associated dates: 1911-1958

Related Resources

creatorOf

The Vernay-Cutting Expedition to Burma
H. E. Anthony, expedition member, contributed in the making of this film. C. Suydam Cutting and Arthur Vernay were the photographers. Creator: American Museum of Natural History. Extent: videocassette, 25 minutes. Repository: AMNH Library Special Collections, Call number Film Collection no. 167.

subjectOf

African safari (part of the CBS/AMNH Adventure television series)
Creator: American Museum of Natural History. Extent: videocassette, 30 minutes Repository: AMNH Library Special Collections, Call number Film Collection no. 100.

subjectOf

Big cats (part of the CBS/AMNH Adventure television series)
Creator: American Museum of Natural History. Extent: videocassette, 30 minutes. Repository: AMNH Library Special Collections, Call number Film Collection no. 133.

subjectOf

Gorillas and Apes (part of the CBS/AMNH Adventure television series)
Creator: American Museum of Natural History. Extent: videocassette, 30 minutes. Repository: AMNH Library Special Collections, Call number Film Collection no. 122.

subjectOf

Rams of the Rimrock (part of the CBS/AMNH Adventure television series)
Rams of the Rimrock is one of three shows in this collection. Creator: American Museum of Natural History. Extent: videocassette, 60 minutes. Repository: AMNH Library Special Collections, Call number Film Collection no. 27.

subjectOf

Seals and Porpoises (part of the CBS/AMNH Adventure television series)
Rams of the Rimrock is one of three shows in this collection. Creator: American Museum of Natural History. Extent: videocassette, 60 minutes. Repository: AMNH Library Special Collections, Call number Film Collection no. 120.

subjectOf

AMNH Library bio for H. E. Anthony
Contains documents, articles and relevant material about H. E. Anthony available in Special Collections.

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