Exist Dates
1889 April 16 - 1944 April 5
Biographical or Historical Note
- abstract
- Henry Cushier Raven, (born April 16, 1889, Brooklyn, New York, U.S. --
died April 4, 1944), was an expert scientific illustrator, taxidermist, and
collector of essential expedition specimens for several of the top natural
history institutions in the United States, including Columbia University,
Cornell University, Colorado Museum of Natural History, the Smithsonian
Institution, and the American Museum of Natural History. His research and
species data collecting brought him all over the world, resulting in the
acquisition of hundreds of physical specimens (resulting in many dissection
illustrations) as well as copious photographic and moving-picture evidence of
their natural movement and habitats.
Henry C. Raven's love for natural history combined with his talent for taxidermy
led to a coveted position in 1907 at the American Museum of Natural History as
an associate in the Department of Preparation. (1) After a few years of
exhibition arrangement, Raven left New York in 1910 and accepted a specimen
collecting position at the Colorado Museum of Natural History. (2) Only two
short years later, in 1912, Raven was hired by the Smithsonian as a fresh,
enthusiastic natural historian to carry on the work of William Louis Abbott and
lead their expedition to the East Indies, collecting specimens for display. He
spent the next ten years exploring the world in Australia, India, Peru,
Greenland and beyond gathering species data and photographing natural habitats
for various institutions. His contributions to mammalogy, comparative anatomy,
and field photography are indispensable as we continue to understand more about
the habitats and musculature evolution of animal species. Raven’s later work as
Curator of Comparative Anatomy for the AMNH made it possible for him to utilize
more of his skills as an expert taxidermist, dissecting and illustrating various
species of whales and primates for the study of muscle structure and
evolutionary patterns in development. His attention to detail both in his
research notes and his scientific illustrations remain a benchmark for future
study.
Outside of the scientific field, Raven is best known for his unofficial adoption
of Meshie, a small infant chimpanzee he purchased while exploring the Congo in
1929. Meshie, who was popular with the local media, lived with Raven’s family
for many years before being transferred to a zoo in Chicago as an adult. Upon
her death, Meshie was returned to the ownership of the AMNH and now resides in
the Hall of Primates. (3)
Raven died in 1944 at age 55 from an acute malarial infection most likely
contracted on his very first expedition in 1912 to Borneo and Celebes. (4)
Sources
Library of Congress Name Authority File: no2004068139
(1) Administration Record File
(2) Smithsonian Institute- Henry Cushier Raven Field Journal,
1912-1914. SIA RU007178
(3) Walder, Joyce, Kirsi Peltonen, Noora Ellonen, Helmer B. Larsen, and
Karin Helweg-Larsen, “Reunion With a Childhood Bully, Taxidermied,” New York
Times, last modified June 6, 2009,
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/06/nyregion/06chimp.html?_r=2&.
(4) “Brooklyn Daily Eagle Obituary,” CNN.com, last modified April 6,
1944 ,
http://fultonhistory.com/Newspaper%205/Brooklyn%20NY%20Daily%20Eagle/Brooklyn%20NY%20Daily%20Eagle%201944%20Grayscale/Brooklyn%20NY%20Daily%20Eagle%201944%20Grayscale%20-%201423.pdf.
Chronology
- 1889 April 16: Born in Brooklyn, New York
- 1907 - 1910: Assistant (taxidermist), Department of Preparation and Exhibition,
American Museum of Natural History (2)
- 1910 - 1912: Employed by the Colorado Museum of Natural History (3)
- 1912 - 1917: Specimen Collector, Smithsonian Institution expedition to the East
Indies (4)
- 1912 February - 1915 July: South and East Borneo (Dutch East Indies)
(Expedition Site) Raven took over William Louis Abbott's role as leader of the Smithsonian
expedition to Borneo and Celebes
- 1918: Student, Cornell University
- 1918: Curator, Cornell University Zoology Museum
- 1919 - 1920: Africa (Expedition Site) Cape-to-Cairo expedition co-led by Raven and Homer Shantz. Organized by
the Smithsonian and the American Commission to Negotiate Peace with the
goal of establishing an inquiry into the crop producing possibilities of
Africa. Created: a vegetation map of the areas traversed as well as
identifying plant resources from the regions that could have potential
use in future development in Africa or possible value to the United
States. The crew also collected hundreds of seeds that could be grown in
the United States for agricultural purposes. The photographic
documentation served later as a valuable tool for tracking the changing
vegetation of the African landscape.
- 1919: Specimen Collector, Smithsonian Institution Cape-to-Cairo
expedition
- 1920: Attended Columbia University
- 1921: Scientific Photographer and Museum Representative during expedition
to Australia
- 1923: Scientific Photographer and Museum Representative during expedition
to Australia
- 1924 - 1925: Assistant Curator, Department of Comparative and Human
Anatomy
- 1924 - 1926: Lecturer, New York University
- 1926 - 1943: Associate Curator, Department of Comparative and Human
Anatomy
- 1926 - 1944: Faculty Assistant to William K. Gregory, Columbia University
- 1929: Researcher, co-sponsored expedition (with Columbia University) to
Central Africa to secure comparative anatomical and illustrative
material; two specimens of Gorilla of the Kivo region and one specimen
of Gorilla form the Cameroon were collected.
- 1934 - 1935: Life-cast sculptor of indigenous peoples; Scientific photographer for the
Vernay-Hopwood Chindwin Expedition to Upper Burma
- 1936 - 1938: Laboratory Reseacher, Johns Hopkins University
- 1941: Prosector, New York Zoological Park
- 1941 January - 1941 February: Scientific photographer on the Lerner Expedition to Peru and Ecuador;
Big Game Fish Expedition; Sixth Michael Lerner Expedition
- 1944: Curator of Comparative Anatomy, American Museum of Natural
History
Terms
- localDescription
- male
- localDescription
- enhanced
- localDescription
- affiliated person
- place
- South and East Borneo (Dutch East Indies)
(Expedition Site)
dates: 1912 February-1915 July
Raven took over William Louis Abbott's role as leader of the Smithsonian
expedition to Borneo and Celebes
- place
- Africa
(Expedition Site)
dates: 1919-1920
Cape-to-Cairo expedition co-led by Raven and Homer Shantz. Organized by
the Smithsonian and the American Commission to Negotiate Peace with the
goal of establishing an inquiry into the crop producing possibilities of
Africa. Created: a vegetation map of the areas traversed as well as
identifying plant resources from the regions that could have potential
use in future development in Africa or possible value to the United
States. The crew also collected hundreds of seeds that could be grown in
the United States for agricultural purposes. The photographic
documentation served later as a valuable tool for tracking the changing
vegetation of the African landscape.
- place
- Australia
(Expedition Site)
Good will exchanges between Australian and American museums; Plans to
create an Australian Hall in the AMNH
- place
- New
Zealand
(Expedition Site)
Lerner New Zealand expedition aimed to secure big game fishes, photos,
and other materials on the natural history of New Zealand and
Australia
- place
- India
(Expedition Site)
- place
- Malaysia
(Expedition Site)
- place
- Peru
(Expedition Site)
This trip was filmed by AMNH curator of anatomy Henry Cushier Raven,
whose main function on the trip was to do anatomical studies on the game
fish (mostly swordfish and marlin) caught by the Lerners. In addition to
game fish, Raven was able to film several marine mammals and a variety
of shore and water birds. http://bit.ly/H0gH9v
- place
- Ecuador
(Expedition Site)
This trip was filmed by AMNH curator of anatomy Henry Cushier Raven,
whose main function on the trip was to do anatomical studies on the game
fish (mostly swordfish and marlin) caught by the Lerners. In addition to
game fish, Raven was able to film several marine mammals and a variety
of shore and water birds. http://bit.ly/H0gH9v
- place
- Greenland
(Expedition Site)
http://lccn.loc.gov/n79059221
- place
- Nova
Scotia
(Expedition Site)
To gather specimens and materials from the Tuna group and study swordfish
and marlin
- place
- Brooklyn
(Place of Birth)
- place
- Long
Island
(Boyhood Home)
- place
- Baldwin, Long Island (New York, N.Y.)
(Adult Home)
