American Bison and Pronghorn (Diorama)
Summary
The American Bison and Pronghorn diorama is located on the first floor in The Bernard Family Hall of North American Mammals. It was completed in 1942 and was restored during the Hall's renovation project in 2011-2012. The diorama depicts a scene in the mid-1800s near the North Platte River between Rawlins and Saratoga, Wyoming when the prairies teemed with bison. The inclusion of the pronghorn antelope is entirely appropriate as it shares the open prairie habitat with the bison. The background, depicting every aspect of the prairie ecosystem, was painted by James Perry Wilson (with Fred Scherer assisting); the foreground, which includes genuine buffalo grass, was created by foregound artists Raymond DeLucia, G. Frederick Mason, George Petersen, and Charles Tornell; the taxidermist was Robert Rockwell. (Windows on Nature, 2006)