Brown, Barnum
Dates
- Existence: February 12, 1873 - February 5, 1963
Biographical Note
Barnum Brown (born February 12, 1873, Carbondale, Kansas – died February 5, 1963, New York, New York) was a distinguished curator at the American Museum of Natural History in the Department of Vertebrate Paleontology. A famous fossil hunter, known as "Father of the Dinosaurs", he collected numerous specimens on many scientific expeditions for the Museum. In addition to excavating the first discovered remains of Tyrannosaurus rex, Brown collected more than fossils. His contributions to the scientific collections in the Museum include mammals, birds and insects. In 1928, Brown uncovered arrowheads near Folsom, New Mexico, which established human habitiation on the North American continent back to 20,000 years.
Chronology:
- 1893
- Entered Kansas University
- December 12, 1897
- Joined the American Museum of Natural History
- 1922
- Elected to Life Membership of the American Museum of Natural History
- 1925
- Placed in charge of Department of Vertebrate Paleontology Exhibition Halls and Preparation Laboratory
- 1942
- Retired from the American Museum of Natural History
Occupations
Topics
Found in 12 Collections and/or Records:
Barnum Brown Ethiopia field photographs, undated
Field photographs of Ethiopia; African prints.
Barnum Brown photographic series of North Continental Oil and Gas Corporation
North Continental Oil and Gas Corporation Series. Also includes photographs of American Museum of Natural History Sinclair expedition, SAS series.
Barnum Brown papers
The collection consists of Brown's correspondence, notes, images and maps relating to his field work, papers of his second wife, Lilian Brown, drafts of unfinished autobiography, notes and illustrations for his scientific articles, records of his work for the museum, including exhibition halls, records of his commercial work as well as reports from his consulting work for the goverment. The collection also contains papers of Peter Kaisen who was a long-term Brown's assistant.
Department of Vertebrate Paleontology field work collection
The Department of Vertebrate Paleontology began sending staff into the field as early as the first year of its founding, 1891. Since then the department has organized and supported decades of seminal field work as it continues to do so today.
Department of Vertebrate Paleontology correspondence
Field and Expedition Equipment
Frick Laboratory administrative and personnel records
This collection consists of Childs Frick correspondence. The majority of the papers consern his relationship with the American Museum of Natural History while running the Frick Laboratory as well as his role as museum Trustee.
There is also Frick's correspondence with other scientists and institutions that deals with both research in paleontology and Frick's financial support of their activities.
A very small number of letters are of personal nature.
William King Gregory papers, 1889-1948 (bulk 1906-1948)
Series 1: Correspondence , 1892-1947
Series 1 (Boxes 1 to 6) contain Osborn’s correspondence, both general and relating to specific publications including “Age of Mammals” 2nd edition, “Ape Man,” and “Men of the Old Stone Age.” This series also contains accession information for the entire Henry Fairfield Osborn Papers collection. Most materials are in English, but there is also some correspondence in German. It is arranged alphabetically and thematically, then chronologically.
Series 1: Field diaries, 1891-1998
Consist of diaries, lists of specimens found, locations of finds, records of day to day activities, and step by step findings. Individual lists can be found with both the Charles H. Falkenbach and Ted Galusha Papers. The diaries are arranged by date and filed as nearly as possible in chronological order. Notable names in the field diaries include H. F. Osborn, Walter Granger, Barnum Brown, and G. G. Simpson.