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Brown, Barnum

 Person

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 9 Collections and/or Records:

Barnum Brown Ethiopia field photographs, undated

 Collection
Identifier: PPC .B761
Scope and Contents

Field photographs of Ethiopia; African prints.

Dates: undated

Barnum Brown photographic series of North Continental Oil and Gas Corporation

 Collection
Identifier: PPC .B762
Scope and Contents

North Continental Oil and Gas Corporation Series. Also includes photographs of American Museum of Natural History Sinclair expedition, SAS series.

Dates: circa 1939

Barnum Brown papers

 Collection
Identifier: VPA 114
Scope and Contents

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.

Dates: 1877-1963

Department of Vertebrate Paleontology field work collection

 Collection
Identifier: VPA 101
Scope and Contents

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.

Dates: 1880-2000

Department of Vertebrate Paleontology correspondence

 Collection
Identifier: VPA 105
Scope and Contents Department of Vertebrate Paleontology correspondence from 1887-1966, alphabetized by subject or author. Hundreds of scientists worldwide are represented by correspondence and include Alexander Agassiz, Glover M. Allen, Florentino Ameghino, Erwin H. Barbour, Franz Boas, Stephen F. Borhegyi, Robert Broom, Barnum Brown, Hermon C. Bumpus, Edwin H. Colbert, Thomas Alva Edison, Walter Granger, William T. Gregory, Claude W. Hibbard, D.A. Hooijer, William T. Hornaday, Remington Kellogg, Charles R....
Dates: 1887-1966

Field and Expedition Equipment

 Collection
Identifier: Mem 305
Scope and Contents Since 1887, the American Museum of Natural History has been conducting field expeditions in every continent. This is one of the main resources for the Museum’s scientific research and collection development activities throughout all its disciplines. This grouping holds the equipment that were used during expeditions from around 1877 to 1996. Most of these expeditions required direct interaction with the natural habitat of the subject of study, which usually involves being out in the...
Dates: Usage: circa 1877-1990s

Frick Laboratory administrative and personnel records

 Collection
Identifier: VPA 111
Scope and Contents

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.

Dates: 1912-1968

William King Gregory papers, 1889-1948 (bulk 1906-1948)

 Collection
Identifier: Mss .G7441
Scope and Contents The collection consists of administrative, scientific, academic and personal papers, and correspondence. Papers include Gregory's general correspondence with universities, colleges and scientists about his research topics and publications; correspondence with museums about purchasing replicas of fossils; and with students seeking employement. Other papers include lecture notes prepared for zoology classes emphasizing evolution, 1925-1926 and 1939; and manuscripts and notes for his...
Dates: 1889-1948; Majority of material found within 1906-1948

Sinclair Dinosaur Expedition photographs

 Collection
Identifier: PPC .S56
Scope and Contents

Field photos of aerial survey of S. Dakota, Wyoming, Colorado, Montana, Utah, New Mexico, Arizona. Includes shots of the plane with Barnum Brown.

Dates: 1934