Digital Collections | AMNH - The school service of the American Museum of Natural History

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American Museum of Natural History
200 Central Park West
New York, NY 10024-5192

RESEARCH LIBRARY

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Tags

American Museum of Natural History

Education

Fisher, Clyde, 1878-1949

National Film Preservation Foundation

Natural history museums

Ramsey, Grace Fisher, 1887-1970

Asset ID film271-200004476

Title The school service of the American Museum of Natural History

Date 1927

Agent (Role) Carr, William H. (William Henry), 1902-1985 (Photographer), Department of Education (Producer), Dutcher, Irving (Photographer), New York City Department of Education (Producer)

City Town New York

Country United States

Collection/Work Relation AMNH Special Collections, Film Collection no. 271: The school service of the American Museum of Natural History, DVD, barcode no. 200004476

Publication History Sherwood, George H. The Story of the Museum's Service to the Schools. Natural History, v. 27, no. 4, July-Aug. 1927: 315-338.

Repository American Museum of Natural History

Rights statement Information on rights available at repository.

Description A cooperative effort between the AMNH and the New York City Department of Education resulted in this film, a piece of museum history probably made to celebrate the completion of the School Service Building. At some point after the photographers (William H. Carr, assistant curator in the Department of Education and Public Health, and Irving Dutcher) filmed the museum scenes, several New York City street scenes were added, presumably to emphasize the value of educational programs in keeping children off the streets. As the film opens, children march into the main museum entrance under the arch on the 77th Street side. Inside, AMNH Director George Herbert Sherwood speaks to a group of children in front of the bust of Albert S. Bickmore, the museum's first Director. Of particular relevance to the history of the museum are views of AMNH personnel and halls in 1927. Curator of visual instruction George Clyde Fisher addresses an audience in the auditorium, Grace Fisher Ramsey (associate curator in the Department of Education and Public Health) teaches blind children about Eskimos, film editor Miss Holland engages in her craft, and Carr gives a lesson using a live turtle and snake. The halls and exhibits seen in the film are the old bird hall that was located where the Hall of Man in Africa presently is, wolf and bison groups in large glass cases, the old beaver habitat group, the School Nature League, and the circulating nature study collection featuring small mounted specimens in habitat cases.

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