Vintage photos of the American Museum of Natural History

The American Museum of Natural History's Library Web site features an astounding collection of vintage photos titled "Picturing the Museum." From candid diorama shots to documentation of exhibit prepping, the photos give a wonderful glimpse of the museum experience from ye olden days. Picturing The Museum (AMNH, via Curious Expeditions)

[#1 posted by freshyill , September 8, 2008 9:10 AM]

This is great, and it brings back some great memories. It's not that long ago that they switched up some of these great displays. When I first visited in the early '90s, I loved it there. Long, quiet hallways with beautiful dioramas. It had character. Now, some of the old dioramas are still there, but the character is gone.

I visited earlier this year, and the AMNH these days is filled with lots of glass and interactive crap. There are examples all over the place, but the one that was most striking to me was a fantastic mount of a huge tiger, jumping, with claws outstretched. This was formerly right in the middle of a hall, where visitors could walk right up and inspect it. I spotted it again this year. Not a centerpiece anymore, it's now 20 feet up, on a shelf, barely noticeable. It was just luck that I spotted it at all.

They really ruined this place. It's still good, and it's still educational, but the character is gone. It's really sad.

[#2 posted by patricio , September 8, 2008 12:32 PM]

I actually took some photos of the gacelles in the above picture last year:

http://flickr.com/photos/patricio00/507785807/in/set-72157600238734319/

[#3 posted by David Pescovitz , September 8, 2008 3:33 PM]

Beautiful, PATRICIO!

[#4 posted by Falcon_Seven , September 8, 2008 5:34 PM]

When I was in college, back in the last millenium, my girlfriend and I attended a special evening event at the Hayden Planetarium. It was a black tie affair, all the patrons and swell from the Museum and Planetarium were in attendance, cocktails were served, there was dinner, and then dancing. After dinner, when the speeches began, we took off into the Museum and wandered around for a few hours. Every now-and-then we would encounter one of the museum guards, many of whom were working overtime for that evening to accommodate the 'patrons', they would just smile and continue on their way and allow us to stroll around enjoying the sights. Many of the dioramas pictured in these photos were still in existence at that time. Ah, the memories.

[#5 posted by mdh , September 8, 2008 10:19 PM]

That one on the right is Ostrichisaurus Lemonicus, no?

[#6 posted by patricio , September 9, 2008 5:47 AM]

Thanks David :-)

[#7 posted by Willirubin , September 13, 2008 5:03 PM]

My favourite part of the AMNH is the Hall of New York State Environment, because it looks like it's been unchanged since the 1950s.