Lucas, Frederic A. (Frederic Augustus), 1852-1929

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Frederic A. (Augustus) Lucas (1852-1929) was a museum curator and adminstrator. He was born in Plymouth, MA on March 25, 1852. He received an honorary D.Sc. degree from the University of Pittsburgh in 1909. Lucas began his career at Ward's Natural Science Establishment in Rochester, NY. There he practiced taxidermy, osteology and museum technique. He transferred to the U.S. National Museum in 1882 and remained there until 1904. From 1904-1911 he was curator-in-chief of the Museum of the Brooklyn Institute of Arts and Sciences. In 1911 he became Director of the American Museum of Natural History where he remained until 1923. From 1924 to 1929 he was honorary director.He died in Flushing, NY on February 9, 1929.

From the description of Frederic Augustus Lucas papers 1883-1927. (New York Botanical Garden). WorldCat record id: 44410025

Frederic A. (Augustus) Lucas (1852-1929) was a museum curator and adminstrator. He was born in Plymouth, MA on March 25, 1852. He received an honorary D.Sc. degree from the University of Pittsburgh in 1909. Lucas began his career at Ward's Natural Science Establishment in Rochester, NY. There he practiced taxidermy, osteology and museum technique. He transferred to the U.S. National Museum in 1882 and remained there until 1904. From 1904-1911 he was curator-in-chief of the Museum of the Brooklyn Institute of Arts and Sciences. In 1911 he became Director of the American Museum of Natural History where he remained until 1923. From 1924 to 1929 he was honorary director. He died in Flushing, NY on February 9, 1929.

From the description of Frederic Augustus Lucas papers, 1883-1927. (New York State Historical Documents). WorldCat record id: 155462385

Frederic A. Lucas, a naturalist specializing in vertebrate anatomy, was director of the American Museum of Natural History from 1911-1924, then honorary director until his death in 1929.

Lucas began his career mounting skeletons of game animals at Ward's Natural Science Establishment in Rochester, N.Y. In 1882 he went to the U.S. National Museum, where he was curator of the Dept. of Comparative Anatomy, of Vertebrate Fossils, and in charge of exhibits for the Dept. of Biology and the Children's Room. In 1904 Lucas became head of the Museum of the Brooklyn Institute of Arts and Sciences. At the AMNH, Lucas oversaw the preparation of exhibits for many important new collections, including those of the Roosevelt South American expeditions, the Lang-Chapin Congo Expedition, Carl Akeley's African expeditions, the Vernay-Faunthorpe Indian expeditions, and the Roy Chapman Andrews Central Asiatic Expeditions.

Oldfield Thomas, a mammalogist and taxonomist, was Senior Assistant in charge of Mammalia at the British Museum (Natural History), 1876-1923.

From his position at the British Museum, Thomas encouraged the work of scientific expeditions in order to obtain specimens of new species for classification. His publications include works on antelopes, on the mammals of Peru, Patagonia and South Africa, and on the British Museum's collection of marsupials and monotremes.

William T. Hornaday, a naturalist and conservationist, was the principal planner and first director of the New York Zoological Park from its establishment in 1896 until his retirement in 1926.

Hornaday, like F.A. Lucas, began his career at Ward's Natural Science Establishment and the U.S. National Museum, where he was chief taxidermist from 1882-1890. The American bison group, for which Hornaday mounted and collected the specimens, was a prototype of the habitat exhibits later seen in many museums. Increasingly interested in wildlife conservation, Hornaday was instrumental in the establishment of the U.S. National Zoological Park in 1889.

From the description of Correspondence, 1916 Aug. 28, 1922 July 18. (American Museum of Natural History). WorldCat record id: 56517328

Archival Resources
Role Title Holding Repository
referencedIn Expeditions and scientific staff records, 1885-[ca. 1970]. New York State Historical Documents Inventory
referencedIn Williamson, M. B. (Martha Burton). M. B. Williamson papers, 1887-1927. Stanford University. Department of Special Collections and University Archives
creatorOf Lucas, Frederic A. (Frederic Augustus), 1852-1929. Correspondence, 1916 Aug. 28, 1922 July 18. American Museum of Natural History
creatorOf Robinson, Wirt, b. 1864. Letters. Smithsonian Institution. Libraries
creatorOf Lucas, Frederic A. (Frederic Augustus), 1852-1929. Frederic Augustus Lucas papers, 1883-1927. New York State Historical Documents Inventory
referencedIn Century Company records New York Public Library. Manuscripts and Archives Division
creatorOf Goodyear, W. H. (William Henry), 1846-1923. Goodyear Archival Collection Series 3: Department of Fine Arts 1895-1922, n.d. Brooklyn Museum Libraries & Archives
creatorOf William King Gregory papers, 1889-1948 (bulk 1906-1948) American Museum of Natural History
creatorOf Schwarz, Herbert Ferlando, 1883-1960. Collection, 1921-1957 (bulk 1930-1950). American Museum of Natural History
creatorOf Lucas, Frederic A. (Frederic Augustus), 1852-1929. Frederic Augustus Lucas papers 1883-1927. New York Botanical Garden, The LuEsther T. Mertz Library
referencedIn Administrative files, 1869-1968. New York State Historical Documents Inventory
creatorOf Lucas, Frederic A. (Frederic Augustus), 1852-1929. Letter. Smithsonian Institution. Libraries
referencedIn Marsh, Othniel Charles, 1831-1899. Papers, 1817-1899 Yale University Library
referencedIn Marsh, Othniel Charles, 1831-1899. Othniel Charles Marsh papers, 1817-1899 (inclusive). Yale University Library
referencedIn William B. Provine collection of evolutionary biology reprints, 20th century. Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections, Cornell University Library.
referencedIn Brooklyn Museum. Office of the Director. Records, 1896-[ongoing]. Brooklyn Museum Libraries & Archives
referencedIn Records, 1909-1947. New York State Historical Documents Inventory
Role Title Holding Repository
Relation Name
associatedWith American Museum of Natural History. corporateBody
associatedWith American Museum of Natural History. Dept. of Mammalogy. corporateBody
associatedWith British Museum (Natural History) corporateBody
associatedWith Brooklyn Museum corporateBody
associatedWith Brooklyn Museum. Office of the Director. corporateBody
correspondedWith Century Company corporateBody
correspondedWith Dellenbaugh, Frederick Samuel, 1853-1935 person
associatedWith Dibner, Bern, person
associatedWith Goode, G. Brown (George Brown), 1851-1896. person
associatedWith Goodyear, W. H. (William Henry), 1846-1923. person
associatedWith Gregory, William K. (William King), 1876-1970. person
associatedWith Hornaday, William Temple, 1854-1937. person
associatedWith Marsh, Othniel Charles, 1831-1899. person
associatedWith National Museum of Natural History (U.S.). Division of Vertebrate Paleontology. corporateBody
associatedWith New York Zoological Park. corporateBody
associatedWith New York Zoological Society. Dept. of Tropical Research. Office of the Director and General Associate. corporateBody
associatedWith Pratt, George Dupont, 1869- person
correspondedWith Provine, William B. person
associatedWith Richardson, Jenness person
associatedWith Robinson, Wirt, b. 1864. person
associatedWith Rosenheim, Alfred F. (Alfred Faist), 1859-1943. person
associatedWith Schwarz, Herbert Ferlando, 1883-1960. person
associatedWith Thomas, Oldfield, 1858-1929. person
associatedWith United States National Museum corporateBody
associatedWith United States National Museum. Division of Comparative Anatomy corporateBody
associatedWith Ward, Henry A. (Henry Augustus), 1834-1906. person
associatedWith Williamson, M. B. (Martha Burton) person
Place Name Admin Code Country
New York (State)--New York
United States
Subject
Birds
Mammals
Mammals
Museum curators
Museum directors
Natural history museum curators
Natural history museum directors
Natural history museums
Natural history museums
Occupation
Activity

Person

Birth 1852

Death 1929

Information

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