Niedrach, Robert J.

Robert J. Niedrach served the Colorado Museum of Natural History for more than 50 years between 1913 and 1970, rising from taxidermist to Assistant Director. He participated in all phases of Museum activities and played an important role in developing ecological dioramas of Colorado and many parts of the world that brought the Museum recognition as one of the leading natural history institutions in the United States. Robert James Niedrach was born in 1889 in Union City, New Jersey. He grew up with a keen interest in nature and as a youth explored the meadows and wetlands along the Hackensack River to the west and the Palisades of the Hudson River to the east, across from Manhattan. Especially interested in birds, he learned taxidermy to preserve specimens he collected. Niedrach came to Denver in 1910 and worked as a taxidermist. In 1913 he joined the Museum as assistant to the Curator of Birds and helped prepare and mount birds in numerous habitat groups. He married Alice Nicholas Davies of Denver in 1918 and they had one daughter. After service with the US Army in World War I, he returned to the Museum and much broader assignments. At his Museum retirement party in 1970, he was called an "all-around naturalist" in honor of his many activities and accomplishments. A few years after starting with the Museum, he branched out from working with birds to bird eggs and nests, then to mammals, and on to fossils and even a reconstruction of the Museum's quarry for vertebrate fossils. Niedrach applied his artistic skills by painting portions of several exhibits and displays. In 1929 he put together the Museum's first educational carts with collections of birds and mammals to circulate in Denver public schools. Throughout his career Niedrach strongly supported Museum involvement in outreach programs, and he helped establish the Education Department in 1969. Over the years Niedrach was involved in all aspects of museum work, and especially field work. He participated in many collecting expeditions from Central America to Australia and to many states, all areas selected to acquire specimens for varied natural history exhibits. He supervised construction and installation of over fifty large dioramas showing ecological systems that span the globe and brought renown to the Museum. But Niedrach's main interest remained with birds. In 1935 he was the driving force to establish the local birding club, and he donated much personal time making presentations and leading field trips for all interested parties. That organization continues today as the dynamic Denver Field Ornithologists. For the Museum he and Director Alfred M. Bailey studied, collected and photographed birds all across Colorado. Over their careers both published many notes and articles on birds. In 1965 their two-volume book Birds of Colorado was published by the Museum and it remains an important work on this subject. Niedrach received many awards and honors for his outstanding work at the Museum and in the community. The University of Colorado awarded him an Honorary Master of Science degree in 1953 and an Honorary Doctor of Science degree in 1967. In 1982 a nature trail at Barr Lake State Park in Colorado was named after him. In January 1969 he was appointed Assistant Director of the Museum. Niedrach retired in 1970. He died in 1974, age 84, in the Museum parking lot while leaving after a morning visit.

From the description of Robert J. Niedrach papers 1902-1990, (Denver Museum of Nature & Science). WorldCat record id: 69957579

Robert J. Niedrach served the Colorado Museum of Natural History for more than 50 years between 1913 and 1970, rising from taxidermist to Assistant Director. He participated in all phases of Museum activities and played an important role in developing the ecological dioramas of Colorado and many parts of the world that brought the Museum recognition as one of the leading natural history institutions in the United States.

Robert James Niedrach was born in 1889 in Union City, New Jersey. He grew up with a keen interest in nature and as a youth explored the meadows and wetlands along the Hackensack River to the west and the Palisades of the Hudson River to the east, across from Manhattan. Especially interested in birds, he learned taxidermy to preserve specimens he collected. Niedrach came to Denver in 1910 and worked as a taxidermist. In 1913 he joined the Museum as assistant to the Curator of Birds and helped prepare and mount birds in numerous habitat groups. He married Alice Nicholas Davies of Denver in 1918 and they had one daughter. After service with the US Army in World War I, he returned to the Museum and much broader assignments.

At his Museum retirement party in 1970, he was called an "all-around naturalist" in honor of his many activities and accomplishments. A few years after starting with the Museum, he branched out from working with birds to bird eggs and nests, then to mammals, and on to fossils and even a reconstruction of the Museum's quarry for vertebrate fossils. Niedrach applied his artistic skills by painting portions of several exhibits and displays. In 1929 he put together the Museum's first educational carts with collections of birds and mammals to circulate in Denver public schools. Throughout his career Niedrach strongly supported Museum involvement in outreach programs, and he helped establish the Education Department in 1969. Over the years Niedrach was involved in all aspects of museum work, and especially field work. He participated in many collecting expeditions from Central America to Australia and to many states, all areas selected to acquire specimens for varied natural history exhibits. He supervised construction and installation of over fifty large dioramas showing ecological systems that span the globe and brought renown to the Museum.

But Niedrach's main interest remained with birds. In 1935 he was the driving force to establish a local birding club, and he donated much personal time making presentations and leading field trips for all interested parties. That organization continues today as the dynamic Denver Field Ornithologists. For the Museum he and Director Alfred M. Bailey studied, collected and photographed birds all across Colorado. Over their careers both published many notes and articles on birds. In 1965 their two-volume book Birds of Colorado was published by the Museum and it remains an important work on this subject.

Niedrach received many awards and honors for his outstanding work at the Museum and in the community. The University of Colorado awarded him an Honorary Master of Science degree in 1953 and an Honorary Doctor of Science degree in 1967. In 1982 a nature trail at Barr Lake State Park in Colorado was named after him. In January 1969 he was appointed Assistant Director of the Museum. Niedrach retired in 1970. He died in 1974, age 84, in the Museum parking lot while leaving after a morning visit.

From the guide to the Robert J. Niedrach Papers, 1902-1990, (Denver Museum of Nature & Science)