Page 118 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide 2017 - Boston

116  BOST ON AREA B Y AREA

Peabody Museum of Harvard Museum
Archaeology and Ethnology of Natural History
11 Divinity Ave. Tel (617) 496-1027. 26 Oxford St. Tel (617) 495-3045.
Open 9am–5pm daily. Closed Jan 1, Open 9am–5pm daily.
Thanksgiving, Dec 24, 25. & 7 8 Closed Jul 4, Thanksgiving, Dec
∑ peabody.harvard.edu 24, 25. & 7 8
The Peabody Museum of ∑ hmnh.harvard.edu
Archaeology and Ethnology The Harvard Museum of
was founded in 1866 as the Natural History is actually
first museum in the Americas three museums rolled into one,
devoted solely to anthro- with collections from the
pology. The many collections, Mineralogical and Geological
which include several Museum, the Museum of
million artifacts and Comparative Zoology, Triceratops skull in the Harvard Museum
more than 500,000 and the Botanical of Natural History
photographic images, Museum.
come from all around The mineralogical different bird families. Bird
the world. The Pea- galleries include some watchers greatly enjoy infor-
body’s pioneering of Harvard University’s mative exhibits detailing the
investigations began oldest specimen latest breakthroughs and
with excavations of collections. Virtually scientific discoveries in the
Mayan sites in Central every New England world of ornithology.
America, research on mineral, rock, and gem The collections in the
the precontact Anasazi type is re presented, botanical galleries include the
people of the including rough and Ware Collection of Blaschka
American Southwest, cut gem stones and one Glass Models of Plants,
and on the cultural of the world’s premier popularly known as the “glass
history of the later meteorite collections. flowers.” Between 1887 and
Pueblo tribes of the The zoological galleries 1936, father and son artisans
same region. Joint owe their inception to Leopold and Rudolph Blaschka
expeditions the great 19th-century created these 4,000 exacting
sponsored by the biologist Louis Agassiz models of 830 plant species.
Peabody Museum and include his Each species is illustrated with
and the Museum of personal arachnid a scientifically accurate lifesize
Fine Arts (see pp106–9) collection. The model and magnified parts.
also uncovered some collection of taxi- The museum offers an array
of the richest finds of dermied bird, mam- of free public lectures and
dynastic and pre- mal, and reptile presen tations by leading
dynastic Egypt. Later Native American totem specimens is compre- biologists, conservationists,
research embraced pole, Peabody Museum hensive, and there is and authors. Also of note is
the cultures of the also a collection of the museum’s travel program,
islands of the South Pacific. dinosaur skel etons. The Birds in which Harvard science faculty
The Native American of the World gallery features leads small groups of visitors
tribes of North America are hun dreds of rare specimens, to experience global centers
represented in considerable representing more than 200 of biodiversity.
detail in “Change and
Continuity: Hall of the
American Indian.” Exhibits
outline the distinct and
different ways of life in
indigenous culture areas of
the Northeast, Southeast,
Southwest, Plains, California/
Plateau, Northwest Coast,
Arctic, and Subarctic. Emphasis
is placed on Native life during
the 19th century, when each
group came in contact – and
sometimes conflict – with
European culture. The exhibits,
which include masterful totem-
pole carvings, also highlight
aspects of contemporary
Native American culture. Visitors at the botanical gallery of Harvard Museum of Natural History

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Eyewitness Travel LAYERS PRINTED:
Catalogue template “UK” LAYER
(Source v2.7)
Date 1st October 2013
Size 125mm x 217mm