William Beebe papers, 1830-1961 (bulk 1920-1959) | WorldCat.org (original) (raw)

Summary:Consists of journals, writings, correspondence, scrapbooks, documents, photographs, and printed matter of Beebe, primarily relating to his association with the New York Zoological Society (NYZS). There are 75 journal volumes beginning in 1890 and including diary entries, natural history notes, collection lists, essay material, and course notes taken at Columbia University. From 1903 to 1961 the journals focus mainly on Beebe's many expeditions for the NYZS--as its first curator of birds (1902-1916), he went to Mexico, the West Indies, Venezuela, and Guiana, and as founder (1916) and director (1923-1952) of its Department of Tropical Research (DTR), he made terrestrial expeditions to Guiana, Trinidad, the West Indies, Venezuela, and Singapore, and oceanographic expeditions to the Bermuda Islands, the Galapagos Islands, and the Gulf of California. Beebe continued conducting research at the Simla Station, Trinidad, after his retirement until his death in 1962. Beebe and the DTR were responsible for the discovery and description of over 800 new species of fish, insects, mollusks, and animals; cataloging and preserving specimens; publications and exhibits; and the collection of live specimens for the NYZS