George Adams (1909-?)

On staff of the AMNH from 1940 through 1953, Adams made major contributions to the Hall of North American Mammals, most notably the large male mountain lion, the jaguar, the two running wolves, and the mule deer specimens. Adams provided the taxidermy for the cheetah, chimpanzee, mandrill, and black-and-white colobus monkey specimens for the Akeley Hall of African Mammals, and created the model of the moa for the New Zealand diorama in the Whitney Memorial Hall of Pacific Bird Life.

Carl Ethan Akeley (1864-1926)

Akeley was an autodidact who taught himself taxidermy out of a textbook, which prepared him for a position in 1884 with Ward's Natural Science Establishment in Rochester, New York. In 1886 Akeley moved to the Milwaukee Public Museum, where he created-in 1889-what is considered to be the first habitat diorama for a science museum. From there he took a position with the Field Museum in Chicago, which sent him on his first expedition to Africa in 1896. For the Field Museum, Akeley mounted "The Charging Bulls," its well-known elephant display, and also "The Four Seasons" (1902), the first habitat group display in a science museum to feature large mammals (white-tailed deer) set before a painted background. Akeley started at the AMNH in 1909, and was again sent to Africa to collect elephant specimens. In Kenya, he was nearly killed by a charging bull elephant, and while convalescing, dreamed of creating a hall at the AMNH dedicated to depicting the splendor and beauty of the vanishing African wilderness. Akeley returned to Africa in 1921 to collect gorillas, and based on his experiences during his trip, became an advocate for their protection, being instrumental in the creation of a preserve to protect them. Akeley's final expedition to his beloved Africa was in 1926, where he fell ill and died. He was buried at the site featured in the gorilla diorama in the Museum's Akeley Hall of African Mammals, which was named in his honor.

Gardell Christensen (1907-?)

From 1928 to 1941, Christensen contributed taxidermy mounts for dioramas at the AMNH in the Akeley Hall of African Mammals and the Hall of North American Mammals. He collaborated with James L. Clark on the mounts for the lion diorama in the Akeley Hall of African Mammals. Other notable works by Christensen include his grizzly bears, the reclining mountain lion, and the mountain goats for the Hall of North American Mammals.

James L. Clark (1883-1969)

After graduating from the Rhode Island School of Design, Clark came to the AMNH in 1902, where he remained for nearly fifty years until his retirement in 1949. He was sent to be trained by Carl Akeley at the Chicago Field Museum, prior to Akeley's being hired by the American Museum in 1909. Later, as the Museum's director of arts, preparation, and installation, Clark hired and supervised an art staff of unparalleled talent which created what are considered to be the finest habitat dioramas in the world. He led some twenty expeditions to collect specimens to be displayed at the Museum, and did a considerable amount of the taxidermy work himself. The white rhinoceroses and the male African and Asian lions are considered some of his finest works.

John W. Hope (1889-?)

Born in Sydney, Australia, Hope worked at the AMNH from 1923 to 1936. He contributed taxidermy to the Hall of Asian Mammals and the Akeley Hall of African Mammals. Most notable of his works in this hall are the mountain nyala, the giant eland, and the giant sable. An accomplished sculptor, Hope created the fourteen beautiful bas-reliefs that appear above each of the dioramas on the main level of the Afican Hall. Each of these depict a different scene featuring African mammals.

Louis Paul Jonas (1894-1971)

A native of Budapest, Hungary, Jonas immigrated at age fourteen to work with his older brothers at their taxidermy studio in Denver, Colorado. Jonas was later selected to assist Carl Akeley at the AMNH, and attended the National Academy while in New York. Jonas assisted Akeley in the mounting of the African elephants and contributed taxidermy works to both the African Hall and the Hall of Asian Mammals, where, most notably, he mounted the central pair of Asian elephants. In 1930 Jonas established his own studio.

Raymond B. Potter (1873-1947)

Potter was hired by the AMNH in 1917 to work as an assistant to Carl Akeley on the mounting of the elephant and gorilla specimens for the African Hall. By 1919 he was assigned to the department of preparation and exhibition as head bird and small mammal taxidermist, and participated in four expeditions to collect and prepare birds for study and display. Potter was notable for his lifelike bird taxidermy, and completed over five thousand mounted specimens for the Museum over the years, making contributions to nearly all of the major diorama halls installed during his tenure. He retired in 1942.

Robert Rockwell (1886-1973)

Like Carl Akeley, Rockwell was first trained at Ward's Natural Science Establishment, and from there found employment at the Smithsonian Institution and the Brooklyn Museum. Rockwell came to the AMNH in 1925, and was immediately sent to Africa to collect for the African Hall on what would turn out to be Akeley's last expedition. Upon his return, Rockwell was responsible for mounting many of the collected specimens. He is best known for his large mammal mounts, which are unparalleled examples of animal sculpture. He also mounted specimens for the Hall of North American Mammals, including one diorama in particular-the Alaska brown bear-which became a Museum icon. Though he retired from a staff position at the Museum in 1942, Rockwell continued to work with the Museum on special projects.

David J. Schwendeman (b. 1924)

Schwendeman was a staff taxidermist at the AMNH for twenty-eight years before retiring in 1987. He provided taxidermy for the renovation of the Hall of North American Birds-most notably the bald eagles, wood storks, snow geese, bobwhite quail, and ring-necked pheasant. He was trained by his father Arthur, who opened a taxidermy shop in 1921. The family business is now run by D. Bruce Schwendeman, a third-generation taxidermist, who continues to do work for the AMNH. "Uncle Dave," as he is known to his close friends, is still practicing his art at his family-run shop in Milltown, New Jersey.