Category Archives: Museum

John James Audubon’s Birds of North America

by Amy Posted on 10 December 2007

An original copy of one of the world’s most valuable books, John James Audubon’s Birds of North America, is on display at the oldest museum of the Netherlands. The exhibit Vogels van Formaat runs at the Teylers Museum in Haarlem until 20 January 2008.

The proprietor of the museum at the time the book was published in the early 1800’s purchased one of the original Double Elephant Havell Editions of the book. Read Arthur’s account of our visit to the exhibit.

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Dutch Museum To Show Rare Audubon Book

by Amy Posted on 24 July 2007

The Teylers Museum in Haarlem, the Netherlands, plans to exhibit one of the world’s largest and most expensive books to the public. The Birds of America, by John James Audubon, will be on display from 3 November until 20 January 2008.

Teylers will show five parts of the book. Due to the value and size of the book, it is rarely displayed. A copy of the book sold at a 2002 Christie’s auction for almost nine million dollars.

Most of the bird illustrations in the book are life-size. The book measures 64 x 97 centimeters.

The Teylers Museum in Haarlem is the oldest museum in the Netherlands.

Source: Teylers Museum toont vogels van formaat

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New Dutch Dodo Expedition To Mauritius

by Amy Posted on 20 July 2007

In October 2005 Dutch researchers discovered a mass-grave of Dodo birds on the island of Mauritius. In June 2006 an international team of scientists returned to the location for further study. A new party from the Leiden museum Naturalis plans to return to Mauritius in August 2007 for more research.

The Dodo grave on Mauritius may be the largest such natural cache of animal bones in the world. Few such graves are found on volcanic islands, making the Mauritius cache even more remarkable.

The team from Naturalis plans to further excavate the bones, which lie one meter underground, by draining the soil. This special method of excavation will allow scientists to determine the age of the bone cache with more accuracy.

Source: Nieuwe dodo-expeditie naar Mauritius

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