Ta the Field The Bulletin of the Field Museum of Natural History January/February THE NEWEST OLDEST DINOSAURS POISONOUS BIRD IN PARADISE HARLEM RENAISSANCE, CHICAGO © STYLE EXHIBIT RENOVATIONS IN HOME STRETCH “ ie ec Ha ny \ The Bulletin of the Field Museum of Natural History There’s never a good time to do anything, so the best time is always now: Plan- ning for a 2d century. For Black History Month, a celebra- tion of the Harlem Renaissance, Chicago style. 10 Work in progress on “Africa,” “Life Over Time,” and “Ruate- pupuke: A Maori Meeting House.” A collection of Chi- nese and Vietnamese art objects includes rare Qing cinnabar lacquerware. LONG LIFE, MUCH WEALTH A traditional Chinese New Year celebration includes posting wood-block prints about the house to bring the blessings of the gods of longevity, prosperity, fecundity, and high marks in school. Story, Page 9 NEWEST, EARLIEST DINOSAURS aul Sereno, the University of Chica- go/Field Museum dinosaur hunter, has dug up a virtually complete skele- ton of the most primitive dinosaur ever discovered, Announce- ment of the finding, and of the name of the beast, was scheduled for January 5 at a news conference organized by the National Geographic Society in Washington. The skeleton will go on display in the Field Museum start- ing January 8. The fossil skeleton, of an adult flesh-eating animal about one meter (three feet) long, was found in Argentina in October 1991. Sereno said the creature is about 230 million years old. While it is a true dinosaur, he said, it represents a stage of evolution “close to the dinosaur ancestor,” the non-dinosaur from which the dinosaurs branched off as a separate lineage. “We're trying to figure out what happened when the dinosaurs emerged and took over,” Sereno said. During the 180 million years between the branching event and the extinction of the dinosaurs, they moved into and came to dominate most terrestrial ecosystems. The announcement of the finding comes hard on the heels of Sereno’s description, in the November 13 issue of Science, of the morphol- ogy and behavior of Herrerasaurus, another very ancient dinosaur from Argentina that was probably the ancestor of Tyrannosaurus rex. Although Herrerasaurus was first identi- fied several decades ago, it was known only from a few leg and pelvis bones. But in 1988, Sereno and his party found the remains of five of them, including one nearly complete skele- ton which was prepared and assembled at the Field Museum. They were three to six meters long, weighed up to 200 kg (about 450 pounds), and like T. rex, which was about twice as big, they had powerful hind legs, short arms, and claws, jaws, and teeth clearly adapted to meat-eating. T. rex appeared about 160 million years after Herrerasaurus. Sereno is assistant professor of organismal biology and anatomy at the University of Chicago and research associate in fossil reptiles at the Field Museum. a GN86436.2 GN86435,.25 Herrerasaurus, one of the earliest carnivorous dinosaurs. Below left, preparator Joe Searcy helps piece the beast together. POISON BIRDS IN PARADISE By Jessica Clark itchcockian, it wasn’t. But Universi- ty of Chicago graduate student Jack Dumbacher did have a strange expe- rience while disentangling pitohui birds from nets during a research foray in New Guinea, and it set him to wondering. A curious memory of his skin growing numb after touching the pitohuis led Dumbach- er to posit that the creatures referred to as “rub- bish birds” by New Guineans might secrete some sort of defensive poison. During his return to the area with Bruce Beehler of the National Museum of Natural History, whom Dumbacher had been helping with his study of birds of paradise, he collected several speci- mens with which to test his hypothesis. At first, colleagues were skeptical; no poi- sonous bird had ever been discovered, and ornithologists had been frequenting New Guinea for years to study the exotic fauna. However, when John Daly, chemist at the National Institutes of Health, agreed to analyze tissues from several species of pitohuis, Dum- bacher was proven correct. The skin and feath- ers of the brilliant orange and black birds con- tain a neurotoxin, homobatrachotoxin, which is potent enough to drive off predators. The nerve agent is the same as that secreted by the poison dart frogs of South America; however, because of the difference in location and phylum, the two animals are believed to have developed this specialized defense mechanism independently . The frogs may acquire their poison from something in the local environment; they do not produce it while in captivity. The poison is secreted from storage sites in the skin of the frogs, who have developed an immunity to it. So far, it is unclear whether the pitohuis acquire, or secrete, their poison, and how they can tolerate its presence in their skin and mus- cles. Because different species of the bird, liv- ing in different areas, seem to produce varying amounts of the chemical, however, Dumbacher has speculated that the poison comes from some local source. Poisonous animals like the dart frog and the monarch butterfly often warn predators away with bright colors and unpleasant smells. These warning signals are sometimes mimicked by neighboring animals in an attempt to scare away predators who would also eat them. Dum- bacher is using Field Museum’s bird collections to look for signs of mimicry in other members of the same genus living in close proximity to the pitohuis. Scott Lanyon, chairman of the zoology department, head of the division of birds, and Pritzker Curator of Systematic Biolo- gy, is a member of Dumbacher’s Ph.D. com- mittee, and has helped to direct his research. “In general, this is an important discov- ery,” said Lanyon. “You don’t get something published in Science unless it’s important.” Dumbacher’s article on the pitohuis was featured on the cover of the October 30 issue of the prestigious scientific journal. The discovery of the pitohui’s poi- sonous properties, according to Lanyon, is important to evolutionary biologists because it is unprecedented, and has impli- cations for study of other birds in the region. The neurotoxin secreted by the birds is also important for biomedical research; it is used to dilate sodium chan- nels in nerves, and so allows researchers to observe sodium impulses which would oth- erwise remain almost imperceptible. Another aspect of Dumbacher’s project is to attempt to isolate the source of the homoba- trachotoxin, thereby reducing the number of dart frogs that would have to be sacrificed for research purposes. “I think the collection takes a toll on that species,” said Dumbacher. ”I hope we will be able to find a simpler source.” Dumbacher is excited to have discovered the unique properties of the pitohui, despite the fact that he initially travelled to New Guinea to study birds of paradise. ’We all sort of fall into long term projects,” said the Ph.D. candidate, who plans to focus his dissertation on the birds. “T feel really fortunate — this allows me to ask a lot of interesting evolutionary questions. It also gives me a chance to continue to go back to New Guinea, an area I’ve been interested in for a long time.” Jack Dumbacher/UCAV John Weinstein / GN86538.22 January/February 1993 APPROACHING OUR CENTENNIAL By Willard L. Boyd President, Field Museum hicago’s city flag has four stars. Two represent city catastrophes, and two represent city triumphs. The catastrophes were the Fort Dearborn massacre and the Chicago fire. The triumphs were the World Columbian Exposi- tion of 1893 and the Century of Progress Fair of 1933. This year there will be a number of city- wide celebrations of the centennial of the Columbian Exposition. Foremost among them will be that of the Field Museum which ts the direct legacy of that Exposition. This Museum was the vision of the chief ethnologist of the Exposition, and our collections began with the objects brought to Chicago for display there. The halo of nostalgia surrounding the Columbian Exposition eclipses the fact that 1893 was a year of economic depression. Nev- ertheless, our founders organized the Columbian Museum in August of 1893, and the following June we formally opened in the sur- viving Palace of Fine Arts, now the site of the Museum of Science and Industry. Given the courage of our founders we should not be disheartened by the economic uncertainties of 1993. In every year since A Tale of Two Cities was published, people have lamented that “these are the best of times, these are the worst of times.” The greatest legacy our founders have given us is the conviction that John Weinstein / GN86542.31 there is no good time to do anything, so you might as well do it now. Accordingly, the Field Museum will be celebrating its Centennial looking to the future. We are engaged in a strategic planning process intended to assure a Museum as vigorous and significant in its second century as it has been during its first. People say we cannot afford new ideas. In fact, we cannot afford to be with- out new ideas if our Museum is to be a center of learning in the 21st Century. From the beginning we have been a muse- um dedicated to learning about the evolution of the world’s diverse environments and cultures. In 1893 Chicagoans were awed by the differ- ences in the world’s environments and cultures. Today we Chicagoans are actively living day- to-day with diverse environments and diverse cultures in our own city and in our increasingly interdependent world. We are trying to under- stand that diversity. For example, for whom was the Fort Dearborn massacre a catastrophe? Native Americans today are reminding us that there are at least two interpretations of every historical event. The 1893 and 1933 fairs exhibited “exotic” people. Today the compatriots of the people who were put on display are our friends and neighbors in Chicago and our world trading partners. The Museum will host an exhibit-per- formance on January 16 and 17 [see page 7] which reminds us of how Chicagoans looked at people who were different in 1893 and 1933, and how in 1993 we must look at one another from each other’s point-of-view, as well as our own. The Museum must be a leader in a chang- ing world. We have reached our Centennial, where do we reach next? That is the purpose of our current strategic planning program. At the outset we have restated our commitment as an educational institution to serve the public. Our original Articles of Incorporation, dated September 16, 1893, briefly stated our mission: “The object for which [the Museum] is formed is for the accumulation and dissemination of knowledge, and the preservation and exhibition of objects illustrating Art, Archaeology, Sci- ence and History.” Our new 1992 mission statement com- mences with a preamble entitled, “Serving the Public as Educator” and provides: The Field Museum is an educational institution concerned with the diversity and relationships in nature and among cultures. It provides col- lection-based research and learning for greater public understanding and appreciation of the world in which we live. Its collections, public learning programs, and research are insepara- bly linked to serve a diverse public of varied ages, background and knowledge. During 1993 we will report to you in this space on how we plan to accept the challenges of our second century. John Weinstein / GN86540.4A The Women’s Board gala, the Treasures Ball, was held November 6 in cel- ebration of the opening of “Messages from the Wilderness.” Stanley Field Hall glittered spectacularly even before the arrival of the guests, including Museum trustee Bill Kurtis and Donna La Pietra, above, Pictured in front of the Serengeti mural in the Daniel F. and Ada L. Rice Wildlife Research Station are President Boyd; Heather Bilandic (center), president of the Women’s Board; and Maureen Smith, Ball Chairman. In the Field January/February 1993 Vol, 64, No.1 Editor: Ron Dorfman Art Director: Shi Yung Editorial Assistant: Jessica Clark In the Field (ISSN #1051-4546) is published bimonthly by Field Museum of Natural History, Roosevelt Road at Lake Shore Drive, Chicago IL 60605-2496. Copyright © 1993 Field Museum of Natural History. Subscriptions $6.00 annually, $3.00 for schools. Museum membership includes In the Field subscription. Opinions expressed by authors are their own and do not necessarily reflect policy of Field Museum, Museum phone (312) 922-9410. Notifi- cation of address change should include address label and should be sent to Membership Department. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to In the Field, Field Museum of Natural History. Second class postage paid at Chicago, Illinois. FIVE NEW MAMMAL SPECIES Larry HEANEY, associate curator of mammals, and STEVEN Goopma\, field biologist in birds and mammals, recently completed analysis of their study of mammals of a small and previ- ously undocumented island in the Philippines. Their results were startling, revealing five new, undescribed species of mammals, including a fruit bat, a striped gopher-like animal, two for- est mice, and a large rat. “This is extraordinary,” said Heaney, “for sO many new species to be found by a single expedition, especially from a small island. It has probably been 50 years since any given field season produced this many new mammals anywhere on earth.” The information establish- es the island, called Sibuyan, as a unique center of mammalian diversity in Southeast Asia. Heaney is currently serving as a consultant to the Philippine government on the redevelop- ment of the national park system, which had deteriorated badly during the Marcos adminis- trations. This new information will be used in his assessment of biodiversity and may result in the forests of the island being protected from the intensive logging now underway. € Rosert L. WELSCH, visiting associate curator of anthropology, JoHN TERRELL, curator of Ocean- ic archaeology and ethnology, and Joun NADOL- SkI, graduate student at Northwestern Universi- ty, were awarded the Morton H. Fried Prize for 1992 by the American Anthropological Associ- ation. The $2,000 prize is presented each year for the best paper published in the American Anthropologist. The paper by Welsch, Terrell, and Nadols- ki details some of the results of their continuing study of the world-famous ethnographic collec- tions at the Field Museum that were assembled between 1909 and 1913 on the North Coast of New Guinea by the renowned curator A.B. Lewis. The paper is of particular significance within the broad field of anthropology as it dis- cusses the relationship (or, rather, lack of rela- tionship) between material culture and lan- guage. € Bruce PATTERSON, curator of mammals, has been appointed to the editorial board of a new fast-track journal, Biodiversity Letters, whose first issue will appear later this year. The board includes conservationists, ecologists, and pale- ontologists, and will provide a forum for papers that examine and emphasize the importance of historical and phylogenetic processes in deter- mining modern diversity patterns. Diane Alexander White / GN86586.24 In late October, Scorr LipGarp, associate cura- tor of fossil invertebrates, was elected president of the Association of North American Paleon- tological Societies. In this capacity, he will help to oversee planning of the next North American Paleontological Convention, sched- uled for 1996 at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington. € CHARLES STANISH has been promoted to associ- ate curator in the department of anthropology. Stanish joined the Field Museum in 1987 as assistant curator of Middle and South American archaeology and ethnology. He has published two monographs in Fieldiana, along with numerous articles in American Anthropologist, and has edited volumes on Andean prehistory. His major work, Andean Political Economy: An Archeological Approach, was published in 1992 by the University of Texas Press, and is quickly becoming a landmark in understanding how politics and economics interacted in Andean civilization. Recently, Stanish has been working in the Lake Titicaca Basin of Peru under the sponsorship of the National Sci- ence Foundation, exploring the evolution of the Lupaqua Kingdom from prehistoric times up until the time of the Inca, and contact with the first Spanish explorers. € RANDALL Evans joined the Botany Department on November 9 to fill the position of postdoc- toral researcher on the Flora Mesoamericana project, funded by a National Science Founda- tion grant to the Missouri Botanical Garden. € Jesstz THYMES, coordinator of the outreach pro- gram in the Department of Education, recently received the Award of Honor from the Accoun- ters Community Center for her “dedication and commitment to the involvement of community families in the rich cultural heritage of the City of Chicago’s Field Museum of Natural Histo- ry.” As she presented the award, the executive director of the Center noted Thymes’s ability to teach group leaders about the Museum’s resources and her contribution to young chil- dren’s learning in the Accounters After School Program. e In a letter to colleagues dated “October 11 or thereabouts,” Curator Emeritus Puitie HEr- SHKOVITZ reported on the progress of his ongo- ing inventories in Caparad, a national park in Brazil. He wrote: “We have collected about 5 species of The division of amphibians and reptiles recently catalogued its 250,000th specimen. The snake, Stoliczkaia borneensis, from Sabah on the island of Borneo, is so rare that it doesn’t have a common name. There are probably fewer than six specimens of this species held in museum collections world- wide; very little is known about its biology. The snake was collected in 1991 by Rob Stuebing, a research associate, in undisturbed submontane forest. Above, volunteers Mike Blanford and Beth Burke catalogue the specimen under the watchful eye of Curator Emeritus Hymen Marx. Blan- ford and Burke are currently studying biology at Southern Illinois Universi- ty in Carbondale. Akodon [field mouse], at least two new. Three kinds of oxymycterines [long-snouted, insectiv- orous mice] — one familiar-looking and anoth- er “maybe” kind, and a distinct genus ...a Cavia [guinea pig] was taken at the top of the tract—maybe 2700-2800m [8850-9200 ft. ele- vation] and a medium size caviomorph I cannot place but my memory is short here . . . Capara6 is notorious for its torrential rains, howling winds, and everything else that is nice weather- wise.” Hershkovitz celebrated his 83rd birthday in the field. re e MARGARET THAYER, research associate in insects, has been named president-elect of the Coleopterists Society, an international associa- tion to promote the study of beetles. She will be president of the Society for two years begin- ning in December 1994. AL NewrTon, associate curator of insects, was elected to a two-year term as a Councillor of the Society. e The BarBara E. AND RocErR O. Brown Primate Research Facility was dedicated November 27. A plaque placed in the hall reads in part: “Since 1973, Barbara and Roger Brown have been key participants and supporters of the Museum’s research on primates and other mammals, Through financial support and tech- nical assistance during field work and laborato- ry analyses, the Browns have contributed to the scope and success of the encyclopedic Living New World Monkeys (Platyrrhini) project by Philip Hershkovitz, curator emeritus at Field Museum. During the course of this work, Her- shkovitz has described 21 new species and sub- species of monkeys, many from our collections, and redefined 150 others. This work has forev- er changed assessments of diversity and rela- tionships in this critical group.” Barbara Brown is at right in the photo, sur- rounded by family members at the dedication. 3 January/February 1993 Patrick Mea Group, Ine. of achdage donated 30 ‘billboards i in ol ; “city neighborhoods to help the Museum promote the “Backyard Mon- sters” exhibit. Lea. Burnett U, SA, worked on the production of thé out- - door ads. Pictured from. left are joel Byron, Media; Madelyn: Thompson;¢ diréctor of c rf “tions, Field Museum; Robert Wild; an atto. mney with Saitlin, Patzik & Frank Ltd. and-a member-of the. Outreach Council, who put Patrick Media and the Museum together; Sherry DeVries, director of public affairs, Field Museum; and Barry Freedman, public affairs director of Patrick Media. The Museum invited some longtime friends to the inaugu- ral luncheon of the Centennial Club in the new Daniel F. and Ada L. Rice Wildlife Research Station. Some 145 of the 2,170 people who have been members of the Museum 30 years or more attend- ed the event. Fore- ground are Elizabeth Hoffman (left) and Peggy Carr; standing are Willard E. White, vice president for development and external affairs, Susan VandenBosch, direc- tor of individual giv- ing, and Dorothy Roder, director of tours and a longtime former membership director. John Weinstein /GN86552.18 At the unveiling of a bronze bust of John James Audubon in the Field Museum Library, Joel Oppenheimer (right), president of Douglas Keny- on, Inc., is joined by Brooks and Hope McCormick. The Kenyon gallery commissioned the work from sculptors Jeffrey Hanson Varilla and Anna Koh Varilla, and the McCormicks donated the first of the eight copies of the work to the Library. gte580.13 David Brower, chairman of Earth Island Insti- tute, spoke during the opening fes- tivities for Se | | al = “Messages from the : Gk er pee Wilderness” : November and auto- graphed copies of his books. African drums and Santa Claus were among the attractions at the Field Museum Holiday Tea sponsored by the Women’s Board. GN86603,33 Diane Alexander Whi marketing manager of Patrick orate and foundation rela-_* -. en A BuG BICCE R THANA But Backyard Monsters ar Q] Also Tlevy — el sla (hi September James Balodimas / GN86570,28 Diane Alexander White / GN86603.9 ~ James Balodimas / GNB6589.52 Calvin Gray (left) explains a model of the new Africa exhibit to members of the Outreach Council during a sneak preview in November. CALENDAR OF EVENTS GN86435.25 LOCKED IN STONE ntriguing fossils from a 52-million- year-old lake community in Wyoming are on view through March 7 in “Locked in Stone: The Prehistoric Creatures of Fossil Lake.” The more than 100 fossils are a select representation of specimens collected over the past fifteen years by Lance Grande, associate curator of fossil fishes in the Department of Geology. The fossils were extracted from Fossil Lake, which is part of the Green River Forma- tion that covers parts of Wyoming, Colorado, and Utah. Located in southwestern Wyoming, Fossil Lake has proved to be one of the rich- est fossil areas in the world — an entire lake community fossilized in limestone and frozen in a time when that part of the country had a tropical climate. Grande has assembled for the Field Museum the world’s finest collection of Green River fossils. The work at Fossil Lake is unusual because scientists are able to look at an entire lake community rather than having to piece together scattered objects. Insects, shrimps, snails, plants, fishes, amphibians, turtles, birds, 13- foot-long crocodiles, and other fos- sils can all be found in a narrow horizon of limestone — a compressed picture of an entire lake system representing a contempora- neous community of organisms from the Early Eocene time period. NEW DINOSAURS _ ARE REALLYOLD tarting January 8, Field Museum will display the fossil skeleton of a 230-million-year-old dinosaur, believed to be among the first dinosaurs that ever lived. It was discoy- ered in Argentina in 1991 by Paul Sereno, the University of Chicago and Field Museum paleontologist who also discovered nearly-complete remains of Herrerasaurus, shown above, in the same area in 1988. HELD MUSEUM THE SMART WAY TO HAVE FUN. GEO85506 FORT MOSE: BLACK FORTRESS OF FREEDOM ore than 250 years ago, African- born slaves risked their lives to escape English plantations in Car- olina and find freedom among the Spanish living at St. Augustine, Florida. Bat- tling slavecatchers and dangerous swamps, they helped establish the first American under- ground railroad more than a century before the Civil War. “Fort Mose: Colonial America’s Black Fortress of Freedom,” on exhibit through February 14, tells the story of those brave escapees, and the discovery of the first legally sanctioned free African-American town in the present-day United States. Gracia Real de Santa Teresa de Mose, (“Fort Mose,” pronounced “moh-say”) was established in 1738 by the Spanish governor of Florida to house escaped British slaves who were freed by the Spanish in return for service to the King and conversion to Catholicism. An important site in African-American his- tory, Fort Mose has yielded records and arti- John Weinstein facts which suggest that African-Americans played important roles in the rivalry between England and Spain in the Colonial Southeast, defending St. Augustine against British attacks in 1740, and participating in a Spanish coun- teroffensive two years later. “Fort Mose” also explores the everyday life of the town’s inhabitants. A team of spe- cialists, headed by Dr. Kathleen Deagan of the Florida Museum of Natural History, has unearthed both archaeological and historical details: census data are now available, and excavations have revealed items such as gun- flints, thimbles, bone buttons, glass bottles, and even a hand-made St. Christopher medal. This exhibit was organized by the Florida Museum of Natural History of the University of Florida, Gainesville. Archaeologists at the museum are still conducting excavations of this monument to the courageous African-Ameri- cans who risked, and often lost, their lives in the long struggle to achieve freedom. ield Museum’s latest additions to its animal kingdom exhibits are “Mes- sages from the Wilderness” and the Daniel F. and Ada L. Rice Wildlife Research Station. “Messages” combines the Museum’s classic animal dioramas with inter- active, multi-media, and scenic elements to create a journey through the national parks and nature reserves of North and South America. The 18 simulated environments help visitors explore the complex relationships among plants, animals, and habitats that provide so much of the diversity and wonder in nature. The Rice Wildlife Research Station, set amid the vistas and wildlife of the Serengeti Plain, is a study center with books and other resources available to individuals who wish to pursue further the subjects explored in the exhibits. January/February 1993 Grevy’s zebra, above, and, at left, the saiga with its bulging nose and the delicate four- horned antelope, are among the scores of spectacu- lar specimens in “Messages from the Wilderness” and the Rice Wildlife Research Station. John Weinstein Walker Art Center JANUARY/FEBRUARY EVENTS 4 / D sey TAT vena Camera Club The regular monthly meeting will feature “Alaska: Coastal Waters, Interior Vistas,” a slide presentation by Bill Christensen and Elizabeth Scigala. All are welcome; the meet- ing will be in Lecture Hall 2, J starting at 7:30 p.m. Park in the west lot and enter through the west door. 1 Fa ern Windy City Grotto The January meeting of the Windy City Grotto of the National Speleological Soci- ety will begin at 7:30 p.m., and is open to everyone interested in caving. Please use the Museum’s west entrance. 1/16 seve Family Overnight Bring the kids (grades 1-6) and sleep over at the Field Museum. Natural science workshops, flashlight tours, entertainment, an evening snack, and Continental breakfast Sunday morning. $35 per adult, $30 per child. Pre-registration required; call (312) 322-8854. 21455 Library Friends Field Museum paleontologist Dr. Olivier Rieppel will give a presentation on “The Meaning of Fossils” for the Friends of Field Museum Library. Using works from the Museum library’s Mary W. Runnells Rare Book Room to illustrate his talk, Dr. Riep- pel will address the question, “How did fossils become evidence of evolution?” Reception at 5:30 p.m.; the program will begin at 6 p.m. Call (312) 322-8874. 23 Mask Parade Children ages 3 and 4 accompanied by an adult will listen to stories that explain why a possum has a tail like a snake and a buzzard has a bald head. After seeing the animals in our exhibits and watching a dra- matic performance, participants will make a mask to take home. 10-11 a.m. $14 ($12 members) for one adult and one child. Call (312) 322-8854 for more information. 1 “g 31. 1% Exhibit Closing This will be the last day to see “Guaman Poma de Ayala: The Colonial Art of an Andean Author,” on display in Webber Gallery. The exhibition shows drawings and documents that depict the Spanish conquest from an Inca perspective. 2/8 soni Camera Club This month's meeting will feature a slide competition and judging: “Water in any form”, as well as a mini-program, “Design in Nature.” Everyone is welcome; please park in the west lot and enter by the west door. 7:30 p.m. 2/10 uns Windy City Grotto The Speleological Society’s meeting will begin at 7:30 p.m. , and is open to every- one interested in caving. Please use the Museum’s west entrance. 2/ 1 3 Saturday Kente Cloth The spectacular kente cloth of the Ashanti people of West Africa was once only woven for royalty. Several narrow stripes of woven fabric were sewn together to produce the cloth. In a class which will continue on February 27, artist Tina Fung Holder will demonstrate how the original cloth was made. Partipants will weave a sample for themselves on a traditional loom. $55 ($48 members). 10:00 a.m.-3 p.m. Call (312) 322-8854 for more information. DVS tats Family Overnight See listing for January 16. 2/ T 0 Thursday Collectors The Collections Committee hosts Dr. Yuri Berezkin, visiting scholar from the Institute of Archaeology of St. Petersburg, Russia. In a slide lecture entitled “Peoples and Prehis- toric Cultures of Central Asia,” Dr. Berezkin will discuss the contemporary peoples of the former Turkmen S.S.R. and his archaeological excavations in the region. Open to Museum Members. Refreshments at 5:30 p.m.; lecture at 6 p.m. in Montgomery Ward Hall. Space is limited; for reservations, call 322-8874. 1/16 -17 sarin» sons Undiscovered Aborigines “Two Undiscovered Aborigines Visit Chicago.” A multilingual, interactive performance by Guillermo Gomez Pefia and Coco Fusco. Mexican Fine Arts Museum, Randolph Street Gallery, and Field Museum present this performance as part of the “Year of the White Bear” project. The performance looks at how the “discovery of America” has been represented throughout recent history. CELEBRATING DIVERSITY THE HARLEM RENAISSANCE: CHICAGO 1920s—1930s cians, and performers met in Harlem, Chicago, and other urban centers to share their dreams T he 1920s and *30s were an important period in African-American history. Writers, musi- and visions. This was an era that produced many great writers and artists including Langston Hughes, Duke Ellington, and Louis Armstrong. Blacks from the Caribbean and the southern United States combined their diverse cultures in urban centers and the synergy created a cultual renaissance. As part of Field Museum’s Celebrating Diversity 1993, we observe Black History Month by remembering these contributions to the performing, visual, and literary arts. Programs include: The Life and Times of Langston Hughes Journey back in time to the days of the Cotton Club in New York for this performance. Sia Dance Company teaches us about one of the greatest American poets as they demonstrate the popular dances of the period: the & cakewalk, the blackbottom, and the Charleston. Saturday, February 6 at y noon; and Wednesday, February 24 at 10:30 and 11:45 a.m. Group reservations are required for the Feb. 24 performances as seating is limited. Go Tell It on the Mountain An outstanding cast is fea- tured in the film version of James Baldwin’s autobiographical novel about a young boy growing up in 1930s Harlem. First Prize at the American Film Festival. Saturday, February 6 at 1 and 2:30 p.m.. The Chocolate Chip Theater Company Experience the prose and poetry of the Harlem Renaissance in dramatic readings by actors ; from the Chocolate Chip Theater Company. Saturday, February 6 at 1, 1:30, 2, and 2:30 p.m.; Wednesday, February 17 at 10:30, 11, 11:30, and noon; Wednesday, February 24 at 10:30, 11, 11:30, and noon. The Christoper Smith Dance Company This marvelous dance company will delight you with the music of Billie Holiday, Duke Ellington, and others as they present Jt Hap- pened in Harlem. Performance also geared for the hearing impaired. Group reservations are required, as seating is limited. Wednesday, February 10 at 10:30 and 11:45 a.m. The Whitney Young Concert Choir This talented choir from Whitney Young High School will perform their “Tribute to Duke Ellington.” So take the A train, and don’t miss it! Group reservations are required as seating is limited. Wednesday, February 17 at 10:30 and 11:45 a.m. For more information about these programs, call (312) 922-9410, ext. 351. WINTER OVERNIGHTS egister for one of the Museum’s Overnights, grab your sleeping bags and kids, and get ready to experience Field Museum in a unique way. Family Overnights are designed for parents (or grandparents or aunts and/or uncles) and chil- dren grades 1-6. Our sleeping areas include the American Indian halls — you may choose to bed down next to a totem pole from the Northwest Coast or near the Pawnee Earth Lodge. Families attend two natural science workshops on topics such as “Insects” (with Phil Parrillo from the Division of Insects), “The Pawnee Earth Lodge” (with Mary Ann Bloom from the Edu- cation Department), or “Rock and Mineral Match” (with Peter Laraba, also an Education Department staff member). After an evening snack, families come together in Simpson Theatre for a performance featuring a different storyteller each night. Dur- ing free time after the performance, activities include a self-guided flashlight tour of Ancient Egypt, a scavenger hunt, or your own explo- rations in Museum exhibits. Bedtime is 2 a.m. or earlier. We will wake you at 7 a.m. for a Continental breakfast before you head home. Join in the fun as thousands of other Chicagoans have! The cost is $35 for adults and $30 for children. Winter Family Overnights are scheduled for Saturdays Jan- uary 16, February 13, and March 20. ducators will have their own Overnight on Friday, January 22. During this specially designed program, teachers, scout leaders, after-school program instructors, administrators, and other edu- cators will have the opportunity to learn more about natural sci- ence and cultural topics and discover the many resources Field Museum has for school field trips and in-class materials. Participants will attend two workshops and an activity fair of hands-on experiences to duplicate in the classroom. A substantial evening snack and Continental breakfast is included as well as plenty of time to see Field Museum’s newest exhib- it, “Messages from the Wilderness,” and to mingle with fellow educators. Two options are available — stay the entire night for $40 or pay $30 for Friday evening’s activities. For all Overnights, preregistration is required and space is limited. Call (312) 322-8854 for more information. For a complete listing of Field Museum’s educational programs, call (312) 322-8854 to request the January-March “Field Guide” Become a Member of the Field Museum of Natural His- tory and receive these benefits: Free admission Free coat checking and strollers Invitation to Members’ Night Priority invitations to special exhibits Free subscription to In the Field 13-month wall calendar featuring exhibit photographs Reduced subscription prices on selected magazines Opportunity to receive the Museum’s annual report 10% discount at all Museum stores Use of our 250,000-volume natural history library Discount on classes, field trips, and seminars for adults and children Members-only tour program Opportunity to attend the annual children’s Holiday Tea Discount at Chicago’s largest furniture wholesaler Children’s “dinosaur” birthday card re EE OY, OE FE eV VE MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION New Members only. This is not a renewal form. Please enroll me as a Member of the Field Museum of Natural History Name Address City State _—_ Zip Home phone Business phone GIFT APPLICATION FOR Name Address City State___ Zip Home phone Business phone GIFT FROM Name Address City State ____ Zip Home phone Business phone MEMBERSHIP CATEGORIES eS Individual — one year $35 / two years $65 PD Family — one year $45 / two years $85 (Includes two adults, children and grand- children 18 and under.) \__) Student/Senior — one year $25 (Individual only. Copy of I.D. required.) () Field Contributor — $100 - $249 ) Field Adventurer — $250 - $499 (_) Field Naturalist — $500 - $999 \ ) Field Explorer — $1,000 - $1,499 All benefits of a family membership — and more ( 4 Founders’ Council — $1,500 Send form to: Field Museum of Natural History, Roosevelt Rd. at Lake Shore Dr., Chicago, IL 60605 7 January/February 1993 VISITOR PROGRAMS Field Museum Wel- comes Volunteers for “Ruatepupuke: A Maori Meeting House.” Weekday and weekend facilita- tors are needed to present group and public programs in this new exhibit. Vol- unteer training begins in mid-Jan- uary. A $10 fee is required. Scholar- ships are available. Please call the Coor- dinator of Museum Volunteers at (312) 922-9410, ext. 360, to participate. Saturday, January 2 11am—2pm Family Activity: “Kites” Join Cesar Izquierdo to make a simple kite to take home. 12—2pm Egyptian Hieroglyphs activity. 1pm World Music presents The Ars Subtilior performing music of the Middle Ages and Renaissance. Sunday, January 3 11am—2pm Family Activity: “Adinkra” with Dawn Black- man. 1pm World Music presents Jamaican stories and music with Keith Eric. Saturday, January 9 10am-1pm Weaving Demon- stration by the North Shore Weaver's Guild. 11 & 11:30am Stories Around the World 11am Wintertime: Chicago and Alaska slide program. 1pm World Music presents the Latin sounds of Freddy Concepcién. 24pm Egyptian Hieroglyphs activity Thursday, January 14 10am—1pm Weaving Demon- stration by the North Shore Weaver's Guild. Saturday, January 16 9am—5pm Two Undiscovered Aborigines Visit Chicago A mul- tilingual, interactive perfor- mance by Guillermo Gémez Pefia and Coco Fusco. Mexican Fine Arts Museum, Randolph Street Gallery, and Field Muse- um of Natural History present this performance as part of the “Year of the White Bear” pro- ject. The performance looks at how the “discovery of America” has been represented through- out recent history. 10am—1pm Weaving Demon- stration by the North Shore _ Weaver's Guild. 11am Children’s Window on the World: Animals of the World slide program. 1:30pm Tibet Today & A Faith In Exile slide program. Sunday, January 17 9am—5pm Two Undiscovered Aborigines Visit Chicago A per- formance by Guillermo Gémez Pea and Coco Fusco. 14pm Weaving Demonstra- tion by the North Shore Weaver's Guild. Thursday, January 21 10am—1pm Weaving Demon- stration by the North Shore Weaver's Guild. Saturday, January 23 11am Bone Wars! The Cope- Marsh Feud These two 19th century American paleontolo- gists waged a three-year battle over fossils that rocked the sci- entific world. Learn how this feud was started by an Elasmosaurus skeleton and how it continues to affect what you read about dinosaurs today. 11 & 11:30am Stories Around the World 14pm Weaving Demonstra- tion by the North Shore Weaver's Guild. Sunday, January 24 1pm World Music presents Maya Marimba. Saturday, January 30 Field Museum Celebrate Diver- sity: Chinese New Year 11am—3pm Make a Chinese lantern, have a good luck “door guard” made for your house, find out who receives “Laisee,” make a tangram animal, and discover how a Chinese family celebrates the New Year. 1 & 3pm Lion Dance and folk dance performance; kung fu demonstration. Sunday, January 31 11am Highlight Tour 1pm Highlight Tour in German 1pm World Music presents African American jazz, blues and gospel music by Vandy Harris. 3pm Highlight Tour in Italian Raices del Andes, Feb. 20 Saturday, February 6 Field Museum Celebrates Diversity: Black History Month The Harlem Renaissance, Chicago Style Programs celebrate the cultural renaissance of the 1920s and ‘1930s. From 1915 through the early 1940s, there was a tremendous migration of blacks into New York’s Harlem from the Caribbean and into Chicago from the southern United States. These diverse culture groups came together in urban settings and from this synergy emerged the cultural renaissance that produced many of modern America’s most important poets, novelists, and musicians. Through performances, poetry readings, displays, and historical presentations you will be intro- duced to some of the people who shaped this dynamic peri- od in Chicago's history 12 noon Sia Dasnce Company performs “The Life & Times of Langston Hughes.” 12:30pm “Go Tell It on the Mountain” film. 2:30pm “Go Tell It on the Mountain” film. Wednesday, February 10 Field Museum Celebrates Diversity: Harlem Renaissance Chicago Style 10:30 & 11:30am Christopher Smith Dance Company per- forms “It Happened In Harlem” 10:30, 11, 11:30 & 12 The Chocolate Chip Theater Compa- ny presents “Prose and Poetry of the Harlem Renaissance.” Written preregistration required. Call (312)922-9410, ext. 351 for details. Saturday, February 13 11 & 11:30am Stories from Around the World 1:30pm Tibet Today & A Faith in Exile slide program. 24pm Egyptian Hieroglyphs activity. Sunday, February 14 1pm World Music presents a romantic performance of classi- cal flamenco guitar by Emory Callaway, Wednesday, February 17 Field Museum Celebrates Diversity: Harlem Renaissance Chicago Style 10:30 & 11:30am Whitney Young Concert Choir performs “A Tribute to Duke Ellington.” 10:30, 11, 11:30 & 12 The Chocolate Chip Theater Compa- ‘ny presents “Prose and Poetry of _the Harlem Renaissance.” _ Written preregistration required. Please call (312)922-9410, ext. 351 for details. Saturday, February 20 1pm World Music presents the music of Bolivia and the Andes by Raices Del Andes. Sunday, February 21 11am Highlight Tour 1pm Highlight Tour in German 3pm Highlight Tour in French Wednesday, February 24 Field Museum Celebrates Diversity: Harlem Renaissance Chicago Style 10:30 & 11:30am Sia Dance Company performs “The Life & Times of Langston Hughes.” 10:30, 11, 11:30 & 12 The Chocolate Chip Theater Compa- ny presents “Prose and Poetry of the Harlem Renaissance.” Written preregistration required. Call (312) 922-9410, ext. 351 for details. Saturday, February 27 11 & 11:30am Stories from Around the World 1pm World Music presents orig- inal compositions on the harp and balaphone by Lite Henry Huff. 2—4pm Egyptian Hieroglyphs activity. Webber Resource Center Native Cultures of the Americas Books, videotapes, activity boxes, tribal newspapers and resources for educators about native peoples of the Americas are available. Daily 10am—4:30pm Harris Educational Loan Center Chicago Area educators may borrow activity boxes and small. dioramas for use in the class- room. For more information call: (312) 322-8853. Harris Open House Hours: Tuesdays 2:30-7pm Thursdays 2:30-5pm Saturdays 9am—5pm Place For Wonder A special room of touchable objects where you can discover daily life in Mexico, in addition to an array of fossils, shells, rocks and plants. Weekdays: 12:30-4:30pm Weekends: 10am—4:30 Pawnee Earth Lodge Walk into a traditional home of the Pawnee Indians of the Great Plains and learn about their daily life during the mid-19th century. Weekdays: 1pm program Saturdays: 10am—4:30pm; Free ticketed programs at 11, PARR Say. Sundays: 10am—4:30pm Rice Wildlife Research Station Videotapes, computer programs, educator resources, books and activity boxes about the Animal Kingdom are available. Daily 9am—5pm CHINESE WOOD-BLOCK PRINTS By Dodie Baumgarten hen the Chinese New Year is rung in on January 23, mil- lions of Chinese will once again hang colorful prints called nianhua — literally, New Year’s art — designed to bring good fortune. For hundreds of years, nianhua have been an important part of the celebration of the fifteen-day Spring Festival. On either side of the door of a Chinese peasant’s home, one might find ferocious- looking door guards to frighten off evil spir- its. Inside hang boldly colored wood-block prints of gods who can favor the household with longevity, prosperity, good fortune, fertili- ty and many sons, and even high marks on examinations. A pantheon of hundreds of gods and their corresponding legends, drawn from Taoist, Buddhist, and Confucian beliefs, pre- sented wood-block artists with a variety of sub- jects, and allowed the creation of nianhua to become one of the major folk arts of China. The earliest known Chinese block illustra- tions were those pressed into pads of clay which were affixed to official documents. These came into use sometime near the beginning of the Han Dynasty (206 B.C-220 A.D.). It was also dur- ing the Han that the Chinese invented paper. The practices of stamp- ing paper with seals inked on pigmented pads, and making rubbings of carved stones, developed soon after. Prints from the sixth century A.D., pre- served at Dunhuang in the northern province of Gansu, present the earliest evidence of wood- block printing. The technique became quite popular during the Tang Dynasty (618-907 A.D.) but it was not until the Song Dynasty (960-1279 A.D.), when color printing and movable type were invented, that wood block prints became available to all. For perspective, we may note that Johannes Gutenberg did not begin printing until the mid-fifteenth century, four hundred years after the Chinese. While the main printing centers were in GIFT OF ASIAN ART OBJECTS ield Museum has received a gift of Chinese and Vietnamese lacquerware and art objects from Dr.and Mrs. Hyman Kaplan. The Kaplans have recently been named Museum Benefactors. The donated items were collected by the Kaplans with the help of a friend whose Lon- don-based antique dealership is also patronized by the Queen. They include several finely carved cinnabar lacquerware pieces from the 17th through the 19th centuries, three wooden votive figurines, two carved wall plaques, ceramic vases, and an Imperial Yellow Peking glass bowl. One piece, thought to be Vietnamese, is an unusual box, covered with abalone shell designs set into lacquer, depicting fishing scenes and landscapes. The Kaplans’ donation honors the memory of Dr. Joseph Leoni, a neurologist and medical researcher who was a friend and colleague of the Kaplans’ son since their student days at the Chicago Medical School. He traveled extensively, and during a trip to China gave a lecture to Chinese schoolchildren about medical education in America. Mrs. Kaplan’s interest in Asian art was sparked by visits to the home of a childhood friend whose mother had spent several years in China. Bennet Bronson, chairman of the Anthro- pology Department and curator of Asian archaeology and ethnography, said the objects “are surprisingly fine pieces to have been in a private collection. They show that with a good eye, patience, knowledge, and a little bit of money to spend, private collectors can still acquire museum-quality items.” The cinnabar objects fill an important gap in the Museum’s lacquerware col- lection, which contains quite a few examples of Japanese and early Chinese lacquer work, but not many created during the time of China’s last dynasty. The fine carv- ing, detailing, and finishing dis- played by these Qing Dynasty objects are characteristic of 18th and 19th century craftsmanship; standards for lac- quer work have since declined, Bronson said.. “These objects are important both as art and as three-dimensional documents of Chinese technology and cul- ture,” he added. The use of the lac- quer, made from the sap of a tree closely related to poison ivy, represent- ed a technological breakthrough; the sap, a natural polymer, colored by cinnabar (mercuric sulfide), is unusually resis- tant to solvents. Consequently, cinnabar lacquer items became one of China’s most successful exports, and are often found in archeological excavations, having outlasted other con- temporary artifacts. An earthenware teapot, coy- ered in carved cinnabar, is a particularly notable addition to the Museum’s collection. It is similar to other teapots owned by the Muse- um, fashioned in the early 19th century in the city of Yixing, in eastern China, but is the first pr Yangliuging in Hebei Province in the north and Taohuawu in Jiangsu Province in the south- east, every province had its own printing center. Although styles varied, the technique for printing nianhua was basically the same everywhere. The artist would sketch the design on thin paper that was then pasted onto a wood block. The pattern was transferred to the block by carv- =] ing through the paper to the wood, after which the paper was sanded off. Some prints consisted of a simple red or black outline, involving only one block, on a coarse buff paper. Others were more elaborate polychrome prints created by the application of a separate wood block for each color. Occasionally, sten- cilling or hand coloring was added after com- pletion. Very few older examples of nianhua sur- vive, because they were torn down to make room for the next year’s batch. It was only in the twentieth century that collectors began to purchase the prints for preservation and dis- play; consequently, most extant examples of this whimsical and vital art are relatively new. Dodie Baumgarten is an associate in the Department of Anthropology. to feature cinnabar lacquer decoration. The wood- en votive figurines also add a new dimension to the collection; although the Museum owns a large array of stone and metal religious statuary, these gen- uine wooden folk art pieces, created for wor- ship rather than sale, are unusual. The Kaplans’ gift will go on display in the North Lounge in early February, and will run through the end of March. This small exhibit will inaugurate the North Lounge as a space for the year-round exhibition of new gifts to the collections. ~ Diane Alexander White / A111938 Above, Liu Hai, a god of wealth, clutching a “coin dragon”; his right foot is raised above a three-legged toad holding a large coin. The Chinese charac- ters, Lao Jiti, are the name of the shop where the print was made, Center, Liu Hai shown as a fat healthy baby astride his magic toad. At left, another god, in the guise of a high aristocrat, and his minions promise increased wealth and happiness. Diane Alexander White / A111940 Above, 18th-century cinnabar lacquerware figurines flank a 19th- century Imperial yel- low glass bowl. Below, round box with abalone shell inlaid on lacquer, probably Vietnamese. Left, three pieces of 19th-century cinnabar lacquerware. The bowl, upper left, is lacquer on enamelled copper; the teapot is lacquer on Yixing earthenware. Diane Alexander White / A111937 9 January/February 1993 WORKS IN PROGRESS THREE NEW EXHIBIT Diane Alexander White / GN86500.3 Diane Alexander White / GNE65S3.13 Museum staff and contractors are racing to complete three more new exhibits on a tight timetable through the Museum’s centennial year 1993-94. With the opening of “Life Over Time” in 1994, more than 70 percent of the Museum’s exhibit space will have been renovated in a ten-year period. On this page, “Life Over Time” takes shape on the second floor. The subject is grand — geological processes and the evolution of life on Earth — and so are the specimens, like the mammoth skeleton (viewed from below the tusks). The exhibit will include a re-mounting of the Museum’s dinosaur specimens, taking into account current knowledge of the animals; the carboniferous forest display; and a new unit on human evolution. The “Prehistoric Man” dioramas, so familiar to generations of Museum visitors, were seriously outdated and have been dismantled. Opposite, top, Ruatepupuke II, the Maori meeting house, is being refurbished and moved from the ground floor, where it has been in storage for decades, to the second floor, where it will again be open to the public as a treasure of Maori culture and a resource center for the study of Asia and the Pacific. The ridgepole of the house could not be maneuvered up the stairs beyond the first floor, so it was hoist on a skyjacker from Stanley Field Hall. Watching anxiously are Carolyn Blackmon, center, exhibit developer, and Arapata Hakiwai, right, co-curator of Ruatepupuke. The exhibit opens in March. Opposite, below, “Africa” will be unique in the world: Combining the Museum’s incomparable col- lections of both biological specimens and cultural artifacts, it will take Museum visitors on a grand tour of the continent, from modern cities to remote forests and grasslands, and will include material on the African diaspora in the Americas. The exhibit opens in November and will be the subject of a Public Broadcasting Service documentary. 0E'9, HORNS 1 BIL AeDUEKG IY SUBLG ove AS9BND / SIUM JepUExaly auela Lis9et SOBND / SIUM Jepuexely eUeIg 6" i ¥'Z/b98NO / sewipojeg sawep James Balodimas! GNe6158-1 H397857 Bel FIELD) MUSEU TOURS 312/322-8862 The Galapagos Islands February 5-16, 1993 Follow in the footsteps of Charles Darwin's explorations of the diverse and unique creatures of these spectacular, unspoiled islands. Enjoy the beauty of this natural paradise as you travel between islands on the first-class m.v. Santa Cruz. Climb the volcanic summits of Cerro Egret, tour the Darwin Research Station, and observe the unusual fish, tropical birds, boobies, iguanas, tortoises, seals, and succulents of the archipelago during daily shore excursions. A Naturalist Quest This exciting 11-day excursion offers incredible opportunities for the naturalist in everyone. Participants will be able to observe rare five-foot iguanas, Howler Monkeys, the huge Jabiru storks, and hundreds of species of birds and fish in their natural settings while traveling to such picturesque locations as Tikal National Park, which encompasses thousands of ruins, many uninvestigated, and the largest barrier reef in the Western Hemisphere, where the group will snorkel. The tour will be accompanied by Dr. David E. Willard, collections manager of the Division of Birds. Highlights of the trip include a full-day excursion to a colorful Indian fair in Quito, Ecuador; an optional visit to the fabulous Archaeological Museum, and a cruise around Tower island, one of the most undisturbed natural habitats, with virtually millions of sea and land birds resident to its shores. We invite you to share this extraordinary 8-day expedition with us; priced between $4,105 and $4,830 per person including air fare from Chicago. Call now, (312) 322-8862 for further information, or to reserve a space on board. Join us for this Caribbean adventure, co-sponsored by the Shedd Aquarium! $2,448 all-inclusive from Chicago.