African Elephants, American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY
Posted by: 
hykesj
N 40° 46.871 W 073° 58.405
18T E 586622 N 4514973
This herd of African elephants has greeted visitors to New York City’s American Museum of Natural History since 1936.
Waymark Code: WM14JG9
Location: New York, United States
Date Posted: 07/16/2021
Views: 7
In 1970, the United States issued a set of four postage stamps commemorating natural history. The set of stamps indirectly celebrated the 100th anniversary of the American Museum of Natural History in New York City which was founded in 1869. In fact, three of the four designs feature displays or artifacts from the AMNH which also hosted the stamps’ first day of issue ceremonies.
The display of African elephants is the centerpiece of the Akeley Hall of African Mammals which officially opened to the public in 1936. Akeley Hall was named after naturalist, master taxidermist and sculptor Carl E. Akeley. Akeley conceived the hall which bears his name and created most of the displays himself. The displays are meant to convey the viewer to the animal’s natural habitat in Africa.
Carl Akeley was a kind of real-life Indiana Jones who made several trips to Africa to collect specimens for his displays firsthand. On one trip he was trampled and gored by a charging elephant and left for dead by his party. Though surviving that incident, he eventually did die in Africa albeit from disease and not injury.
The display of African elephants consists of eight specimens, four of which were collected by Carl Akeley himself (and one by former President Theodore Roosevelt). Akeley positioned and arranged the elephants in a grouping he called “The Alarm” as one is lifting his trunk to sound a warning of impending danger.
Stamp Issuing Country: United States
Date of Issue: 6-May-1970
Denomination: 6c
Color: multicolored
Stamp Type: Single Stamp
Relevant Web Site: [Web Link]
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