Post (C) Doris McCraw
aka Angela Raines
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| Image property of the author |
We've all seen them. Those amazing displays of animals in their environment are so lifelike it's hard to believe they aren't real. You see them in museums and nature centers.
But where did this idea come from? Who was one of the first
to conceive of these lifelike recreations? I believe you can go back to 1868 in
Boulder, Colorado, to find the answer. There, you would find the Colorado
Natural History Museum, which Martha Maxwell opened and where she displayed
mounted animals in their natural settings.
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| Martha Maxwell from Wikipedia |
Even as a young child, Martha was fascinated with the natural world. She went on to attend Oberlin College for a brief time, then, after her marriage to Lawyer and prospector James Maxwell, the couple eventually moved to Colorado. There, when Martha had to break into her own cabin that a squatter refused to leave, she fell in love with the subject and began studying it, eventually developing techniques unique to the industry that allowed her to create lifelike subjects.
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| Stereograph of Rocky Mountain display, Philadelphia Centennial Exhibition, Centennial Photographic Company |
Martha became well known when she was invited to present her work at the 1876 Philadelphia Centennial Exposition. Although it was a major success, it did not bring financial benefits. Martha continued the rest of her life displaying her work, in addition to writing a book titled "On the Plains and Among the Peaks" with her half-sister Mary Dart.
Martha passed away on May 31st, 1881, in Queens, NY.
So the next time you visit a museum, Nature Center, or natural
science site with dioramas, remember Martha Maxwell; her imagination and
innovation brought the concept to life.
For More in Martha:
History Colorado on 'womans-work-wild-life-martha-maxwell'
History from Martha's birthplace
Until Next Time:
Stay safe - Doris
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