Leonhard Stejneger Papers, 1753, 1867-1943

Description

These field books, photographs, and other field research materials were created by Leonhard Stejneger between 1871 and 1913 during field research on various subjects. Materials within the Smithsonian Institution Archives collection Leonhard Stejneger Papers, 1753, 1867-1943 described here are only those that pertain to biodiversity field research and can be found within series 6, 7, and 12. Field books described here document Stejneger's field research in herpetology and ornithology in the United States (including California, New Mexico, Utah, South Dakota, Texas, Virginia, Alaska, and Arizona), research and investigations of fur seals in Russia and Japan near the Bering Sea area (including Bering Island [Ostrov Beringa], Copper Island [Ostrov Mednyy], Kamchatka, Kuril Islands [Kuril'skiye Ostrova], Raikoke [Ostrov Raykoke], Robben Island [Ostrov Tyuleniy], and others from Russia, Pribilof, Alaska, and Yokohama, Hakodate, and others from Japan), herpetology and ornithology research in Puerto Rico, and ornithology and mammalogy research in Italy, Switzerland, Norway, and Denmark. The bulk of these field books relates to field work Stejneger conducted on fur seals in Russia and Japan in the early 1880s and again in the mid to late 1890s. During the 1890s, Stejneger was made a special attache of the U. S. Fish Commission in Alaska, Pribilofs, and Bering Island. Later that decade, Stejneger was appointed by President Cleveland as a member of the International Fur-Seal Commission in order to investigate the economic and political problems of the northern fur seal industry. Included in this collection are photographs taken during Stejneger's research and investigations on fur seals. Many of these photographs are published, and a large number of these are available online through the University of Washington Library's Contentdm database: http://content.lib.washington.edu/cdm-ayp/search.php (last accessed June 2011). There are other materials in the Leonhard Stejneger Papers that are not described here such as maps, reports, drawings and paintings, additional notes, and photo lists that relate to Stejneger's research on fur seals. See "Related Materials" for a link to the finding aid for the full Leonhard Stejneger Papers.

Date Range

1871-1913

Access Information

Many of SIA's holdings are located off-site, and advance notice is recommended to consult a collection. Please email the SIA Reference Team at osiaref@si.edu.

Topic

• Mammalia
• Reptilia
• Amphibia
• Callorhinus
• Aves
• Animalia
• Reptiles
• Mammals
• Amphibians
• Birds
• Northern fur seals
• Sea otters
• Moles
• Voles
• Shrews

Place

• Puerto Rico
• United States
• Japan
• Kuril'skiye Ostrova
• South Dakota
• Mednyy, Ostrov
• Switzerland
• Russia
• Tyuleniy, Ostrov
• Norway
• Denmark
• Italy
• Kamchatka
• Beringa, ostrov

Form/Genre

Collection record

Accession #

SIA RU007074

Extent

38 items (field books and photographs)

Physical Location

Smithsonian Institution Archives