Beneski Museum of Natural History, Amherst College
This past weekend in March 2011 my longtime girlfriend Dianne and I decided to take a trip to the famous Connecticut River Valley of Massachusetts and Connecticut to explore the historic locations of the many dinosaur tracks found in this Triassic/Jurassic Rift Valley. We compiled a list of 13 different locations to research, document, and explore on this cool, brisk, March weekend. One of our must see stops on this journey was to see the the world famous Edward Hitchcock Collection of dinosaur tracks housed at Amherst College in western Massachusetts. This was a collection of dinosaur tracks and trace fossils from the Connecticut River Valley collected by former President of Amherst, Edward Hitchcock from 1836 to 1865 while working at Amherst College. It is regarded as the largest collection of dinosaur tracks in the world. For about 150 years the trace fossils collected by Hitchcock resided in storage in the Appleton Cabinet and Pratt Museum of Natural History. Only a few specimens from this collection were ever on display to the general public in the former Pratt Museum of Natural History. To view the Hitchcock Collection one needed special permission to access the specimens and with justifiable reason. Mostly scientists conducting research and distinguished guests of the college were only allowed access to the collection. Back in 1999 I was allowed a brief visit of the collection while visiting the Pratt Museum of Natural History but only under strict supervision. In the years to follow, Amherst College began a long process to convert the Pratt Museum of Natural History into a student dormatory and create an entirely new building to house the Museum of Natural History. The Pratt Museum of Natural History officially closed in 2004. In the years following the closure of the Pratt Museum, a new museum was being built across campus. This was referred to as only the Amherst Museum of Natural History. This was a museum designed to meet the highest levels of standards to compete scientifically in 21st Century, was engineered for modern aesthetics and technical design, and was to host an extensive collection of natural history specimens from the the local area and from around the world. This Amherst Museum of Natural History officially opened up in the spring 2006 after transferring all of the collections from the former Pratt Museum of Natural History. One of the cornerstone permanent exhibits built into this new museum was the world famous Hitchcock Collection of Ichnology. It has always been a highly publicized collection at Amherst but a closely guarded collection out of the public's view. Now that this collection is on display in the new museum, this is the first time anyone that wanted to view the specimens of trace fossils from the Hitchcock Collection could now simply visit the museum during operating hours and walk amongst the slabs of sandstones containing the thousands of footprints and traces from the geological past.
Original Appleton Cabinet, Amherst College
Hitchcock Collection in Appleton Cabinet approx. 1865 (from E. Hitchcock, 1858, Pl. IV, Fig. 1)
Former Pratt Museum of Natural History, Amherst College
Since the opening of the new Museum of Natural History in 2006 I have been wanting to make a return trip to Amherst College to finally visit the famous Hitchcock Collection as it was meant to be displayed. After many delays in making the trip my time to visit the museum came in March 2011 when my girlfriend and I decided to make the trip to do ichnology research in the CT River Valley. What I was about to see on this visit has certainly surpassed my wildest expectations.
From my first steps into the front door I was greeted by a grey sandstone slab containing many footprints with a statement mentioning Amherst's mission statement to the dedication of natural history since the founding of the college. As we walked into the main center hall I had my first flashback to the historic Pratt Museum. The new center hall contained many of the fully erected ice aged mammals that graced the Pratt Museum such as the full sized Mastodon, an Irish Elk, and Saber Tooth Tiger to name a few. Although some of the exhibits transferred directly from the old museum to this one on display they have taken on a new look and grander appearance when viewed in the new museum. As we walked past the Mastodon, tt didn't take long before I stumbled upon a full sized, perfectly detailed Eubrontes track from the Connecticut Valley. This track clearly measuring over 15 inches from heel to toe with superb detail was a classic example of the amazing specimens that have been unearthed on the outskirts of Amherst College.
Eubrontes Dinosaur Footprint
As we continued to explore the museum, we walked passed another display of prehistoric mammals by the stairs leading up and down mounted on the wall. While viewing these specimens I got my first glimpse of one of the classic Hitchcock trackways. It was hanging high on the wall above a full sized dinosaur. Weighing many tons and about 12 feet long, I could only imagine how this slab made it to its current location. I could tell we were getting closer to the Hitchcock Gallery. It now was only one flight of stairs down to the lower level where I was finally going to see the Hitchcock Collection up close and personal on display for the general public.
The large 12 foot Hitchcock Slab high on the wall
Dianne with the T. rex and Tricerotops Skulls - Lower Level
As we descended the stairs to the lower level we were graced by amazing dinosaurs on display. A nicely preserved large Tricerotop skull and T. rex replica for example. For many museums most visitors would be making the pilgrimage to a natural history museum to see the gigantic bones of our prehistoric dinosaurs. Though always quite impressive to see in person, if you were coming to Amherst's Museum of Natural History, it was all about the preserved footprints these prehistoric dinosaurs made in the mud millions of years ago that makes this museum one of a kind.
As we turned the corner past the dinosaur skulls evidence of Edward Hitchock became very visible. We were welcomed to the footprint collection with a lifesized bust of the man himself, Edward Hitchcock whom had dedicated his life to Amherst College and the dinosaur footprints of the Connecticut River Valley.
Lifesize bust of Edward Hichcock - Lower Level
In the center room on the lower level we passed some very large sandstone slabs containing trackways of dinosaurs along with an actual Eubrontes trackway on the floor to test our own gaits to that of an Early Jurassic dinosaur.
Eubrontes Trackway on floor - Lower Level
Large grallator type trackway in hallway on lower level
Although these were extraordinary exhibits and displays of the Hitchcock Collection we had our eyes on a bigger display. This was the vault of the Hitchcock Collection. In front of us was a closed door section of the museum with the words, "Hitchcock Ichnology Collection" etched into the glass. We were about to enter the vault of the very famous Hitchcock Collection. The largest and oldest collection of dinosaur tracks anywhere housed under one roof. The birthplace of Ichnology was just beyond this glass door.
Stepping into this vault of dinosaur track specimens for me was like a child walking into a grand hall of dinosaurs like the main entrance at the American Museum of Natural History in NYC for the first time. We had to decide which massive sandstone slab do we want to view and discuss first? There were so many to choose from in the vault covering every wall and table top surface throughout the room. There were Grallator trackways, Eubrontes trackways, Anomoepus trackways, Otozoum trackways, ripple rocks, raindrop impressions, etc in every variety. Some were in positive relief and others in negative relief. Others had multiple trackways going in every direction possible along with slabs with mixed species of trackways. In addition there were many of the classic sandstone slabs that have been well documented by famous scientists like Paul Olsen, Bruce Cornet, Nicholas McDonald, Richard Lull, and of course Edward Hitchcock himself. The room was divided into three hallways. The trace fossils were strategically lit using custom LED lighting in a dark display room. The layout of the sandstone slabs were also well designed in their placement to maximize the number of specimens that can be on display at one given time. It was very interesting to see that each set of vertical slabs within the halls had adjacent slabs behind them out of the view of the public. Under certain times of the year these slabs could easily be unbolted and slid into a different position to reveal the sandstone slabs behind them. Quite an interesting layout and good use of open space in this well designed museum.
So lets take a look at the specimens on display in the vault. Enjoy the gallery of photos below, they do not do justice compared to seeing them in person. This is only a sample of the vast collection on display here in the Hichcock Ichnological Collection but should give you a good idea of some of the amazing pieces on display that were collected over 150 years ago!!
The first hallway in the Hitchcock Vault.
Massive slab with numerous grallator impressions.
Me with a large slab containing raindrop impressions.
One of the many large Eubrontes slabs.
Me with a nice Grallator cast.
Large Eubrontes assembledge of tracks. Note the small Grallators.
Some well framed Eubrontes trackways.
An example of Anomoepus tracks
Dianne next to a very deep Eubrontes, one of the largest I have ever seen too!!
Interesting Ripple Bed.
Me in the center isle of the vault.
Amazing reptilian trackway, possibly Batrachopus.
Dianne with a interesting ripple bed up top and an Anomoepus trackway below.
Positive and negative impressions of Anomoepus, Very Cool!!!
Me with a variety of ripple bed slabs.
The well framed Eubrontes collection.
Some chalked out Grallator tracks from previous research project.
The Otozoum trackway!!
One of the inner walls of the vault.
Dianne in the far left hall of the vault near Otozoum.
Dianne and I in front of the "Coffee Table"
That concludes a brief tour of the Hitchcock Collection. Thanks for Viewing!!
*******UPDATE*******
The Amherst Museum of Natural History will be officially changing its name to the Beneski Museum of Natural History after a very generous donor the Beneski Family this Friday, April 1st, 2011. A family that has deep ties to the Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts. Without the generous donations by this family we may have not have ever seen the Hitchcock Collection and other specimens from Amherst College on display for the general public to view and educate ourselves for future generations. As a fellow ichnologist and dinosaur track researcher from New Jersey, I am grateful to have the privilege to walk among the collections at the Beneski Museum of Natural History. I encourage anyone that has ever wanted to be inspired by the dinosaurs that roamed the Connecicut River Valley to visit the Beneski Museum of Natural History. It is an experience that will live with you for a very long time if not the rest of your life. I hope this blog posting also inspired you. A special thanks to the Beneski Family, Amherst College and all the other donors who have made this museum a reality.
All photos are copyright of the author John McCauley 2011. Please do not borrow without permission. Thank You!!
