American Artifacts

The U.S. Exploring Expedition of 1838-42, Part 1

Specimens were shown as the history of the United States Exploring Expedition was explained. The 19th century government expedition commande… read more

Specimens were shown as the history of the United States Exploring Expedition was explained. The 19th century government expedition commanded by Lieutenant Charles Wilkes would circumnavigate the globe, chart unknown Pacific islands, and discover Antarctica. The 40 tons of animal, plant, and ethnographic specimens collected by the expedition’s six naval vessels became the foundation for the Smithsonian Institution collections, and are still used for scientific research. Several locations of the National Museum of Natural History were toured, including the Joseph F. Cullman 3rd Library of Natural History in Washington, D.C., and the Museum Support Center in Suitland, Maryland. Topics included the evolution of the Smithsonian and preservation of the specimens.

This was the first of two parts. close

Report Video Issue

People in this video

  • Jeremy F. Jacobs Collections Manager National Museum of Natural History->Division of Amphibians and Reptiles
  • Adrienne L. Kaeppler Curator National Museum of Natural History->Oceanic Ethnology
  • Rusty Russell Collections Manager National Museum of Natural History->Department of Botany
More People

Hosting Organization

Series

More information about

The U.S. Exploring Expedition of 1838-42, Part 1

1,483 Views
Program ID:
300239-1
Category:
Vignette
Format:
Vignette
Location:
Washington, District of Columbia, United States
First Aired:
Jul 03, 2011 | 8:03am EDT | C-SPAN 3
Last Aired:
Jul 10, 2011 | 2:00am EDT | C-SPAN 3

Airing Details

  • Jul 03, 2011 | 8:03am EDT | C-SPAN 3
  • Jul 03, 2011 | 7:01pm EDT | C-SPAN 3
  • Jul 03, 2011 | 10:00pm EDT | C-SPAN 3
  • Jul 09, 2011 | 3:00pm EDT | C-SPAN 3
  • Jul 10, 2011 | 2:00am EDT | C-SPAN 3
Purchase a Download

The U.S. Exploring Expedition of 1838-42, Part 1

  • MP3 audio - Standard
    Price:
    $0.99

User Created Clips from This Video