Details - 5th Archbold expedition to New Guinea - Biodiversity Heritage Library

5th Archbold expedition to New Guinea

Title

5th Archbold expedition to New Guinea 1956 Diary

By

Brass, L. J. (Leonard John), 1900-1971

American Museum of Natural History
American Museum of Natural History. Department of Mammalogy. Archbold Expeditions Collection.
Archbold Expedition to New Guinea (1959)

Type

Book

Material

Archival material

Publication info

[1956-1957]

Notes

Largely handwritten, some typescript entries.

Diary kept by Brass as leader and botanist of the 5th Archbold Expedition to New Guinea. These largely handwritten entries cover specific date ranges that correspond to remote excursions away from the main camps. The date ranges and general locations represented in the entries are March 4-20, 1956, March 21-23, 1956 (Samarai), April 30-May 11, 1956 (Paminam Mountains camp), June 3- 25, 1956 (Iamelele camp), August 14-September 6, 1956, (Sudents Island mountains) October 11-28, 1956 (Jintu), December 2-7, 1956 (Milne Bay) and January 3-February 1, 1957 (Port Moresby, Cairns and his journey home). Entries primarily describe the weather and environment, collecting activities and results of the party and daily camp life and transportation. All of these entries except the March 4-20 date span are also available in a separate transcribed copy.

Leonard J. Brass (1900-1971) was an Australian botanist and Associate Curator of the Archbold Collections in the American Museum of Natural History Department of Mammalogy. He began his expeditionary work for the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University, and was brought into the Archbold Expeditions by Richard Archbold in 1933 for the 1st of the New Guinea Expeditions. He would join all but the last of the New Guinea Expeditions, leading the 4th, 5th and 6th, as well as the expedition to Cape York. He participated in other American Museum of Natural History expeditions, and also maintained ties with the Arnold Arboretum. Brass was involved in a research directorial capacity at the Archbold Biological Research Station in Florida from its inception in 1941 and retired in 1966.

Cataloged through a 2015 Leon Levy Foundation Archives grant.