DARWIN MEMORIAL CELEBRATION 
21 
At the close of his address, President Cox gave the signal for unveiling 
the bust, 1 and turning to President Henry Fairfield Osborn said 
President Osborn: 
On behalf of the New York Academy of Sciences, I have the honor of 
presenting this bust to the American Museum of Natural History and of 
asking your acceptance of it, in the hope that it may stand in this place for 
many generations to come as evidence of the high esteem in which the life 
and work of Charles Darwin are held by the men of science of this country, 
and also as a token of the cordial relations existing between the Academy of 
Sciences and the Museum of Natural History, which you yourself have done 
much to establish and promote. 
In response to the address of President Cox and the presentation of the 
bust, President Osborn replied as follows: 
ACCEPTANCE OF THE PORTRAIT OF DARWIN. 
By Henry Fairfield Osborn, 
President of the American Museum of Natural History. 
The bronze bust of Charles Darwin presented by the New York Academy 
of Sciences is accepted by the Trustees of the American Museum of Natural 
History with a three-fold meaning. 
First, as a noble work of art conveying in its fidelity of portraiture a 
striking likeness of the great naturalist, with the far-seeing vision of his deep- 
set eyes controlled by a great brain in which the powers of observation and 
of reason were developed far beyond the average. Personal recollection of 
Darwin’s face and head strengthens the first impression that this latest 
work of William Couper will be welcomed by naturalists everywhere as a 
singularly grand and impressive likeness. 
The second reason why this gift is welcome is that it memorializes in a 
manner most grateful to the Trustees and Scientific Staff of this Museum 
that the scientific men of New York appreciate the work that is being carried 
on here for the promotion of natural science, that the combination of muni- 
1 The bust is of bronze, of heroic size, and is mounted upon a pedestal of polished 
gneissoid granite from Stony Creek, Connecticut. The bust was prepared expressly for the 
Academy by the New York sculptor William Couper from photographs and other data. 
The portrait represents the naturalist in the full maturity of his powers and rather past mid¬ 
dle life. 
