
1869 Central Park Dinosaurs Hawkins Full

by Science Photo Library
Title
1869 Central Park Dinosaurs Hawkins Full
Artist
Science Photo Library
Medium
Photograph - Photograph
Description
1869 Harpers Weekly, August 14th. Palaeozoic Museum. Showing the rehabilitated forms of ancient animal life in america now being constructed in Central Park". Wood cut from Benjamin Waterhouse Hawkins original sketch (now in the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia). This print shows how Hawkins envisioned the dinosaur display he was commissioned to produce in New York's Central Park. Sadly for Hawkins, and for posterity, his life sized models, including the first fleshed reconstruction of an American dinosaur (Hadrosaurus foulkii), were smashed by a gang of 'vandals' on May 3rd 1871. Reports differ, but most place the blame at the door of William Tweed and his associates who corruptly ran Public Works. Hawkins critisisms are said to have led to Central Park overseer, and Tweed ring member, Hilton giving the order to destroy and bury molds and casts before the work was complete."
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May 11th, 2013
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