Interview 15695 – Caption Index: 153
What can happen here to make it better than it is?… Read More
What can happen here to make it better than it is?… Read More
Well, it was probably at that time, largely just cleaning it up, getting rid of some things that had become too numerous, too common and we really started working with things that needed to be worked with from a conservation and avicultural standpoint. I can remember even importing birds from… Read More
What can the waterfowl collection truly be?… Read More
I did. Read More
I think the goals were all directed toward, okay, what can this collection be?… Read More
Did you have some goals in mind?… Read More
I think that was pretty much it. So, after getting it straightened out… Oh, it had a tremendous aviculture program in terms of I don’t know how many incubators we had but they weren’t all running and weren’t in condition to run. So, it was I think the first year… Read More
The collection at the St. Louis Zoo at that time?… Read More
Well, I guess it got to be more so later but it was probably the largest waterfowl collection in the publicly owned institution, perhaps in the world. Obviously waterfowl has been a real interest of mine but it had a birdhouse which was antiquated but nevertheless, it was there. It… Read More
I think my responsibilities, at least the direction that he had given me was a fairly simple one because prior to my arrival there, there had been, as I understand, I never knew the gentleman. There had been an individual who hadn’t done a very good job of maintaining the… Read More
Was it a good representational collection or not?… Read More
Was it go build us a bird collection or maintain it or do what you want to do?… Read More
Yes, very much so I was a new face and yeah, in fact, the camaraderie within the institutions that I was, was always very good there. I can’t recall… Oh, there were conflicts once in a while but you have people working together, there’s going to be conflicts but basically… Read More
What was your charge from the director who hired you?… Read More
They welcomed you with open arms?… Read More
Well, by that time, there were probably two or three more bird curators. The zoos had decided to add into their staffing. Frank Todd was probably more of a player at that time. I’m trying to remember, boy. But at the St Louis Zoo, when you walked in, there were… Read More
That was basically, it, that’s the size of the collection at the time. There were a couple assistant curators. I’m not sure they had those titles at that time. They did later, one for the cats or the carnivores, one for the primates. It was a large collection. So, it… Read More
At that time. Yes. In fact, it was one of those, we’re at dinner having a couple of drinks. You know how often that happens in the business and it was and then he called and we talked over the phone. I can’t remember, I don’t know that I ever… Read More
So, you come in as curator of birds, who were the other curators and what was your relationship with them?… Read More
But it was all based on just an informal interview that you had?… Read More