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-J) RULLETIN WA- LJ \ ol.23,No.l -J aiiuaiy 1952 Chiv.aifo Xaturul Ilistorij yiu>ieiini Page 2 CHICAGO NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM BULLETIN January, 195Z Chicago Natural History Museum papers he published concerning it, both in Chicago Natural History Museum. In 1949 Founded by Marshall Field, 1893 this country and abroad. But his glory was collections were obtained from Walcott's Roosevelt Road and Lake Shore DrlTe, Chicago 5 short-lived, for in 1892 the astounding dis- locality, and in 1951 Claypole's sites were Telephone: WAbash 2-9410 covery of fragments of vertebrates in the visited. New occurrences are always being Ordovician rocks of Colorado was announced sought, and it is to be hoped that some day THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES by Charies D. Walcott of the United States a lucky find will extend our knowledge of Lestbk Akhoub Stanley Field Geological Survey. This extravagent claim our own very remote ancestry back to Sbwell L. Avbby Samuel Insull, Jr. Wm. McCobmick Blair Henry P. Isham was more than many paleontologists were Ordovician or perhaps to Cambrian times. E. Block Hughston M. McBain Leopold willing to accept. Claypole, jealous of his Robert H. Denison Walter J. CuionNGS William H. Mitchell Jr. Clarence B. Randall own not for Albert B. Dick, position, was convinced some Curator of Fossil Fishes W. FENTON GBOKGB a. RiCHARDeON HOWAKD that Joseph N. Field Solomon A. Smith time these were truly vertebrates. Albert H. Wetten Marshall Field European scientists accepted the vertebrate Marshall Field, Jr. John P. Wilson nature of the fragments, but believed that NEW WRITER APPOINTED OFFICERS they belonged to much later Devonian TO MUSEUM STAFF Stanley Field Praidtnt Marshall Field finl Viet-Pmident fishes. Some went so far as to propose — ^— Second Vice-Prtndtni Effective January 1, 1952, Miss Christine preposterous geological explanations to ac- Samuel Insull, Jr. Third Vict-Pmidtnl Tardy has been appointed as Assistant in Solomon A. Smith Tnasurer count for the position of what they believed Clifford C. Gregg Dinetor and Seeretary Public Relations at the to fishes Museum, it is an- John R. Millar Attitlani Seerttart be Devonian underlying rocks of nounced by Colonel Clifford C. Ordovician age. But Walcott's claims were Gregg, Director. In this she will be substantiated, and today the Late Ordo- capacity THE BULLETIN associated with H. B. vician age and the vertebrate nature of EDITOR Public Rela- these is Harte, C. Gregg Direelor of Uu Muteum fragments generally accepted. Clifford tions Counsel of the What have the Russians been doing about CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Museum for nearly this? Have they missed an to S. Martin Curalor opportunity Paul Chie/ of Aniknpolon twenty-five years, in Thbodor Just Chief Curator of Botoat claim another "first"? Apparently they Sharat K. Rot Chuf Cnrotor of Goolon the activi- for as expanding Karl P. Schmiot Chief Curaior of Zoolon have, early as 1889 "fishes" were ties of press relations described from Early Ordovician rocks near MANAGING EDITOR and in the editing Leningrad (then St. Petersburg). Many H B. Harte Public Relatione Countel and operation of the of these "fishes" are conodonts, tooth-like ASSOCIATE EDITORS Bulletin. structures perhaps belonging to some in- Helen A. MacMinn Chbistinb Tardy Miss has vertebrate, and maybe for this reason the Tardy been at the Christine record has been overlooked by most paleon- working Tardy Members are requested to inform the Museum Museum a tologists. But associated with the conodonts during pre- of of address. promptly changes November 2. are a few tooth-like fragments made of appointment period that began She was in work dentine and thus unmistakably belonging formerly engaged publicity for Goodwill an for NEVER-ENDING SEARCH to a vertebrate. This is an occurrence that Industries, organization the aid of the She has also OLDEST should be confirmed, for it is older than the handicapped. FOR VERTEBRATES one in Colorado. had experience in the press relations work of other social agencies and of a number of As vertebrates ourselves we are naturally Because of the rarity and poor preserva- art, ballet, and radio organizations. interested in the evolutionary history of tion of very early vertebrates, the origin of A of the of this group but, unfortunately, the farther the group is still an open field for specula- graduate University Chicago, Miss has manifested a back we trace it in time, the less we know tion. Better fossils are needed and every Tardy always special interest in and of the fields of about it. When w^e come to the earliest effort is being made to obtain them for knowledge vertebrate beginnings, presumably about science falling within the scope of this 450 million years ago in the Ordovidan or Museum and has aimed for a career in con- Cambrian little or is known. nection with them. The result of her first period, nothing -THIS MONTH'S COVER- It is not surprising, then, that very early assignment as a reporter for the Bulletin vertebrates are highly prized. appears in this issue under the heading This is the face that has seen — The honor of possessing the earliest verte- "Fabrics and Fashions from 2000 B.C. to more human beings than any brates was first held by Great Britain. A.D. 1952" (see page S). other gorilla. The late Bushman Fragments of the armor of fish-like forms saw about three million a were described in 1839 from the Ludlow people year for twenty years and seemed Audubon Society Lecture bone bed, near the top of the series of Silurian to find them as interesting as they On Jan. 26 rocks in western England. Some twenty Saturday, found him. Although he did not years later, when still earlier remains were The Illinois Audubon Society will offer try to attract attention, he did described from the lower part of the Ludlow its second lecture of the current season on show his resentment by sulking series, rival claims from northern Europe Saturday afternoon, January 26, at 2:30 when his neighbors had a larger were beginning to appear. Finally in 1884 o'clock, in the James Simpson Theatre of audience than he. This is why, the British had to rehnquish reluctantly the Museum. The lecturer, Mrs. Lucie during his first illness in the their claim to possess the earliest verte- Palmer, who is well known as artist, geog- summer of 1950, he was allowed brates when Professor Edward W. Claypole rapher, and photographer, will illustrate to have visitors. It was felt by described some armored, fish-Uke members her talk on "Underwater Kingdom" with those who knew him best that of the group from the Silurian red sand- color movies of strange submarine life. The isolation would definitely hinder stones of Pennsylvania. Some of these lecture is free and the public is invited. and not help his recovery. Bush- fossils were from rocks of about the same Members of the Museum and of the Illinois man is now to be seen in Chicago age as the British Ludlow, but others were Audubon Society are entitled to seats in Natural History Museum. much farther down in the Silurian. the reserved section of the theatre upon Story on page 5 Professor Claypole was rightly proud of presentation of their membership cards to his discovery, as is indicated by the many the ushers. January, 1952 CHICAGO NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM BULLETIN Pages FABRICS AND FASHIONS—FROM 2000 B.C. TO A.D. 1952 times to the present. Huge custom-made Oceanic Ethnology, who is in charge of the steel cabinets, especially designed for storing "library." "Since the fabrics are not dis- IN THE ANIMAL WORLD the fabrics are arranged row on row. The played as they would be in an exhibit, they to the but finery goes males, trays within the cabinets can be taken out are primarily of interest to textile specialists women have turned the tables on to study the cloth. Grandma's mothballs and designers." men almost all over the world. have been replaced with the latest develop- The collection is by no means composed Now the standard fabrics—silk, ment in anti-insect preservatives, and the simply of scraps of cloth. There are Indian wool, and cotton—are gradually cases are dust-proof to ward off rapid saris of the finest silk, delicately bordered giving way to modern synthetic deterioration of the fabrics from the city's with colorful embroidery. Filed away are our Bulletin reporter products, dust. entire costumes, such as gold-threaded finds. But if all should vanish, The 10,000 pieces of cloth in the fabric harem outfits of filmy, transparent silks there would still be preserved ex- library are filed not according to the Dewey and heavy dragon-brocaded Chinese wedding amples of the finest weaves of all Decimal System, but according to the area gowns. Most of the fabrics are, in fact, ages and all lands in the Mu- from which they come and the people who pieces of clothing, but there is an almost seum's "library" of textiles. made and used the materials. One section equal abundance of containers—everything Further, the designs of these old is filled with prehistoric pieces of cloth and from medicine men's bags to pieces for materials would continue to serve another section is devoted to ethnological holding the baby to his mother's back. The as inspiration to the artists work- pieces from more recent cultures. The remainder is mainly blankets and bed ing in the new media as they do largest groups of fabrics are from the clothing, tapestries, rugs, and ornamental today to those of the present indigenous cultures of both the North and material.

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