Museum ^^ oZ-yy,^ '<?/, V \ 1869 THE LIBRARY American Museum of Natural Grapevine History VOL. XXXVI, NO. 1 FEBRUARY, 1979 Norman D. Newell, Invertebrates, receives the Museum's Gold A magnificent bronze sculpture of Gardner D. Stout, past presi- Medal for Distinguished Achievement in Science from Robert G. dent, right, was unveiled at the Board of Trustees' Annual Meet- Goelet, president, at a special ceremony following the Annual ing by Thomas D. Nicholson, director, center. The work was Meeting of the Board of Trustees on November 27. A well-known created by artist Eliot Goldfinger, Exhibition, left, and will appear paleontologist. Dr. Newell joined the AMNH in 1945, becoming a in the annual exhibit of the National Academy of Design. curator emeritus in 1977. ' FLEX TIME DEEMED SUCCESS 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., but are able to choose which of the flexible hours they wish to work, as long as they put Early in 1978, the Museum introduced flex time, a in a full 70 hours during each two-week pay period and modern system of flexible working hours, in three de- the departments are adequately covered. partments. Under the guidance of Geraidine M. Smith, "The program provides employees with two things," Personnel Manager, the pilot program was put into says Geraidine Smith. "One is OfDportunity for flexi- effect in Ichthyology, Natural History Magazine, and bility and the other is responsibility." The employee the American Museum—Hayden Planetarium. Ichthy- keeps track of the number of hours worked with the ology was chosen as representative of the many sci- help of an individual time accumulator. This device, ence departments in the Museum; Natural History about the size of a transistor radio, fits into an electric yvas selected because of its special situation of cop- machine, conveniently located in each department. ing with deadlines; and the Planetarium was part of After an initial period of adjustment, the consensus the initial program because it presented the added of the original three departments on flex time seems complication of shifts, with some employees working quite favorable. Employees appear to be enjoying the during evening night hours. shift and The schedules advantages of flex time, although it is used in a had to be dealt with quite individually so that all em- variety of ways. As C. Lavett Smith, chairman of oloyees would benefit from the new program. Ichthyology, pointed out, "some members of my de- Early in '79, the Museum will expand the number of partment have used flex time as they would staggered departments on flex time to include approximately hours, that is, working the same hours every day but Dne-half the Museum staff. The Administrative depart- coming and going later to avoid rush-hour traffic. nents on the third floor, many more science depart- Others have chosen not to change their work patterns Tients and the entire Education Department will be because of car pools." Drought into the program. Alan Ternes, editor of Natural History, observed In brief, flex time means that an employee can select that flex time frees the supervisor from handling many "lis or her work hours within a set structure. The struc- small details. "The employee no longer has to make ure will change with the expansion of the program, special arrangements for important appointments." Dut at present the offices are open from 8 a.m. to Ternes's staff have also expressed their pleasure at 5 p.m., allowing employees a flexible period of two having the "flexibility of not being late." jiours at the start and end of the workday. All em- When the expanded program goes into effect, the oloyees have to be present during the "core hours," - - _ yi^-K" Continued on page 6 OBJECTS OF BRIGHT PRIDE—ART OF THE CHILDREN'S CHRISTMAS PARTY NORTHWEST COAST INDIANS A BIG SUCCESS A shaman's face mask (Tlingit). The AMNH has one of the largest and most impor- tant collections of Northwest Coast Indian art in the world. There are so many fine, intricately carved wooden and bone objects here that only a portion is on display to the public. Many more items are in storage, and some have never been seen by this generation of visitors. When the Center for Inter-American Relations and the American Federation of Arts joined forces to organize an exhibition of Northwest Coast Indian Art, they turned to the AMNH for permission to use the collection. Philip C. Gifford, Jr., scientific assistant in the Department of Anthropology, worked closely with their magic on Cannady, 5, son of them. The result of many months of negotiation and The Whitneys work LaRhon Rhonda Cannady, Education. careful selection is a stunning exhibition of 100 items —"Objects of Bright Pride"—that opened in Cleve- land Nov. 22, 1978. After the first of the year, the ex- On Fri., Dec. 8, the Museum held its annual Christ- hibition will move on to Denver, Los Angeles, Seattle mas party for the children of employees. Organized by and New Orleans before it returns to New York in July, Ernestine Weindorf, Natural History, the party began 1980, for a final U.S. showing at the Center for Inter- with a warm welcome from Charles A. Weaver, Jr., American Relations. Dr. Thomas D. Nicholson, di- Deputy Director. Mr. Weaver introduced the Whitneys, rector of the Museum, believes the exhibit may then a troupe of magicians who charmed the audience with travel abroad. their unusual tricks, and then there was dinner for all The Center for Inter-American Relations assembles in the Rotunda near the origami Christmas tree. Each up to five exhibits a year of traditional or contempo- child had a visit with Santa Claus and received a spe- rary art from countries in the Western Hemisphere out- cial present before going home. side of the U.S. Until recently there has been more Latin American exposure, but this show is in keeping with the Center's new emphasis on Canadian art. The Northwest Coast Indians represented in this show lived along a 1200-mile stretch of coastline ex- of Donato, Electrical Shop. tending from Yucatat Bay in Alaska to Puget Sound, 1. Joey Donate, son Joe Vuilleumier, son of Frangois Vuilleumier, Ornithology. Washington. There were six tribes in all —the Tlingit, 2. Alexis Haida, Tsimshian, KwakiutI, Bella Bella and Bella 3. Gregory Eldredge with his father, Niles Eldredge, Invertebrates. Projection. Coola. The area that they covered was so rich in nat- 4. Susan Van Praag with her father, Larry Van Praag, ural resources that there was no need for them to 5. Sidaya Moore, daughter of Theresa l^^oore, Education, with Continued on page 6 friend Tanya. ^^^^^^^^^T il l^^^'^ j ^^^^^^^^^B .1}) ^^^«^ y ^^^^^^H-;-! i^». vV ^H^HhISP y ^^^^K 1 y \ .Songstress par excellence, Kathleen Jones (Natural History) Richard Zweifel (Herpetology) and Bea Brewster iwith pianist Harry Shapiro (Anthropology). (Invertebrates), members of the quintet "Noon Music. iSteven Medina (Mammalogy), accomplished a cappella singer Barbara Conklin (Anthropology) and Harry Shapiro do the Thomas D. Nicholson, the evening's ebullient Master of Domino Polka. Ceremonies. Continued from page 1 (FLEX TIME DEEMED SUCCESS) GOLD MEDAL AWARD PRESENTED TO offices will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., allowing for MUSEUM an increase in the flexible periods at the start and end of the workday. The core hours will be from 10 a.m. to On Jan. 9, 1979, the West Side Association of Com- 3 p.m., and employees will have three hours in the merce presented the AMNH with its Gold Medal Award morning and four hours in the afternoon to divide be- in recognition of the Museum's dedicated service to tween work and personal needs, with the same stipu- New York City and the nation. The presentation was lation of having to put in a full 70 hours during each made by Harold W. McGraw, Jr., chairman of the pay period. Association, to Robert G. Goelet, president, at a The Museum will continue to test and evaluate the dinner in the Hall of Ocean Life. Citations were also program during 1979. presented to Thomas D. Nicholson, director, for his contributions to the city and the nation, and to Alice Gray, scientific assistant, for her distinguished service EMPLOYEES' CONTRIBUTIONS TO to children. UNITED FUND INCREASE The chairperson of this year's United Fund drive at HERE AND THERE AMNH, Joseph Sedacca of the Graphics Department, has proudly announced that the total amount raised is Deputy Director: In early October, the members of three $7800. This represents an increase of 45% over the departments combined their talents to go on a field trip 1977 figures, which were a 17% jump from the 1976 to Wyoming to search for fossil bee nests. Jerome G. total. Rozen, Jr., Malcolm C. McKenna and Harold Cousminer The 1978 figures clearly indicate that, as in previous collected over 1,000 cells of bees which inhabited the years, the most popular manner of contributing is region in the Eocene Period (ca. 45,000,000 years ago). through payroll deductions. AMNH employees seem They are now X-raying the nests to identify the bees in to find this method the most efficient. relation to those in existence today. Mr. Sedacca asked GV to thank each and every contributor, the drive's co-chairperson, Richard G. Education: Malcolm Arth, curator, has accepted an in- Zweifel of the Herpetology Department, and Rose vitation to serve on a Smithsonian Institution advisory Wadsworth of the Exhibition Department, as well as panel to determine the future direction of the Anacostia all the departmental coordinators.