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Museum of Natural History
Museum of Natural HistoryThe Natural History Museum in Lima
The Natural History Museum in Lima is Peru's most important museum of natural history. It was established in 1918 and belongs to the National University of San Marcos.
History
The museum was founded in 1918 by the Faculty of Sciences of the National University of San Marcos. The first director and founder of the museum were Carlos Rospigliosi. The initial personal of the museum consisted of one curator in chief, and three curators for the areas of Zoology, Botany, and Mineralogy.
Fauna Exhibit The first scientific expedition was organized by Rospigliosi in April 1918, which collected specimens of fauna, flora, and minerals from the departments of Junín and Huánuco. The second expedition was organized by the Geographic Society of Lima in 1920 that included the participation of Swedish geologist and explorer Otto Nordenskiöld. This expedition explored the highlands and foothills of the Andes in the department of Junín.
In 1920, the rector of the National University of San Marcos, Dr. Javier Prado, interceded to acquire the collections of Antonio Raimondi for the recently created museum. These samples included zoological, botanical, and mineralogical specimens.
The building
Originally, the museum was located at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences at the campus in University Park. In 1934, it moved to its current location on Av. Arenales 1256, Jesús María in Lima, Peru.
Collections
The museum is a repository of representative specimens of Peruvian fauna, flora, and minerals, including exhibitions of mammals, primates, invertebrates, reptiles, amphibians, birds, plants, fossils, dinosaurs, fish, and minerals.
Highlights of the collections include:
- Skeletons of a sperm whale
- Fossils of South American horses
- Fossils of giant ground sloths
Insects and predators exhibitsPublications
The first publication series was the Bulletin of the Natural History Museum in 1937 aimed to divulge institutional activities and results of scientific research. The Publications of the Museum series in Zoology, Botany, and Geology were published in 1948, the Memories of the Museum in 1951, and the Series of Disclosure in 1964.
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