UNDAUNTED: Five American Explorers, 1760-2007
Through 28 December 2008
What does it take to be an Explorer? FIND five intrepid individuals who shared a sense of adventure and the courage to explore the unknown: David Rittenhouse in the 18th century, John James Audubon, Titian Ramsay Peale, and Elisha Kent Kane in the 19th century, and Ruth Patrick who bridges the 20th and 21st centuries.
Each of these explorers has a Philadelphia connection and each was a member of the American Philosophical Society. All five have wonderful stories to tell. They are profiled in the exhibition using portraits, watercolors, sketches, maps, rare books, ship models, specimens, and the essential instruments of discovery—clocks, compasses, telescopes, and microscopes. The objects are drawn largely from the Society's important history of science collections.
- Ruth Patrick, Ph.D. (born 1907) Dr. Ruth Patrick, who celebrated her 100th birthday in 2007, is one of the pioneers in the field of ecology…
- Dr. Elisha Kent Kane (1820-1857) If a mid-19th-century physician and gentleman from a distinguished Philadelphia family could be called a "rock star," Elisha Kent Kane was it…
- John James Audubon (1785-1851) Although some of his contemporaries questioned Audubon's credentials as an ornithologist, his reputation as an explorer and artist remains unassailable…
- Titian Ramsay Peale (1799-1885) When the six ships of the United States Exploring Expedition set sail in 1838, Titian Ramsay Peale was on board as the zoologist in the Scientific Corps…
- David Rittenhouse (1732-1796) Trained as a clockmaker, David Rittenhouse specialized in making mathematical instruments…
UNDAUNTED is supported in part by Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation, Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, Connelly Foundation, Pennsylvania Humanities Council, Evelyn Stefansson Nef Foundation, and Commerce Bank.
