Correspondence re disposition and loan of the collection, 1975-1978

The collection primarily contains correspondence and inventories documenting the attempts of the New York Zoological Society (NYZS) to transfer specimens from the National Collection of Heads and Horns to other institutions in the 1970s. Institutions interested in the collection included numerous colleges and universities, museums, and sportsmen’s associations such as Safari Club International. The most serious negotiations appear to have been with the Carnegie Museum, the American Museum of Natural History, and the Boone and Crockett club. Correspondents represented in the collection include James W. Waddick (Curator of Education, 1974-1977) and William Conway (Bronx Zoo Director, 1961-1999, NYZS General Director, 1966-1999). The collection also includes some earlier materials, such as correspondence from the 1960s regarding building renovations and early efforts to whittle down the collection, as well as a 1912 issue of the Zoological Society Bulletin and a photocopy of a portion of a 1922 issue, both containing articles by William T. Hornaday about the National Collection of Heads and Horns. Finally, the collection includes lists and photographs of some of the specimens.