Peary-MacMillan Arctic Museum
Encyclopedia
The Peary–MacMillan Arctic Museum is a museum located in Hubbard Hall at Bowdoin College
in Brunswick, Maine
. Named after Arctic explorers and Bowdoin College graduates Robert E. Peary (Class of 1877) and Donald B. MacMillan
(Class of 1898), it is one of two museums in the United States
dedicated completely to Arctic Studies.
and West Greenland. Peary and MacMillan made many trips to the Arctic, together and separately. Bowdoin students also accompanied MacMillan on several expeditions in the early-to-mid-20th century. To this day, professors and students of the college continue to travel to the Arctic to pursue research.
The Peary–MacMillan Arctic Museum was made possible by generous donations from the Class of 1925, George B. Knox (Class of 1929), and other alumni and friends. The Museum was dedicated in 1967, and MacMillan attended the opening that same year.
Established in 1985, the Arctic Studies Center links the resources of the museum and the library with teaching and research efforts, and hosts lectures, workshops, and educational outreach projects. "Through course offerings, field research programs, employment opportunities, and special events, the Arctic Studies Center promotes anthropological, archaeological, geological, and environmental investigations of the North."
, films, archival papers, publications, and natural history specimens. The Museum's exhibitions now change approximately every two years to show as much of the collection as possible.
The exhibition 'Imagination Takes Shape' will be on display through December 2011. The exhibition is a collection of Canadian Inuit sculpture and prints from the Robert and Judith Toll Collection.
Admission is free, and donations are accepted. School and group tours may be arranged.
Bowdoin College
Bowdoin College , founded in 1794, is an elite private liberal arts college located in the coastal Maine town of Brunswick, Maine. As of 2011, U.S. News and World Report ranks Bowdoin 6th among liberal arts colleges in the United States. At times, it was ranked as high as 4th in the country. It is...
in Brunswick, Maine
Brunswick, Maine
Brunswick is a town in Cumberland County, Maine, United States. The population was 20,278 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Portland-South Portland-Biddeford metropolitan area. Brunswick is home to Bowdoin College, the Bowdoin College Museum of Art, the Peary-MacMillan Arctic Museum, , and the...
. Named after Arctic explorers and Bowdoin College graduates Robert E. Peary (Class of 1877) and Donald B. MacMillan
Donald B. MacMillan
Donald Baxter MacMillan was an American explorer, sailor, researcher and lecturer who made over 30 expeditions to the Arctic during his 46-year career...
(Class of 1898), it is one of two museums in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
dedicated completely to Arctic Studies.
History
Bowdoin College’s historic relationship with the Arctic dates back to 1860, when a group of Bowdoin students accompanied one professor on a research trip to LabradorLabrador
Labrador is the distinct, northerly region of the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. It comprises the mainland portion of the province, separated from the island of Newfoundland by the Strait of Belle Isle...
and West Greenland. Peary and MacMillan made many trips to the Arctic, together and separately. Bowdoin students also accompanied MacMillan on several expeditions in the early-to-mid-20th century. To this day, professors and students of the college continue to travel to the Arctic to pursue research.
The Peary–MacMillan Arctic Museum was made possible by generous donations from the Class of 1925, George B. Knox (Class of 1929), and other alumni and friends. The Museum was dedicated in 1967, and MacMillan attended the opening that same year.
Established in 1985, the Arctic Studies Center links the resources of the museum and the library with teaching and research efforts, and hosts lectures, workshops, and educational outreach projects. "Through course offerings, field research programs, employment opportunities, and special events, the Arctic Studies Center promotes anthropological, archaeological, geological, and environmental investigations of the North."
Exhibitions
The Arctic Museum's exhibitions focus on different aspects of the Arctic, ranging from natural life, such as plants and animals, to cultural life of people native to the Arctic region. Artifacts in the Museum's collection include Peary and MacMillan's expedition equipment, anthropologic objects, Inuit artInuit art
Inuit art refers to artwork produced by Inuit people, that is, the people of the Arctic previously known as Eskimos, a term that is now often considered offensive outside Alaska...
, films, archival papers, publications, and natural history specimens. The Museum's exhibitions now change approximately every two years to show as much of the collection as possible.
The exhibition 'Imagination Takes Shape' will be on display through December 2011. The exhibition is a collection of Canadian Inuit sculpture and prints from the Robert and Judith Toll Collection.
Academic program
Bowdoin College's Departments of Sociology, Anthropology, and Geology offer a concentration in Arctic Studies. These departments, together with the Peary–MacMillan Arctic Museum, provide students with opportunities to explore cultural, social, and environmental issues involving Arctic lands and peoples. The Director of the Peary–MacMillan Arctic Museum & Arctic Studies Center is Susan A. Kaplan, Associate Professor of Anthropology.Visiting
The Peary–MacMillan Arctic Museum is open Tuesday – Saturday from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm, and on Sundays from 2:00 pm – 5:00 pm. The Museum is closed on Mondays and on national holidays.Admission is free, and donations are accepted. School and group tours may be arranged.
Collection highlights
See also
- Jensen Arctic MuseumJensen Arctic MuseumThe Paul H. Jensen Arctic Museum is a museum focused on the culture and environment of the Arctic in Monmouth in the U.S. state of Oregon. Located on the campus of Western Oregon University, the museum opened in 1985 with 3,000 artifacts collected by its late founder and namesake...
- List of museums in Alaska
- List of museums (section Norway)
External links
- Peary–MacMillan Arctic Museum – official site
- An Expedition to Cape Sheridan – Follow Arctic Museum Director Susan Kaplan and Curator Genevieve LeMoine as they blog about their archaeological research at Cape Sheridan, Ellesmere Island, Nunavut, Summer 2011
- Bowdoin College – official site