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ALLAN
MOSES BIRD COLLECTION
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The
largest collection in
the museum is the Allan
Moses Bird Collection.
There are 18 cases
containing 300+
different species of
birds, most of which can
be seen on the Island.
Allan Moses of Grand
Manan was one of the
most prolific
taxidermists of his day.
In 1953, he bequeathed
his collection to the
children of Grand Manan.
While on an African
expedition with Mr. J.
Sterling Rockefeller,
Mr. Moses described the
problems for birds in
the Grand Manan
Archipelago. This
resulted in Mr.
Rockefeller purchasing
Kent Island in 1930, and
making it a Bird
Sanctuary. In 1935, Mr.
Rockefeller turned over
Kent Island to Bowdoin
College of Brunswick,
Maine for use as a
Scientific Station. Mr.
Moses has been credited
for the amazing comeback
of the Eider Ducks and
their breeding ground on
Kent Island.
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Allan Moses Bird Collection. |
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The Moses family arrived
on Grand Manan in 1872, one year after
the last Labrador Duck had been shot in
Canada. They came at the peak of
the scientific collecting era, when
scientists were busy everywhere
collecting and documenting species
before it was too late. Three
generations contributed to the famous
bird collection, which added so much to
the knowledge of birds of southern New
Brunswick.
Originally housed in a
private museum on Allan Moses’ property
in North Head, the collection was moved
in 1951 to the basement of the Grand
Harbour High School. In Canada’s
centennial year, 1967, it moved once
more, just across the road, and became
the founding collection of the Grand
Manan Museum.
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About
the Collection:
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The exhibit contains
over 300 stuffed birds in 18 cases,
making it one of the largest collections
in Canada. All of the specimens were
collected either on the islands in the
Grand Manan Archipelago, or in its
surrounding waters. Many of the song
birds were collected from the bases of
lighthouses which they would fly into at
night and during migration.
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Biographical displays on the donor,
Allan Moses "The Birdman of Grand
Manan" 1881-1953.
The biographical information is
complemented by the NFB Film: "Eye
Witness No. 49", has a segment
on "Alan Moses: Bird Man of Grand
Manan", available on the
Gallery's touch screen. (Available
soon)
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Museum founder L. K. Ingersoll
Display: A well-Known author and
teacher, L. K. Ingersoll's Medal of
Canada, war medals, awards,
presentation papers & photographs,
documents and a selection of the books
he has written are on display.
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Central display case on
the arts & science of bird
preservation, including the famous "Kent
Island and the Albatross" story of Grand
Manan; Moses' family history and
information and artifacts about his two
African safaris in the 1920s (a story
connected to the albatross); a fully
annotated listing of the complete
Collection, including those specimens
donated after Moses gifted the main body
of work; other resource books; binder
showing photographs of the bird carvings
and decoys of Lincoln Harvey.
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Display of "skins",
another preservation/display technique
for birds.
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New in 2014:
Touch screen listing of all birds
within the main cases, including
imagery, descriptions & related
bird calls.
You can also view the NFB Film: "Eye
Witness No. 49", which has a
segment on "Alan Moses: Bird Man
of Grand Manan". (Available
soon)
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