Welcome to Botany Hall: Dioramas in Context, a digital exhibition about the dioramas in the Hall of Botany at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History. At the top of the page are images of the dioramas themselves, and on the sidebar you will find interpretive sections. To learn more about the history of this project, please see our About page. We’ve also developed a Timeline of the history of Botany Hall, a Cast of Characters page, and a Bibliography of resources we’ve consulted.

Timeline of Botany Hall

The timeline below was developed through our own research as well as the work of Emily Enterline and Kate Madison. To learn more about individuals mentioned in the following posts please see the Cast of Characters page.

1976

The Kitchen Herb Garden Group opens

1973

Dorothy Pearth becomes Associate Curator of Botany and The Pennsylvania Hardwood Forest Group is opened. The hall is renovated (new paint, new carpet, and new labels)

1966

The Lake Erie Diorama opens

1963

Elizabeth P. Niedringhaus is appointed as a trainee in Botany.

1953

Netting is appointed Director of the Museum

1951

Clifford Morrow becomes Staff Artist in Exhibits

1947

Henry becomes Curator in Botany

1945

Jennings is Appointed Acting Director of the Museum

1942

Re-opening of the renovated Hall of Botany

1934

The Pennsylvania Bog Group is unveiled

1933

The Alpine Meadow Group opens

1931

The Tropical or Florida Group opens to the public

1929

The Arizona Desert Group opens and Graham Netting becomes Assistant Curator

1928

The Pennsylvania Spring Flora Group is unveiled

1927

Avinoff, Jennings, Henry, and the Garden Club of Allegheny County (GCAC) start to discuss constructing a botanical group. Avinoff, and others, accept the offer of the GCAC to construct the first diorama.

1926

Avinoff becomes Director of the Museum and Ottmar and Hanne von Fuehrer join the staff of the Museum as preparators and artists

1925

Leroy K. Henry (1905-1983) becomes Jennings’ assistant in Botany

1924

Andrey Avinoff (1884-1949) begins his tenure at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History as the Assistant Curator of Entomology

1915

Jennings is appointed Curator of Botany

1904

Otto E. Jennings (1877-1964) is appointed Custodian of Botany at Carnegie Museum