Abstract
Whether considered to be fashionably relevant or awkwardly archaic, habitat dioramas have been a mainstay of natural history exhibition in United States museums since the early 1900s. Diorama artists and enthusiasts in the US have influenced the manner and techniques of display, internationally. This chapter summarizes the early history of habitat dioramas in the US highlighting Charles Willson Peale’s first displays in the late 1780s and trends in the US to 1900. Taxidermy and habitat publications, expositions, and important individuals such as James Hurst, Martha Maxwell and those associated with the Society of American Taxidermists are described. In addition, the current conditions of habitat diorama artistry and exhibition planning in a selection of today’s US natural history museums, including the Carnegie Museum of Natural History, are explored.
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