Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History

Collections:

The mission of the Collections and Research Division of the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History is to contribute to knowledge and understanding of the natural and cultural history of the Santa Barbara Region, and through research programs and use of collections, to study significant regional questions in a global context.

The research program of the museum seeks to address these questions by encouraging interdisciplinary initiatives that focus on important issues relating to the biodiversity, biogeography, ecology, geology, paleontology and Native American cultural history of the Santa Barbara Region. Whenever possible, the museum will work with other organizations and agencies to accomplish long-term research objectives.

Moccasins

Rock Painting replicas

Anthropology
Invertebrate Zoology
Vertebrate Zoology
Antique Natural History Art
Library
Molecular Systematics
Scanning Electron Microscopy

The collections held by the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History are organized within the staffed departments of Anthropology, Invertebrate Zoology, Vertebrate Zoology, Museum Library and Archives and the Natural History Art Gallery. In addition there are holdings in mineralogy, regional geology and paleontology. The noteworthy holdings in each of these areas are listed below.

Check out our new online Collections Databases:
sbcollections.org

Anthropology

Archaeology: Collections include approximately 75,000 archaeological specimens from 200 sites encompassing the Santa Barbara area and the Northern Channel Islands representing all major periods of prehistory, from excavations by David Banks Rogers and Phil C. Orr during 1923-1968. Other principal archaeological holdings include the James-Abels collection from the Cuyama region, material excavated from the Santa Barbara City College site, the W. I. Follett collection of archaeological fish remains, and various marine archaeological finds.The museum is a repository for archaeological collections from environmental impact studies and actively curates collections from Channel Islands National Park and Los Padres National Forest.

Ethnography: Holdings include the world’s foremost collection of rare Chumash basketry and fiberwork consisting of some 100 archaeological specimens and 44 ethnographic pieces. More than 5,000 other ethnographic artifacts represent over 500 native cultures of California, Southwest, Northwest Coast, Western Arctic, and Great Plains. Donors include early collectors such as Lorenzo Yates, Max Fleischmann and Fernand Lungren.

Research Archives

John P. Harrington Collection: Archives include 300 microfilm reels of California and Great Basin ethnographic and linguistic field notes, photographs, correspondence, and additional original materials that are not duplicated in the Smithsonian’s holdings.

Other Linguistic Materials: California Indian linguistic manuscripts and Chumash lexical files of Madison S. Beeler and Richard Applegate (Professors of Linguistics, UC Berkeley).

Field Note Archives: Extensive unpublished archaeological field notes of David Banks Rogers and Phil C. Orr; journals of Stephen Bowers (early collector of Chumash archaeological material); and records of California Indian artifacts held in European museums compiled by Thomas Blackburn, Robert Heizer, and Travis Hudson.

Rock Art Archives: Drawings, photographs, and site records of North American Indian rock art compiled by noted researchers Campbell Grant, Georgia Lee, John Cawley, and William Hyder.

Vertebrate Zoology

Ornithology, Avian Skin Collection: Containing significant holdings of Channel Island specimens, as well as the largest collection of birds from this region. This collection includes 6,900 specimens, encompassing over 490 species. Noted collector/contributors include W. G. Abbott, E. Z. Rett, J. Cushing, I. K. Dunbar, and P. W. Collins.

Ornithology, Avian Egg Collection: Nationally ranked collection with over 11,000 egg sets encompassing over 1300 species worldwide. Includes material from the collections of W. L. Dawson, Sir C. Becher, Harry R. Caldwell, D. L. Garrett, E. Jacot, Lawrence T. Stevens, and F. C. Willard.

Ichthyology: Small regional comparative collection of 1,425 specimens including voucher collections from Oil Platforms Hermosa and Hidalgo.

Herpetology: Comprising nearly 1800 specimens covering 162 species. About 75% of the taxa found in central and southern California are represented by one or more specimens in this collection with notable Channel Islands holdings.

Mammalogy: Including more than 7,000 specimens from 135 species, focused on central and southern California including significant holdings from the Channel Islands. Includes the Jack C. von Bloeker collection.

Osteology: One of the best regional synoptic collections of terrestrial and marine vertebrate skeletons on the west coast. Consists of 6,343 specimens from 798 species (5 amphibians, 47 reptiles, 98 fish, 424 birds and 224 mammals).

Antique Natural History Art

Engravings and lithographs dating from the 17th to 19th centuries make up the over 1,100 illustrations of birds, animals, plants, fruit and insects and shells in the museum’s antique print collection.

Subjects include 19th century lithographs of birds and quadrupeds by John James Audubon, hummingbirds by John Gould, 18th century birds and butterflies by Francois-Nicolas Martinet, lemurs by Jean Baptiste Audebert, reptile and amphibian engravings by Mark Catesby, and 17th century botanicals by Basilus Besler.

Library

Open to the public, the Library supports community study in biodiversity, natural science, and Native American history. Research collections promote investigation into the natural processes and human pressures affecting ecosystems worldwide. Total collections size is 40,000 volumes including over 400 serial titles.

Archive: The Museum Archive Collections include the history of the museum, its collections and research, documented by field notes, photographs scrapbooks, and ephemera. The Channel Islands Archive is a collection of historical documents, diaries, oral histories, biological reports, manuscripts, maps and ephemera pertaining to California’s eight Channel Islands. Dating from the 19th century to the present, over 3000 items have been accessioned into this collection comprising over 80 shelf feet of material. In addition the Archives house the Rock Art collections of Campbell Grant, as well as photographs and field notes from environmental activist Dick Smith.

Reference Services: Library staff provide reference service Monday through Friday. Researchers may visit the library or request information by telephone, mail, FAX or email.