Lion's Paws: The Story of Famous Ink-Covered Hands.

Nellie Simmons Meier

Among many varied pleasures involved with building my Andrews collection has been the discovery of various quirky individuals that were in one way or another associated with Roy.  Today I introduce a Palmist [Fortune Teller] Palm Reader - Nellie Simmons Meier.

Meier published: Lion's Paws;  The Story of Famous Hands in 1937, published by Barrows Mussey, New York. Her act was somewhat popular among the well-to-do, and she managed to convince sixty-six celebrities from Movies, Sports, Dance, Literature, etc, to allow their hands to be inked up, and leave their impression on paper.  Among those who submitted to this were Irvin S. Cobb, Elbert Hubbard, Margaret Sanger, Alexander, Grand Duke of Russia, Walt Disney, Jascha Heifetz, George Gershwin, Howard Chandler Christy, Burton Holmes,  Amelia Earhart, and Roy Chapman Andrews.

Being able to peer into an inky print of somebody's palm, and divine their future would be a really great trick if anybody could actually do it.   To be very effective, it should be a controlled experiment with a double blind, where neither the palmist or his/her assistant knows the name or the sex of the individual.

Alas, this is not what Meier did.  Working with already well know celebrities, she expounds on character traits, and lifestyles that would have been easier to divine by picking up a newspaper.  

However, Ms. Meier did leave us a very interesting collection of autographed prints of famous people's palm prints.    Among Roy's fellow Explorinkers were  William Beebe, Raymond Ditmars, Vilhjalmur Stefansson, Harvey W. Wiley, and Bernarr Macfadden.

Here is the entire write up on Roy Chapman Andrews as printed on pages 122-123.

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Chapter 18. On Unknown Trails

"How," demanded an Editor who was considering the publication of some of my work, "do you get people who are scientists and great men of affairs to lend themselves to a thing like hand reading? Do they believe in it?" Many of them do not," I replied dryly, "and they have their hands read for that very reason." "But I don't see that."

"Scientists," I informed him, "and inventors, as well as men and women of great affairs, are and must be open minded persons. Most of them know nothing at all about the—as I believe and call it—SCIENCE of hand reading. They know something of the work of charlatans, but they also know of charlatans in medicine, in general science and in all affairs. Rather than cast a doubt upon a possible science of which they know nothing, they have extended their hands to me and have allowed me to read them. The very qualities that sent them out upon unknown trails and returned them as Lions made it imperative that I, as a hand reader, should have the opportunity to demonstrate my work. Some of these people have been impressed by my readings to a point where they have made a further investigation of the subject. But the most of them withhold judgment, in perfect courtesy to a possible fellow scientist upon a trail unknown to them, but not a false trail until it is proved to be false.

Dr. Roy Chapman Andrews, recently appointed head director of the Museum of Natural History in New York City, a scientist whose years of work have been crowded with honors, was perfectly willing to have me come to his office and read his hands. He readily made an appointment. After that I had to wait with patience. For the whimsical character who roamed the oceans from the Arctic to the East Indies in studies of whales, and who after that led the largest expeditions ever sent to Asia into the Gobi Desert, opening up that unknown region of the earth to motor traffic and bringing back to us knowledge of wide and varied character, from fossils to gold, proved to be a bit elusive. I kept three appointments before I saw Dr. Andrews, but it was not from lack of interest on his part or indeed on the part of the people who work with him. As I began the reading, the group grew in numbers. Dr. Andrews as a real sport of a scientist, did not mind. What I found in his hands I might shout to the listening world. But I felt a bit disturbed in making a frank reading. I said so, and the crowd melted away.

I was looking at the hands of a man of power—I think that the reader will know that by the prints shown. They are hands with many conflicting characteristics but dominated by few: firm hard square palms, the palms, of the man who sees the necessity for a practical foundation for what he does, and who will work out the plans essential to that foundation. Great independence in thought and action is shown in the wide flare between the third and fourth fingers, and coolness and courage in time of danger is disclosed in the high development of upper Mars, just under the heart line on the outside of the hand. Add to these a definite whorl shown upon the Mount of the Moon, into which the headline dips—indeed the whorl seems almost an obstruction to the headline in the left hand—and you have a man whose foresight is pronounced along intellectual lines. And top this with the most significant sign of all, the spatulate tip of the third finger, that certain indication of originality, and the double joints of the thumbs, an equally certain indication of love of the dramatic, and you have a condensed picture of Andrews, a courageous, independent, practical character with a gift of prescience and decided originality which will develop along dramatic lines. Certainly Andrews' expeditions have been dramatic.

There are less obvious traits that speak more intimately of the man himself. The thick, long first phalange of the thumb is that of a possessor of the power of iron discipline. The practical palms indicate a love of order; the short fingers show that he wants someone else to maintain that order. But if he must maintain it himself, he can. The length of his first finger shows a strong sense of responsibility and the length of the nail phalange of that finger adds integrity and a high sense of honor. Andrews will always live up to all responsibilities he undertakes, even against mighty odds. The length of his fourth finger, Mercury, shows tact, and the length of its first phalange, the gift of words. He prefers talking to writing. The nails are broader than they are long. Andrews is argumentative and introspective, sometimes mentally irritable, and apt to become belligerent. However, he has a very flexible thumb, and suavity comes to his aid accompanied by a delightful sense of humor that has saved him again and again, a sense of humor which is shown in the development of the mount of Mercury beneath the fourth finger.

On the hands of most famous men and women are definite lines under the third fingers. There are none in the hands of Dr. Andrews* But upon the mount under the third finger is a less usual sign, a circle upon the mount of Apollo, an indication of glory and of lasting success. 

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Did she warn Roy that he would never return to Mongolia?; did she warn him that he would die of a painful heart attack?   Sadly, I expect not.

Comical Visions ~ Andrews of Asia. 1944

As a high profile public figure during the 1920's through 1940's  Roy Chapman Andrews was the subject of newspaper cartoons, illustrated biographies, and treatments in comic book format.  I recently discovered that Andrews had been rendered into cartoon form within the pages of "It Really Happened", Popular Heroes of Past and Present, published by Wm. H. Wise & Co.  Copyright Best Syndicated Features, Inc.  1944.  Volume 1, Number 3.

With a cover drawn by the illustrious Alex Schomburg, RCA shares the issue with Carlson's Raiders, Maid of the Margiris, Theodoric the Great, Rescue at Truk, General Antoine Henri Jomini, Second Lieutenant Ernest Childers, and Cabeza de Vaca.

Apart from Schomburg's action-packed cover illustration, the interior artists are not identified, and perhaps it is just as well - the art work is dreadful, as is the accuracy of the story telling.  If the other stories are told with as many factual errors as the Andrews adventure, then a generation of youth grew up with the wrong information, terribly, terribly wrong.

This comic may have done more to perpetuate the image that Andrews shot his way across the Gobi of China and Mongolia, than Andrews did in his own writings.  Still,  I hope you can ignore the outrageous stereotypes, incorrect animals and vehicles, and enjoy a good old fashioned comic from the Golden Age.

With apologies to my Mongolian Colleagues in Ulaanbaatar.

Click each image to see near full size.

Click each to see near full size.

Click image to see near full size.

The Sulphur Bottom Whale Model 1907

Despite his many years working for the American Museum of Natural History, Roy Chapman Andrews had only very limited hands-on involvement with the museum's exhibits.  One of his first projects was to assist in the construction of a life-like model of a Sulphur Bottom Whale, more commonly called a Blue Whale [Balaeoptera musculus].  This project was led by James L. Clark, himself a young member of the department who had not yet become famous as an artist and sculptor.  

Andrews told this story in several different versions in his books and popular magazine articles.  Andrews' first autobiography, Ends Of The Earth was sparingly illustrated, his second autobiography, Under A Lucky Star had none at all. 

Here then is a little known article published by Scientific American in 1907 with images of the model under construction.  Images of this model were published in National Geographic, May 1911 in Andrews article:  Shore Whaling, A World Industry, also in his two biographies Ends Of The Earth, and Under A Lucky Star; in each case they are attributed to the author.   In : American Museum Whale Collection, a December 1914 article by Andrews for The American Museum Journal, the exact same images are marked as copyright National Geographic Magazine.  

I have determined that the photographs were originally taken by a museum photographer named J. Otis Wheelock.  

I have provided the original text of the accompanying article immediately after this image of the cover.

The Whale In The American Museum of Natural History.

A Life-like Model of the Largest Living Mammal.

[By Anonymous.  Scientific American Supplement.  September 14, 1907]

The American Museum of Natural History in New York has recently added an exact model of a large whale to its mammalian collection, and the achieve­ment is one deserving of more than passing notice or credit. Relics of whales are common, from the huge jaws to be seen in many a seaside village to the more or less complete skeletons in museums. But there have been obvious difficulties in the way of preserving complete specimens. Not only is there the practical problem of-large size, but the.oily skin is almost impos­sible of natural-appearing preservation.

This model is the outcome of a notable forward movement in the policy of the museum. The old formula for "stuffing," say, a bear, was arsenical paste, wire, and a bale of hay. The skin was literally "stuffed" to a barrel-like' distortion, and the whole labor cost but a few dollars. To-day the skin is mounted over a model, the work of a sculptor who knows anatomy, and the final result may represent weeks of skilled labor. But it is a correct representa­tion of the animal as it lived.

When it was decided to add a whale model to the collection, the idea was to obtain a satisfactory facsimile of the real creature. The species chosen was the sulphur bottom, a whale which is common off the coast of Newfoundland, where regular shore sta­tions are maintained for its chase. This whale is the largest species known, and is indeed larger than any of the reptilian monsters of geology, of which actual traces have been found. The work was placed in the hands of Mr. Roy C. Andrews, of the museum staff, who visited Newfoundland, and was fortunate in secur­ing his data from a large whale measuring 76 feet.

From these data an exact model was made, scale one inch to one foot, and from this model the large one was plotted. The model was divided into sections, and its various dimensions accurately copied on paper ruled in squares. From these plans others of life size were enlarged for the use of the blacksmith, the carpenter, and other workers. The work was done in the large gallery where the whale now hangs. A working platform was constructed, and on this light T-irons were laid out to mark the backbone and the ventral lines  This framework was bolted together with plates to allow it to be divided into sec­tions of eight feet each, for transportation if required. This provision, however, proved unnecessary, as the finished whale now swings over the spot where its lines were laid down. Rigidity was given to the frame by cross bracing; and iron ribs were next added.  

These ribs, like the back and ven­tral lines, are accurately bent to the size and contour of the finished model, but are a little smaller; the final covering of laths being carried on a wooden framework fitted over the iron and projecting about a couple of inches beyond it. Up to the stage when the iron ribs were attached to one side, the model was lying on its side. 

Ropes were now rove through the rings in the ceiling, placed to bear the finished whale, and the framework was raised until it stood upright, resting on the platform. The second set of ribs was now added, giving the complete skeleton shape. The iron frames for the fins and the flukes were next bolted on, and a wooden framework fastened over the skeleton. 

On this framework laths were nailed . These laths were of basswood, two inches broad, and 3/16 inch thick; they were laid diagonally across the skeleton, and this wood was chosen as being soft and bending well to the frame­work. The framework being now completed, there remained the most important part of the work, from the public's point of view—the outer modeling and col­oring. The final outer skin is of papier mache. The whale was covered with wire screen of a mesh rather coarser than that used for windows in summer, and the papier mache was worked into this.

At this stage Mr. Andrews had the collaboration of Mr. J. L. Clark, the sculptor-anatomist of the museum. To Mr. Clark is due the external modeling, each detail of which is a close copy from life. The wonderful grooves along the lower jaw of the whale—grooves the use of which is not definitely known—are exact in number and position. The blowhole (just behind the hump on the head), the line of the meeting jaws, the tiny external orifice of the ear, and the curves around the eye, were a few of the details needing exact care.  The modeling completed, there remained the coloring, and here the thoroughness which has characterized each stage of the construction has been maintained. 

The body color of the whale is a light slate flecked with peculiar markings. Why the whale received its name "sulphur bottom" is not apparently known, but there is no trace of sulphur color in these fleckings; they circle the hinder parts of the body in patches of a lighter gray slate, and under the belly beneath the film they emerge into an almost solid band of white—as though the whale had been whitewashed. The blotches have been applied with an airbrush, and are successful in suggesting a local lack of coloring matter in the skin, rather than a wash of paint. Figs. 6 and 7 give a good idea of the completed specimen, and of the successful modeling and coloring.

The size of the gallery where the whale hangs allows visitors to obtain a good idea of the proportions of the monster, but handicaps the photographer. The two pictures reproduced show this limitation, and so a few dimensions may be added. The total length of the whale is 76 feet, and its greatest body breadth, across the shoulders just behind the blowhole, is 12 feet. At this point its girth is 36 feet. From tip to tip across the flukes measures 16 feet.

The weight of the original whale was estimated at 63 tons—8 tons of blubber, 8 tons of bones, 40, tons of flesh, and the blood, whalebone, and viscera ac­counting for the remaining 7 tons.

The sulphur bottom whale attains the largest size of any species, and the longest authentic record of length is 86 feet; this model therefore fairly repre­sents the size of the largest living creature. Off the coast of Newfoundland several hundreds are captured annually. Watch is kept on shore, and when a whale is sighted, a small steamer starts in chase. The cap­tured whale is towed ashore, where in several places machinery has been installed for cutting up the car­cass. Little goes to waste; the blubber yields oil, and parts of the viscera are turned into leather. The flesh and the bones are used in making fertilizer, and the whalebone has many uses, although that supplied by the sulphur bottom is not of the best quality.

Whale Model in Mammal Gallery, as seen from floor level of visitor

Here is one account by Andrews from his best selling Autobiography Under A Lucky Star.  1943 I had been in the Museum only a few months when my big chance came. In the Director's office I was introduced to a fussy little" gray-haired gentleman named Richardson. He was, Dr. Bumpus said, going to build a life-size model of a whale to hang in the third floor gallery-well. I was to be his assistant. I was considerably frightened but tried not to show it. What I knew about whales was less than nothing. I had never met a whale in Wisconsin's Rock River! By that time, however, I had learned to keep my mouth shut and my eyes and ears open. No one could know how ignorant I was if I didn't talk. But the job wasn't as terrifying as it sounded for we were only to enlarge a scale model which Jim Clark had made under the direction of Dr. F. A. Lucas, then Director of the Brooklyn Museum. 

Construction details, however, were a hidden mystery to me, for Fve never had the slightest interest in mechanics. My mind doesn't run that way any more than to mathematics. But I got along all right because Richardson knew what he was about until we came to the paper covering. The framework of angle 
iron and bass wood strips was impressive, for the whale boasted a length of seventy-six feet. But the paper wouldn't work. It buckled and cracked and sank in between the ribs. Our whale looked awful. It seemed to be in the last stages of starvation. I used to dream about it at night, and the Director was in despair. 

Finally, he called Jimmy Clark and me to his office. "This whale is getting on my nerves," he said. "It is beyond all endurance. What shall we do?" Jimmy and I knew exactly what to do for we had spent 
many hours discussing that emaciated whale. "Fire the paper, gentlemen," we chorused, "and let us finish it with wire netting and papier-mache." The Director beamed. "Done. If you turn that wreck of a Cetacean into a fat, respectable whale, Fll give you both a knighthood." 

Jimmy and I hopped to it with a crew of twelve men. It was amazing what a well-regulated diet of papier-mache did for the beast. He lost that pitiful, starved, lost-on-dry-land appearance, his sides filled out and became as smooth as a rubber boot; we could almost feel him roll and blow as we built him up with 
our new tonic. After eight months, the job was done. During thirty-five years our whale has hung in the gallery and is still as good as new. He has been stared at by millions of eyes, and is still one of the most popular exhibits in the Museum. 

Roy C Andrews  November 16, 1907

An interesting account of  the Newfoundland Blue whale and this model can be found at:  Acadiensis, Vol. XXVII, No. 1 Autumn/Automne 1997   The Construction and Display of the First Full-Scale Model of a Blue Whale: The Newfoundland Connection.  By Chesley W. Sanger, and Anthony B. Dickinson Memorial University of Newfoundland.

"Explore with Roy"

BELOIT, Wis. – Congratulations to Robert Hackbarth of Janesville, Wisconsin!  Mr. Hackbarth participated in the “Explore with Roy” Identity Design Contest submitting artwork which will be used in Beloit’s new branding and tourism campaign.  Mr. Hackbarth will receive a cash prize and his selected Beloit area non-profit Friends of RiverFront will receive a matching gift.  Mr. Hackbarth’s winning design represents Beloit’s most famous native son—explorer and anthropologist Roy Chapman Andrews.  Andrews, who remains a historical figure in the city, attended Beloit College and traveled the world as an archeologist.  

Throughout 2011, Beloit will be home to a series of activities incorporating Roy Chapman Andrews’ sense of adventure, daring, and passion for bringing history to life. “Explore with Roy” activities will include a Classic Car Rally;  a Kick-off Event featuring Indiana Jones Movies; Geo-Caching/Scavenger Hunt; an Historic Walking Tour; and a Mural Painting Project; a kayaking event; a bicycling event; and a Fishing Derby; . Mr. Hackbarth’s design provides a recognizable visual identity for the series and will be featured on print materials, T-shirts and electronic advertising.

Collecting Roy Chapman Andrews. Part 5 ~ Conclusion

My tent at Byan Dzag [ Flaming Cliffs ].  Photo. by Clive Coy

Over the course of his life Andrews was the recipient of many prestigious awards, including,  the Elisha Kent Kane Gold Medal of the Philadelphia Geographical Society [1929], the Hubbard Gold Medal of the National Geographic Society [1931],  the Explorers’ Gold Medal [1932], and  the Charles P. Daly Gold Medal of the American Geographical Society [1936].  Honorary Sc. D. degrees were conferred on him by Brown University [1926], and by Beloit College [1928].  

Elisha Kent Kane Medal.  Photo by Clive Coy.

In recognition of his qualities as organiser and leader, Andrews has eleven animals, fossil and living, named in his honour by ten separate researchers between 1911 and 1981, including one by a Soviet palaeontologist. Contrary to popular belief, scientists do not name new discoveries after themselves, and even in today’s jaded world it is still considered  an honour to have new discoveries named in recognition of the discoverer.

            Still writing books, and corresponding with admirers around the world, Andrews made his last and longest journey on March 11, 1960.  His passing was reported on the front-page of major newspapers, and from the world came tributes to “one of the greatest naturalists and zoologists of the 20th century”.  “Roy Chapman Andrews was one of the truly fortunate men who know exactly what they want to do in the world.”, reported the New York Times.  Inexplicably, the institution that he had worked so hard for made no mention of his passing in the yearly report or popular magazine that Andrews himself  had written 24 articles for.

Andrews, Colebrook,  Conn., 1953.  Hunting license pinned to his Fedora.

            Filled with a thirst for life, Andrews lived it to the fullest.  He had a restless spirit, an exuberant personality, a determined will, and limitless energy.  Fieldwork and exploration, not paper work, consumed him.  Not content merely to see the world, he wanted to know its closely kept secrets.  For three decades he was the popular ideal of the romantic explorer, combining scientific ability and the capacity to direct major expeditions with the showmanship necessary to obtain publicity and financial support.

            Expeditions to Northern China and Mongolia conducted by the Russians, Chinese, Poles, Canadians, Japanese,  and Americans owe much to the pioneering work of Roy Chapman Andrews, whose significance lies both in his own findings and in the international attention he drew to the role and value of the explorer-naturalist and the modern interdisciplinary scientific expedition.

ROY CHAPMAN ANDREWS

An Informal Checklist of Books

Publication statistics for Andrews’ books appear to be undocumented.  Several of his publishers have ceased to exist, or have not retained records from the periods involved.  The later children’s books are not difficult to obtain, although as in almost all juvenile literature, condition is a common problem.  Books published previous to 1929 are scarce in even very good condition, and dust wrappers for the first three books are very uncommon.

[NF] nonfiction; [F] fiction; [NF - J] nonfiction juvenile; [F - J] fiction juvenile

1. Whale Hunting With Gun And Camera [NF]

 NY;  D. Appleton and Company, 1916

2. Camps And Trails In China  [NF]

NY;  D. Appleton and Company, 1918

3. Across Mongolian Plains  [NF]

NY;  D. Appleton and Company, 1921

4. On The Trail Of Ancient Man [NF]

NY;  G. P. Putnam’s Sons, 1926

5. Ends Of The Earth  [NF]

1929  G. P. Putnam’s Sons New York / London

6. The New Conquest Of Central Asia  [NF]

NY;  American Museum of Natural History New York / G. P. Putnam’s Sons,  1932

7. This Business Of Exploring [NF]

NY;  G. P. Putnam’s Sons, 1935

8. Exploring With Andrews [NF - J]

NY;  G. P. Putnam’s Sons, 1938

9. This Amazing Planet [NF]

NY; G. P. Putnam’s Sons, 1940

10. Under A Lucky Star [NF]

NY;  The Viking Press, 1943

11. Meet Your Ancestors [NF]

NY; The Viking Press, 1945

12. An Explorer Comes Home [NF]

NY;  Doubleday and Company, 1947

13. My Favorite Stories Of The Great Outdoors [NF]

NY; Greystone Press, 1950

14. Quest In The Desert [F - J]

NY;  The Viking Press, 1950

15. Heart Of Asia [NF]

NY; Duell, Sloan and Pearce, 1951

16. Nature’s Ways  [NF]

NY; Crown Publishers, 1951

17. All About Dinosaurs {NF- J]

NY; Random House, 1953

18. All About Whales [NF - J]

NY;  Random House, 1954

19. Beyond Adventure [NF]

Boston / Toronto;  Duell, Sloan and Pearce / Little Brown and Company, 1954

20. Quest Of The Snow Leopard [F - J]

NY;  The Viking Press, 1955

21. All About Strange Beasts Of The Past [NF - J]

NY;  Random House, 1956

22. In The Days Of The Dinosaurs [NF - J]

NY;  Random House, 1959

Roy Chapman Andrews Society

I have been remiss in not placing a link to The Roy Chapman Andrews Society on my Blog.  This group based in Roy's hometown of Beloit, Wisconsin are dedicated to perpetuating the name and achievements of one of Beloit's most famous native sons.  Their new website contains interesting video clips,  a photo of RCA's childhood home, and a walking map of Beloit and points of interest related to Andrews, as well as the multifacted activities of the Society.  

Collecting Roy Chapman Andrews Part 4

         Barkan dune at Tugrikin Shire, Outer Mongolia.  By Clive Coy

   During the late twenties field work in Mongolia became dangerous, and civil war combined with the overt actions of  Imperial Japan within China made further exploration impossible.  With great reluctance the members of the 1930 field season returned home to the United States certain they would never be able to return.  Andrews remained behind at the expeditions headquarters in Peking, spending his time paying the expeditions accounts, selling the camel caravan, vehicles and equipment.  It was during this period that Yvette divorced Andrews, citing abandonment. Civil war and banditry had made it unsafe for Yvette and her two young sons  to follow Andrews into the field after 1920.  Andrews had  allowed himself to become consumed by the needs of the expedition and had lost  both emotional and physical contact with his family.

            During a cold and solitary Peking winter Andrews finished what is arguably the single greatest undertaking of his writing career; The New Conquest Of Central Asia.  Published as volume one, it was third in a series that  were originally conceived as a twelve volume set of which only seven were ever published. 

First Edition.  1932.  In original dust jacket

Now highly prized by collectors, the bulk of the imposing seven pound volume is the official narrative of the expeditions that gives a comprehensive review of the accomplishments as a whole, and reviews problems raised by their discoveries. The photographs are numerous, and the panoramic fold out plates are of such high quality that they would cost a fortune to reproduce today.  So comprehensive and wide ranging was the work of the C.A.E. that the seven completed volumes became standard works on the geology, recent animals, fish, and palaeontology of Mongolia and China.  Never before had an American non-military overseas expedition made so many  major discoveries in so short a time.  The most important  scientific discoveries were quickly published by Osborn, Matthew, and Granger.  However, the enormous collections outran the available research and publication facilities of the Museum and even now, eighty-one years later, their preparation and study are ongoing. 

            Andrews returned to New York; and after more than 23 years of continual field work his exploring days were over.    On February 21, 1935, he married Wilhelmina [“Billy”] Anderson Christmas, and Andrews began to rebuild his life in busy, noisy New York.    

Andrews and 'Billy' in Seattle, boarding the train to New York

upon returning from Honeymoon trip to Asia.  1936.

Andrews capped his career at the American Museum of Natural History as vice-director [1931 - 34] and director [1935 - 42].   In addition to his new museum duties, he continued to promote the need for exploration in  numerous popular articles, and  books; with Ends Of The Earth, his first autobiography, printed in serial form by Saturday Evening Post prior to being released by G.P. Putnam’s Sons.  Trying his hand at radio, Andrews also presented a popular series entitled “New Horizons” on the Columbia Network during the late 1930’s.  Andrews had contributed to exploring and filling in the last “unknown” corners of the globe, and  he realised that exploration of the future would be very different from that of his own youth. 

Andrews as Director of AMNH, beneath portrait of his patron, mentor and friend, Henry Fairfield Osborn.

            As early as 1932, Andrews observed;  “To study these little-known areas, to reveal the history of their making and interpret that history to the world today, to learn what they can give in education, culture and for human welfare - that is the exploration of the future!”. Consequently, he began to write books  specifically for young readers in the hope that it would encourage them to pick up the torch .  This Business Of Exploring, and Exploring With Andrews  influenced a generation of young readers, some of  whom became today’s leading palaeontologists and zoologists.  

First Edition.  G. P. Putnam's Sons.  1935

First Edition.  G. P. Putnam's Sons.  1938.

            Inevitably, the steady diet of routine administration irked  Andrews, who had always preferred outside to indoors,  and a  tent to a boardroom.  During the late 30’s and early 40’s the museum faced hard times caused by the national economic crisis, low public attendance, and a sharp decline in philanthropic donations.  Bean-counting museum administrators questioned Andrews’ abilities to guide the ailing museum through the hard economic times, even going as far as to call for Andrews’ dismissal.  Hurt and disheartened; wishing to close his career at the museum with honour and dignity;  Andrews chose to resign,  and at the end of 1941, although still robust and only 57, he retired.

            Andrews lived  for a time in Connecticut, moved later to Arizona, and eventually settled in Carmel, California.  In retirement he wrote another 13 best-selling books that include his second autobiography, Under A Lucky Star, and two fictional accounts of his early exploration days, Quest In The Desert, and Quest Of The Snow Leopard.  

First Edition.  Viking Press. 1943.

Reprint.  Blue Ribbon Books. 1945.

Aimed at young readers the two novels drew on his experiences leading expeditions; and introduce the hero of both books,  Jack Benton, a character based loosely on Andrews himself.  The action packed novels cleverly instruct young readers on what it takes to put an expedition into the field, from purchasing supplies to dealing with bandits. 

First Edition.  The Viking Press. 1950

First Edition.  The Viking Press. 1955.

            Much loved and now difficult to find in even reasonable condition are Andrews’ three books for the All About series by Random House;  All About Dinosaurs, All About Whales, and All About Strange Beasts Of The Past.  Authoritative children’s books on prehistoric animals were rare prior to the 1950’s, and this trio of books illustrated by the talented Thomas Voter, and Matthew Kalmenoff,  influenced school science reports and the daydreams of several generations of  young readers. 

 

First Edition.  Random House. 1953

First Edition.  Random House.  1954.

First Edition.  Random House. 1956

            Andrews also tried his hand at fiction for adults; most notably  Heart Of Asia, a collection of twelve tales of life in Asia.  Andrews asserted that the ripping yarns were true as he experienced them or were told to him by others.  Among the tales were a dog who lived for vengeance; the predations of a phantom Blue Tiger; and a bandit who paid a debt with the hearts of his wife and child. 

 First Edition.  Duell, Sloan & Pearce.  1951.