EARLY 20TH-CENTURY PALEONTOLOGY MUSEUM GUIDES FOR THE GENERAL PUBLIC: THE ROLE OF WILLIAM DILLER MATTHEW

The role of William Diller Matthew (1871-1930), vertebrate paleontologist at the American Museum of Natural History, in creating popular guides to the Museum's collections for the general reader is discussed. Diller's guide, Dinosaurs, With Special Reference to the American Museum's Collections, is described as a prototype for popular books on general topics of paleontology as well as a guide to the Museum. Diller's work was strongly influenced by similar guides for the general public written by Arthur Smith Woodward. Special attention is paid to comparative types of illustrations and the use of modern illustrative methods.