Roxie Laybourne Beside Three Open Drawers of Bird strike Remains

Object Details

Author

Unknown

Subject

Laybourne, Roxie C. 1910-2003

National Museum of Natural History (U.S.) Division of Birds

Category

Historic Images of the Smithsonian

With Smithsonian Secretary Alexander Wetmore's encouragement, Laybourne accepted a short-term appointment in 1944 in the Bird Division at the National Museum of Natural History, working with taxidermist Watson Perrygo and curator Herbert Friedmann. Known as the "Feather Lady," Laybourne pioneered the field of forensic ornithology at the Smithsonian Institution by studying the detailed microscopic structure of plumaceous (downy) feather barbules and creating a technique of identifying species of birds from fragmentary feather samples. Her methods revolutionized aviation safety by creating a technique of identifying birds involved in aircraft bird strikes. That work led to the development of the first laboratory in the world dedicated solely to feather identification. The methods she developed are now routinely applied to studies of prey remains, evidence from criminal cases, and anthropological artifacts.

For more images of Roxie Laybourne, see SIA2009-2205, SIA2010-0575, SIA2010-0580, SIA2010-0639, SIA2014-07398, SIA2014-07403, SIA2014-07404, SIA2014-07405, SIA2014-07406, SIA2014-07407, SIA2014-07411, SIA2014-07413, SIA2014-07417, SIA2014-07421, SIA2014-07431, SIA2014-07434, SIA2014-07441, SIA2014-07442, and SIA2014-07448.

Summary

In the Bird Division of the National Museum of Natural History, Roxie Laybourne, wearing a lab coat, smiles at the camera while standing at a cabinet with three open drawers holding bagged remains from bird strikes. On the counter to her right are four black binders. On the wall are two photographs of magnified downy barbules, a photo of Roxie at work in a lab setting, and a diagram of the parts of a feather.

Contained within

Smithsonian Institution Archives, Record Unit 04-086, Box 2, Folder 5

Contact information

Institutional History Division, Smithsonian Archives, 600 Maryland Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C. 20024-2520, SIHistory@si.edu

September 1996

Standard number

SIA2014-07421

Restrictions & Rights

No restrictions

Type

Classification

Photographic print

Person, candid

Physical description

Number of Images: 1; Color: Color; Size: 4w x 6h; Type of Image: Person, candid ; Medium: Photographic print

Smithsonian Archives - History Div

Topic

Research--Equipment and supplies

Aircraft bird strikes

Smithsonian Institution--Employees

Biology

Forensic sciences

Ornithologists

Ornithology

Women

Birds--Anatomy

Zoological specimens--Collection and preservation

Record ID

siris_sic_14806

Metadata Usage (text)

Usage conditions apply