ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION
Title
Robert Cushman Murphy Diary Collection
Collection Number
SC 500
OCLC Number
1527356290
Creator
Robert Cushman Murphy (1887-1973)
Provenance
Under review
Extent, Scope, and Content Note
1 volume; 29 cm
In 1966, Robert Cushman Murphy – a distinguished American ornithologist and long-serving curator at the American Museum of Natural History – compiled a typed manuscript diary (125pp.) chronicling his life and thoughts. His observations span the entire year and document his travels between his home on Long Island, New York and Puget Sound in Washington state. By this time, Murphy had already enjoyed a storied career: from sailing as naturalist aboard the whaling brig Daisy in the subantarctic (a voyage later captured in his 1947 Logbook for Grace), to landmark publications such as Bird Islands of Peru (1925) and the definitive two-volume Oceanic Birds of South America (1936). Known for his deep commitment to marine bird ecology, he was also a pioneering conservationist, actively opposing DDT on Long Island and helping secure preservation of the Pine Barrens and Fire Island National Seashore. In 1966, at nearly 79 years old, Murphy documents his observations, conservation concerns, and evolving worldview during a time of ecological awakening.
Arrangement and Processing Note
Finding aid by Kristen J. Nyitray, July 2025.
Language
English
Restrictions on Access
The collection is open to researchers without restriction.
Rights and Permissions
Stony Brook University Libraries’ consent to access as the physical owner of the collection does not address copyright issues that may affect publication rights. It is the sole responsibility of the user of Special Collections and University Archives materials to investigate the copyright status of any given work and to seek and obtain permission where needed prior to publication.
Citation
Robert Cushman Murphy Diary Collection, Special Collections and University Archives, Stony Brook University Libraries.
Subjects
Murphy, Robert Cushman, 1887-1973 — Diaries.
Murphy, Robert Cushman, 1887-1973 — Travel.
Natural history.
Naturalists — New York (State) — Long Island.