James Chapin (left) and Herbert Lang

Introduction to the American Museum Congo Expedition 1909-1915

A decade after Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness first depicted the mysteries and agonies of the area, Herbert Lang and James Chapin set sail for the northeastern Belgian Congo. They knew they were launching an extraordinary adventure, but they could not have imagined what those years would hold. By the time they sailed home five and a half years later, they had collected tons of precious zoological and anthropological specimens representing one of the most comprehensive collections of the day.

Multimedia Presentation

The following Introduction to the American Museum Congo Expedition (1909-1915) is a 5-minute slide presentation with narration about the Lang Chapin Congo Expedition. Viewing this interactive introduction requires the Flash 5 plug-in and is best viewed on a high-speed (DSL) connection.

Introduction with French, English, and Spanish subtitles (3.5 MB)

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Scroll-through Introduction

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PowerPoint version Introduction (available for downloading: 1.89 MB)

More Background Information

The First Comprehensive Survey of Northeastern Congo by Gordy Slack

The Congo Expedition of the American Museum of Natural History by Henry Fairfield Osborn

Itinerary of the Expedition