The World Museum was a full-page illustrated feature in some American Sunday newspapers, starting on May 9, 1937 until January 30, 1938.[1] Devised and drawn by Holling Clancy Holling (1900–1973), it was also known as The World Museum Dioramas.[2]

The World Museum Dioramas
The World Museum Diorama of 16 May 1937: Treasure Hunters of the Sea
The World Museum Diorama of 16 May 1937: Treasure Hunters of the Sea
Author(s)Holling Clancy Holling
Illustrator(s)Holling Clancy Holling
Current status/scheduleDiscontinued
Launch dateMay 9, 1937
End dateJanuary 30, 1938

The Evening Star in Washington and the Baltimore American both published the dioramas.[3][4] Publication in the Evening Star abruptly stops in February 1938 in spite of the next diorama, Log Cabin Days (scheduled for February 6, 1938) being announced in the January 30, 1938 issue along with Roman Gladiators. No announcement of the cancellation seems to have been done.[5]

Format edit

Each diorama was published in the Sunday edition and occupied a full page in color. It featured all the parts to be cut out by the reader with detailed instructions to cut out the pictures and assemble them into a diorama using wrapping paper to stiffen the structure. Each new diorama had a paragraph explaining the diorama itself from a historical or geographical point of view. Subject included historical events, natural wonders or international ethnographic scenes.[3]

List of Dioramas edit

These are the dioramas published from May 1937 to January 1938 the Washington, D.C. Evening Star. The names are the titles as published in the newspapers. Names in [ ] are clarification comments for titles that are not clear.

May 1937:

  • The Coronation of King George the Sixth and Queen Elizabeth [3]
  • Treasure Hunters of the Sea [6]
  • Castles in Spain [7]
  • Dragons that Walked on the Water [Viking Ship] [8]

June 1937:

  • The Creeping Wall [Glacier] [9]
  • The Indian Buffalo Hunters [10]
  • The Working Elephant [11]
  • Making a Motion Picture [12]

July 1937:

  • When the Liberty Bell Rang [13]
  • When Dinosaurs Roamed the Earth [14]
  • Life in a Dutch Village [15]
  • Tibetan Devil Dancers [16]

August 1937:

  • China Clipper [A Small Plane] [17]
  • Fulton's First Steamboat [18]
  • Whale Hunting [19]
  • African Waterhole [20]

September 1937:

  • An Indian School [21]
  • Perry's Victory [War of 1812] [22]
  • Polish Village Festival [23]
  • Balboa at the Pacific [24]

October 1937:

  • The Ohio Mound Builders [Native Americans] [25]
  • Discovery of America [Christopher Columbus] [26]
  • Dancing Scotch Villagers [27]
  • Interior of a Coal Mine [28]
  • Indian False Faces [Native American Masks][29]

November 1937:

  • The Pool of Death [A prehistoric tar pool in California] [30]
  • A Lacrosse Game [31]
  • First Thanksgiving [32]
  • The Grand Canyon [33]

December 1937:

  • Eskimo Life [34]
  • Lion Spearing [35]
  • Mexican Christmas [36]
  • The Three Wise Men [37]

January 1938:

  • Chinese New Year [38]
  • First Bullfights [39]
  • Siamese Temple [40]
  • Roman Gladiators [41]
  • American Desert [5]

February 1938:

  • Log Cabin Days (Announced but unpublished) [5]

References edit

  1. ^ Holtz, Allan (2012). American Newspaper Comics: An Encyclopedic Reference Guide. Ann Arbor: The University of Michigan Press. p. 417. ISBN 9780472117567.
  2. ^ Advertisement - Evening Star - May 08, 1937, Page C-10
  3. ^ a b c The Coronation of King George the Sixth and Queen Elizabeth - Evening Star - May 09, 1937 - Page 3
  4. ^ Advertisement - The Midland Journal - May 21, 1937 - page 4
  5. ^ a b c American Desert - Evening Star [volume], January 30, 1938, Page 3, Image 103
  6. ^ Treasure Hunters of the Sea - Evening Star [volume], May 16, 1937, Page 4, Image 120
  7. ^ Castles in Spain - Evening Star [volume], May 23, 1937, Page 3, Image 111
  8. ^ Dragons that Walked on the Water - Evening Star [volume], May 30, 1937, Page 3, Image 83
  9. ^ The Creeping Wall - Evening Star [volume], June 06, 1937, Page 5, Image 109
  10. ^ The Indian Buffalo Hunters - Evening Star [volume], June 13, 1937, Page 7, Image 129
  11. ^ The Working Elephant - Evening Star [volume], June 20, 1937, Page 5, Image 109
  12. ^ Making a Motion Picture - Evening Star [volume], June 27, 1937, Page 4, Image 104
  13. ^ When the Liberty Bell Rang - Evening Star [volume], July 04, 1937, Page 3, Image 73
  14. ^ When Dinosaurs Roamed the Earth - Evening Star [volume], July 11, 1937, Page 5, Image 95
  15. ^ Life in a Dutch Village - Evening Star [volume], July 18, 1937, Page 4, Image 96
  16. ^ Tibetan Devil Dancers - Evening Star [volume], July 25, 1937, Page 4, Image 98
  17. ^ China Clipper - Evening Star [volume], August 01, 1937, Page 4, Image 100
  18. ^ Fulton's First Steamboat - Evening Star [volume], August 15, 1937, Page 3, Image 99
  19. ^ Whale Hunting - Evening Star [volume], August 22, 1937, Page 4, Image 94
  20. ^ African Waterhole - Evening Star [volume], August 29, 1937, Page 4, Image 98
  21. ^ An Indian School - Evening Star [volume], September 05, 1937, Page 3, Image 75
  22. ^ Perry's Victory - Evening Star [volume], September 12, 1937, Page 3, Image 125
  23. ^ Polish Village Festival - Evening Star [volume], September 19, 1937, Page 4, Image 112
  24. ^ Balboa at the Pacific - Evening Star [volume], September 26, 1937, Page 5, Image 103
  25. ^ The Ohio Mound Builders - Evening Star [volume], October 03, 1937, Page 5, Image 119
  26. ^ Discovery of America - Evening Star [volume], October 10, 1937, Page 3, Image 113
  27. ^ Dancing Scotch Villagers - Evening Star [volume], October 17, 1937, Page 3, Image 119
  28. ^ Interior of a Coal Mine - Evening Star [volume], October 24, 1937, Page 7, Image 127
  29. ^ Indian False Faces - Evening Star [volume], October 31, 1937, Page 4, Image 126
  30. ^ The Pool of Death - Evening Star [volume], November 07, 1937, Page 5, Image 113
  31. ^ A Lacrosse Game - Evening Star [volume], November 14, 1937, Page 7, Image 137
  32. ^ First Thanksgiving - Evening Star [volume], November 21, 1937, Page 3, Image 113
  33. ^ The Grand Canyon - Evening Star [volume], November 28, 1937, Page 3, Image 111
  34. ^ Eskimo Life - Evening Star [volume], December 05, 1937, Page 6, Image 132
  35. ^ Lion Spearing - Evening Star [volume] (Washington, D.C.), December 12, 1937, Page 2, Image 128
  36. ^ Mexican Christmas - Evening Star [volume], December 19, 1937, Page 3, Image 121
  37. ^ The Three Wise Men - Evening Star [volume], December 26, 1937, Page PAGE 3, Image 91
  38. ^ Chinese New Year - Evening Star [volume], January 02, 1938, Page 3, Image 107
  39. ^ First Bullfights - Evening Star [volume], January 09, 1938, Page 3, Image 99
  40. ^ Siamese Temple - Evening Star [volume], January 16, 1938, Page 3, Image 103
  41. ^ Roman Gladiators - Evening Star [volume], January 23, 1938, Page 4, Image 96

External links edit