Bishop MuseumExplore

Journeys

The expeditions, reassembled

Every dated label is a diary entry. Read a collector’s labels in order and the voyage comes back: the islands in sequence, the days at each, the specimens from every stop. 289 journeys so far, 1900 to 2007, 53,295 specimens between them.

145 collectors and expeditions5,202 days in the field1,552,021 km between stops7,939 photographed specimens

Alvin Seale

4 islands · Jan – Feb 1902

Alvin Seale across 4 islands, January – February 1902

320 specimens · 2 stops · 20 days

Maxwell S. Doty

6 islands · Nov 1975 – Mar 1976

Maxwell S. Doty across 6 islands, November 1975 – March 1976

61 specimens · 13 stops · 131 days · 16,972 km

station

3 islands of the United States · Jun – Sep 1967

station, June – September 1967

116 specimens · 11 stops · 90 days · 907 km

Gerald R. Allen

Enewetak Atoll and Oʻahu · Mar – Apr 1968

Gerald R. Allen in Enewetak Atoll and Oʻahu, March – April 1968

123 specimens · 11 stops · 55 days · 14,231 km

J.J. Magnuson

7 islands · Oct – Nov 1961

J.J. Magnuson across 7 islands, October – November 1961

139 specimens · 9 stops · 36 days · 1,561 km

Johnson Randall

9 islands of French Polynesia · Feb – Jul 1957

Johnson Randall across 9 islands of French Polynesia, February – July 1957

86 specimens · 22 stops · 146 days · 1,617 km

N.Y. Young

Pitcairn Island and Ducie Atoll · Dec 1970 – Jan 1971

N.Y. Young in Pitcairn Island and Ducie Atoll, December 1970 – January 1971

163 specimens · 7 stops · 22 days

E.S. Helfman

7 islands · May – Jun 1968

E.S. Helfman across 7 islands, May – June 1968

144 specimens · 9 stops · 25 days

station

17 islands · Aug – Dec 1956

station, August – December 1956

76 specimens · 33 stops · 130 days · 25,742 km

B.C. Russell

Lord Howe and One Tree · Jan – Feb 1973

B.C. Russell in Lord Howe and One Tree, January – February 1973

102 specimens · 18 stops · 47 days

John L. Earle

18 islands of Indonesia · Oct – Nov 1990

John L. Earle across 18 islands of Indonesia, October – November 1990

122 specimens · 13 stops · 26 days · 10,403 km

V Townsend Cromwell cruise 35

3 islands of the United States · Mar – Apr 1968

V Townsend Cromwell cruise 35, March – April 1968

165 specimens · 7 stops · 13 days · 583 km

V Townsend Cromwell cruise 32

3 islands of the United States · Jul – Sep 1967

V Townsend Cromwell cruise 32, July – September 1967

114 specimens · 10 stops · 74 days · 738 km

station

4 islands of the United States · Oct – Nov 1958

station, October – November 1958

111 specimens · 13 stops · 32 days · 5,167 km

V Hugh M. Smith cruise 47

4 islands of the United States · Oct – Nov 1958

V Hugh M. Smith cruise 47, October – November 1958

111 specimens · 13 stops · 32 days · 5,167 km

Tanager Expedition

3 islands · Jul – Aug 1923

Tanager Expedition, July – August 1923

160 specimens · 5 stops · 35 days · 20,287 km

V.G. Springer

13 islands of Fiji · Apr – Jun 1982

V.G. Springer across 13 islands of Fiji, April – June 1982

95 specimens · 17 stops · 46 days · 1,834 km

H.T. Kami

Guam · May – Jul 1968

H.T. Kami in Guam, May – July 1968

124 specimens · 8 stops · 35 days

Gerald R. Allen

7 islands of Oman · Feb – Mar 1977

Gerald R. Allen across 7 islands of Oman, February – March 1977

90 specimens · 17 stops · 44 days · 2,615 km

Dennis M. Devaney

8 islands · Feb – Mar 1971

Dennis M. Devaney across 8 islands, February – March 1971

90 specimens · 13 stops · 41 days · 1,684 km

Akihiko Sinoto

5 islands · Jan – Mar 1971

Akihiko Sinoto across 5 islands, January – March 1971

111 specimens · 10 stops · 32 days · 1,942 km

Johnson Randall

4 islands · May – Jun 1981

Johnson Randall across 4 islands, May – June 1981

142 specimens · 7 stops · 14 days · 913 km

Gerald R. Allen

One Tree and Lord Howe · Jan – Feb 1973

Gerald R. Allen in One Tree and Lord Howe, January – February 1973

88 specimens · 16 stops · 41 days

Local fishermen

Lombok · Jan – Feb 1984

Local fishermen in Lombok, January – February 1984

100 specimens · 12 stops · 30 days

How a journey is found

Every specimen with a full date and a known collector is a diary entry. The days are read in order; a gap of more than three weeks ends one journey and starts the next. Days spent where a collector lived most of their life are home, not travel, and are left out.

A journey needs at least five days, forty specimens and two places. Within it, a run of days spent within about ten kilometres is one stop; the stop’s point is the middle of the labels that carry coordinates, or the island’s centre when none do.

Companions are the people whose own labels put them in the same place on the same days. Staff can name a journey, write about it and feature it; everything else here is read straight off the specimens, and is rebuilt as the records improve.