Zoologisk avdeling - Museum Stavanger

a university eclucation and a specialist in entomology. No distinction was madebctween different «departments» (rather unnecessary too with only a singlecurator), but from tlie time hc began Helliesen distinguishcd betwecn thecollections of anatural history» and ahistorical-antiquarian~ objccts in hisannual rcports.In thc beginning the collections werc meant for exhibition only, but withHelliesen a distinction was eventually made betwcen the public exhibitionant1 the scientific collections. With the appearance of two entomological papersin tlie report for 1890, and two more togethcr with a botanical paper and oneon rintiquities in 1891, the museum took furtlier stcps towards developing intoa scientific institution. From the same time periodicals and other publicationswcre acquired by exchange and the museum's library became a growing reality.Fielliescn was an active entomologist and he published a number of paperson colcoptera, but hc also workcd as an arcliaeologist and was the museum'saccountant, secretary and in reality its director until his death in 1914.1:orced by sliortagc of space for the cver growing exhibitions and the dangerof fire in its titnber house, the museum had in 1893 got a building of its own,not, howcvcr, cornplcted until 1930.After Helliesen's dcath, the departtnent of natiiral history, as it was thencalled, was for some years without a curator, but meanwhile the public collectionswerc enlarged and superviscd by a museum assistant, Fritz Jensen, from1914 to 191 7. In 1!)18 H. T. L. Schaanning was cmploycd, an ornithologistwith Il years in the wilderness of extreme NE-Norway and a winteringexpcdition to Novayri Zemlya bcliind him.During his tirne at the museum, 1918-3 948, Schaanning increased the collectionson a large scalc, not only the exhibitions, but also the scientific bird skincollcction, his main interest. He edited the first Norwegian journal on ornithology(1921-193.5), and from his private bird ringing, commenced in 1914,started the present ringing centre at the museum. In 1937 he erected the Revtangenbird ol>servatory, famous mostly for the comprehensive ringing ofarctic waders, and until l948 Iic worked thcre himself during the migrationscasons. The public exhibitions are to this day largely as mounted by himduring the years 1930-1035, partly assisted by A. Bernhoft-Osa who wasfinally employed at the museum as assistant in the department of zoology,later as curator.In 1949 Schaanning, Iiaving rcachcd retirement age, was succeeded by the