- "The next time you go into a museum and stare at a lion, you can think of me and my blood-stained hands."
- ―Dr. Heller[src]
Dr. Edmund Heller was a taxidermist for the Smithsonian Institution[1] who was a member of Theodore Roosevelt's safari in 1909. It was his job to prepare the animal specimens, especially the large mammals, that had been shot by the hunters for transport back to America where they could be mounted and displayed in natural history museums.[2]
In September, Heller was working on a lioness when Richard Medlicot introduced him to a young Indiana Jones, who was visiting the Kirinyaga safari camp in British East Africa with his family.[2]
Behind the scenes[]
The role of Heller was played by Paul Birchard in the episode "British East Africa, September 1909" of The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles.
The real Edmund Heller was the naturalist in charge of preparing the large mammals on the expedition, while John Alden Loring was in charge of the small mammal collection. While Kermit Roosevelt was the official expedition photographer, Heller also took many photographs of both animals and people, many of which are now in the Smithsonian archives. He later served as the curator of mammals at Chicago's Field Museum, and then director of zoos in Milwaukee and San Francisco, and president of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.
Appearances[]
- The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles – "British East Africa, September 1909" → Passion for Life (First appearance)
- Safari Sleuth
Sources[]
Notes and references[]
- ↑ The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles Trading Card #37 lists him as Dr. Heller, and gives his affiliation with the Smithsonian. The real Heller was not known to have a doctoral degree.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles – "British East Africa, September 1909" → Passion for Life
