Museum’s Proposal

We were happy to see Ruth Ryon’s item about the proposal by the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County to develop the Greystone Mansion as a satellite (July 31). Since there is much more to the proposal than just housing a collection, we think your readers would like to know the full extent of the proposal.

Plans call for special exhibitions in the entry halls, interior halls, and reception and other rooms noted for unusual woods, design characteristics or other architectural features. The museum’s collection resources are extensive; their riches would provide exhibits from its three large divisions: earth sciences, life sciences and history.

Additionally, the museum’s historic site survey operations would be housed at Greystone.

A detailed plan for educational programs would be developed in coordination with Beverly Hills Unified School District, and the education division’s lending service, which loans scientific specimens and historical artifacts to teachers and other individuals, would be extended to Greystone.

The major field of research at Greystone would be ornithology, focusing on the collections of the Western Zoological Foundation, supplemented by those of the museum, particularly in the area of its endangered species work.

We feel that a successful agreement will be of benefit both to Beverly Hills and the museum, and will assure the preservation of an important historic landmark.

CRAIG C. BLACK

Los Angeles

Black is director of the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County.