Delia Akeley facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Delia J. Akeley
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Delia Akeley in 1915
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| Born |
Delia Julia Denning
December 5, 1869 Beaver Dam, Wisconsin, U.S.
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| Died | May 22, 1970 (aged 100) Daytona Beach, Florida, U.S.
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| Nationality | American |
| Other names | Mickie Akeley |
| Occupation | Explorer; hunter |
| Spouse(s) |
Arthur Reiss
(m. 1889; div. 1902)Warren D. Howe
(m. 1939; d. 1951) |
Delia Julia Akeley (December 5, 1869 – May 22, 1970), often called Mickie, was an American explorer. She was born in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin. Her parents, Patrick and Margaret Denning, were immigrants from Ireland.
Early Life and First Marriage
Delia Julia Akeley was born in 1869. When she was a teenager, Mickie left home and moved to Milwaukee. There, in 1889, she married Arthur Reiss, who was a barber. They later divorced in 1902.
Working with Carl E. Akeley
In Milwaukee, Delia met Carl Akeley, who was an expert in taxidermy (preparing animal specimens for display), an artist, and an inventor. They married in 1902. Carl later became the chief taxidermist at the Field Columbian Museum in Chicago, which is now known as the Field Museum of Natural History.
Delia helped her husband create amazing displays called dioramas. These were like 3D scenes showing animals in their natural homes. She joined him on a trip to Africa in 1906-07 to collect animals for these displays. Carl Akeley later worked at the American Museum of Natural History in New York. He planned the famous Africa Hall there.
Delia went with Carl on expeditions to collect animals for the most important exhibits in both museums' African sections. For example, Delia herself collected one of the large African elephants displayed in the Field Museum's main hall during the 1906 trip. She also collected an elephant for the American Museum of Natural History's African Hall during a 1909-11 expedition.
During one trip in Kenya, Carl Akeley was attacked by a bull elephant. His helpers ran away, thinking he was badly hurt. But Delia bravely went back to him with two helpers who had fled. Carl was seriously injured, but Delia helped him get to a hospital. She also cared for him when he became very sick with a fever on another occasion.
In 1920, after Carl recovered, the Akeleys returned to New York with a pet monkey named "J.T. Jr." They had found the monkey during their trips in Kenya. Back in New York, Carl spent his time raising money for the museum and creating models for his dioramas. Delia became very focused on caring for and studying J.T., who was a very smart monkey.
Delia and Carl Akeley divorced in 1923. Carl married his second wife, Mary, in 1924. Carl Akeley then returned to Africa with Mary to study mountain gorillas. He passed away in Africa in 1926.
Delia's Own Expeditions
After her divorce in 1924, Delia Akeley continued to travel widely in Africa. She led her own expeditions and spent more time learning about different cultures, especially less-known tribes like the Forest People pygmies.
She was one of the first Westerners to explore the desert between Kenya and Ethiopia. She also explored the Tana River by herself in a dugout canoe, starting from the Indian Ocean. She even lived for several months with the pygmies in the Ituri Forest in Zaire.
On January 4, 1939, she married Warren D. Howe, who was a businessman. He passed away in 1951. Delia Akeley lived a very long life and passed away in 1970. She was 100 years old.
