Accession No
6547
Brief Description
eleven plaster models of chicken heads from genetics research and teaching, by Reginald Punnett, English, early 1930s
Origin
England; Cambridge [attributed]
Maker
Punnett, Reginald
Class
biology; demonstration
Earliest Date
1932
Latest Date
1934
Inscription Date
Material
Plaster, paint
Dimensions
[6547.1] 110mm (height) x 95mm (width) x 37mm (depth) [6547.2] 69mm (height) x 80mm (width) x 34mm (depth) [6547.3] 109mm (height) x 95mm (width) x 27mm (depth) [6547.4] 48mm (height) x 78mm (width) x 24mm (depth) [6547.5] 74mm (height) x 72mm (width) x 31mm (depth) [6547.6] 40mm (height) x 64mm (width) x 27mm (depth) [6547.7] 82mm (height) x 110mm (width) x 39mm (depth) [6547.8] 104mm (height) x 73mm (width) x 44mm (depth) [6547.9] 102mm (height) x 80mm (width) x 36mm (depth) [6547.10] 93mm (height) x 83mm (width) x 37mm (depth) [6547.11] 47mm (height) x 72mm (width) x 34mm (depth) (measured so that the neck is on the left)
Special Collection
Provenance
Donated on or before 24/09/2012.
Inscription
[6547.1] 1932/1
[6547.2] 1932/2
[6547.3] 1932/5
[6547.4] 1932/6
[6547.5] 1932/7
[6547.6] 1932/8
[6547.7] 1933/1
[6547.8] [Base:] 1933/4/1 [Neck:] G ♂ 1932 - 1933 Colour Wrong
[6547.9] [Base:] 1933/4/2 [Neck:] G ♀ 1932-1933
[6547.10] [Base:] 1933/4/5 [Neck:] G (?) ♂ 1932 - 1933
[6547.11] [Base:] 1933-4/6 [Neck:] B ♂ 1932-33
Description Notes
Eleven plaster models of chicken heads from genetics research, by Reginald Punnett, English, early 1930s.
Eleven plaster models of chicken and rooster heads by Reginald Punnett, which may have been a part of or a product of his research during World War I into the early determination of sex in chickens and subsequent development of a breed of auto-sexing chickens, Cambar chickens. Perhaps a teaching aid. Very detailed; realistic texture and painting.
[6547.1] Plaster rooster head, orange/brown feathers, with 1932/1 carved into the back, with the neck and rear of the comb and wattle painted black.
Some minor chips in paint on points of comb, edge of wattle and bottom edge of neck.
[6547.2] Plaster hen (?) head, flesh-coloured feathers with 1932/2 carved into the back, with the neck and rear of the comb and wattle painted black.
One chip to comb and one to neck.
[6547.3] Plaster rooster head, orange/brown feathers, with 1932/5 carved into the back, with the neck and rear of the comb and wattle painted black.
Some minor chips in paint on points of comb, edge of wattle and the edge of the neck.
[6547.4] Plaster hen head, black feathers with 1932/6 carved into the back, with the neck and rear of the comb and wattle painted black.
Some minor chips in paint on points of comb, face edge of wattle and the edge of the neck.
[6547.5] Plaster hen head, orange-black feathers with 1932/7 carved into the back, with the neck and rear of the comb and wattle painted black.
Some minor chips in paint on points of comb, face, edge of wattle and bottom edge of neck.
[6547.6] Plaster hen head, orange-black feathers with 1932/8 carved into the back, with the neck and rear of the head painted black. No comb and very small wattle.
Some minor chips in paint on the edge of the wattle and bottom edge of neck.
[6547.7] Plaster rooster head, orange feathers with 1933/1 carved into the back. Red comb with large chip, with small hairs above the eye.
Some chips in paint on points of comb, edge of wattle and large chip on the bottom edge of neck.
[6547.8] Plaster rooster head, brown feathers and grey/blue cheek with 1933/4/1 carved into the back. The neck also has writing on. Reads ‘1932-33
colour wrong’.
Some chips in paint on points of comb, edge of wattle and beak, and on the edge of the neck.
[6547.9] Plaster hen head, brown feathers and with 1933/4/2 carved into the back. The neck also has writing on, with the letter ‘G’ and it’s gender (female), as well as dates 1932-33.
[6547.10] Plaster rooster head, brown feathers and grey/blue cheek with 1933/4/ 5 carved into the back. The neck also has writing on, with two letters (ambiguous), it’s gender (male) as well as dates 1932-33.
Small chip on tip of beak.
[6547.11] Plaster rooster head, orange/brown feathers with texture unique to the eleven (potentially just worn?) and grey/blue cheek with 1933-4/6 carved into the back. Large chip to wattle and comb has plaster between it’s points, presumably for support. The neck also has writing on, ‘B’ and it’s gender (male), as well as dates 1932-33.
Condition: good; complete.
References
Events
Description
These lifelike chicken heads were made by Reginald Punnett in the 1930s. Educated in Cambridge, Punnett was Superintendent of the Museum of Zoology from 1908 to 1909 and Balfour Professor of Genetics from 1912 to 1940. Interested in the role of genetics in animal breeding, it is likely that these models were a product of his research conducted through the cross-breeding of chickens. Not least, Punnett is known for being a co-developer of the Cambar, a new breed of "auto-sexing" chicken. During and after World War I, identifying female chicks early could increase productivity of egg-laying as limited animal-feed and other resources were available to the industry. Punnett and Michael Pease developed the Cambar as a breed which produced female and male chicks of different colours. This enabled male chicks to be destroyed at birth, enabling farmers to dedicate all their resources to growing egg-producing hens.
Recent research into these models has suggested that they were likely made by Punnett for use in his teaching. With the breeding of chickens a central facet of genetics research at Cambridge, students needed to learn how to identify particular physical characteristics associated with particular genes (now called 'phenotypes'). Students could handle these models in classes and through them become familiar with the nuanced differences observable in a chicken's comb-type, plumage colour, placement of feathers, etc.
26/08/2014
Created by: Rosanna Evans on 26/08/2014
FM:47059
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