Fighting Negative Connotations Of The Pigeon While Celebrating Its Long And Remarkable History With The World
When people think of historically important birds they may think of a bald eagle. Maybe even storks, loons, ducks, swans... They may be surprised to learn there is an American Pigeon Museum located in Oklahoma City that not only attempts to fight negative connotations of the pigeon, but celebrate its long and remarkable history with people all over the world.
“This is a beautiful building in a beautiful part of Oklahoma, a nice quiet place where you can hear the birds cooing,” said Curator Jessica Nguyen about the 5,000 square foot building that sits on 10 acres of land (that include several lofts for pigeons). “It's a lovely museum and you learn things you never knew. I hope it opens people's minds. We want to quell those negative things people have to say about pigeons. They really love people. We have people who come here and say 'We had no idea.' We have done our job. We are rewriting history.”
And the pigeons history is a long one, starting around 3,500 BC with the Sumerians. Known for developing a writing system, the pigeons appeared in those writings. The pigeon was used by Genghis Khan as a way to keep in contact with his empire, much like the homing pigeons famously used in World War II. The rock dove – the pigeon's ancestor – was brought to the New World by French settlers in the 1600s. They were also discussed in Charles Darwin's “Origin of Species,” discussing selective breeding.
Of course, the pigeons who served during World War II have their own exhibit at the American Pigeon Museum. There are many documented cases of pigeons saving the lives of both soldiers and civilians, most notably when they were used to inform France about the German's raiding plans. Able to fly up to 100 miles per hour and 600 miles at a time, pigeons had a 95 percent accuracy rate, and were quicker than many other forms of communication at the time.
“This isn't even about winning the war,” said Nguyen. “It's about the characteristics of the birds that were doing these jobs. It's about their preserverance. Even when they were hurt, shot or injured they'd deliever the messages.”
Famous pigeons, like Cher Ami and G.I. Joe, have received the Dicken Medal, an honor given to animals in the UK for going above and beyond their duty. Both pigeons were shot in the wing and leg and continued to fly.
The biggest artifact in the American Pigeon Museum is a mobile loft, which was used on the battlefield during WWII. The baby birds born on the field would know that area as their home. So when they would take the pigeons away from their home and attach messages that was where the pigeons flew back to on instinct.
The WWII display also features a collection donated by Otto Myer, the man in charge of pigeon services for the US Army during WWII. The collection contains actual message capsules, training manuals and carriers.
The American Pigeon Museum also features a lot of artwork, including paintings and sculptures of various breeds of pigeon. There's several exhibits on pigeon racing and fancy breed history. Then there's the 12 live birds who live right outside of the museum doors during operating hours.
“I really do love this bird,” said Nguyen, who has been the museum curator for two years. “I love being able to work at a museum that also has live animals. It's not something you see in a typical museum setting. I take the birds out during the tours and people love holding them and getting photos with them. It's really a lot of fun.”
The American Pigeon Museum began operating as a museum publicly in January of 2014. Before it was a museum, the building was known as World of Wings, a place for racers, flyers and pigeon-enthusiasts. As they kept receiving donations, along with artifacts from WWII, they decided it was time to expand and open a museum.
While the idea of a museum donated to pigeons may sound a little funny, once inside its walls visitors begin to see why the pigeon is worthy not only of a museum, but of respect and admiration. Intertwined with important world history, the intelligent and friendly pigeon is really something to coo about.
Olivia Richman
A graduate of East Connecticut State University in Journalism, Olivia has written for Stonebridge Press & Antiques Marketplace among others. She enjoys writing, running and video games.
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