J.W. Scollick, "bone man"

My 3rd great-grandfather, Joseph William Scollick,1850-1938, was born in Darlington, Durham, England, moved first to Canada, then to Rochester, NY for a time and then settled in Washington, D.C. He worked for the Smithsonian from 1885-1931 as an osteologist.

J.W. Scollick was born to parents Jonathan Scollick and Mary Frances Ellison and immigrated to Canada when he was a young man. He was the oldest of ten children. Most of his family remained in London, Ontario, Canada and he moved to Rochester, New York where his three children were born.

I've come across some interesting finds as I learn more about him. The photo above can be purchased on ebay. The photo at the bottom of this post is in my grandmother's possession.  And here's another picture I just came across today.  In addition to the short New York Times article below, I just came across a neat article about him from the Utica Observer Dispatch, Utica, New York, June 10, 1923. It states that he is "the foremost osteologist, or bone expert, in the world." It also quotes him describing his most memorable work. He said “the skeleton of a skunk that has been in the rotting vat a month can’t be altogether forgotten" and then went on to describe his memories of working with a 70-ton sulphur-bottom whale.

I've requested whatever the Smithsonian Institution Archives will give me about Grandpa Scollick from the Smithsonian Institution Archives and will post more when I receive something.