Thursday, March 15, 2012

Various and Sundry Things Seen at MOS

And now, exactly what I just said. Weird and or interesting things I saw during this latest of many visits to Boston Museum of Science.



Here's another look at the Nyctosaurus sculpture...



And a close-up of her mate.



"Listen, no matter how sick and tired YOU are hearing about 2012, I'm even MORE sick of it."



"There's one, and another, and another, and another, and another, and another, and another, and another, and another, and another, and another, and another, and another, and another, and another, and another, and another, and another, and another, and another, and another, and another, and another, and another, and another, and another... PAPA! It's US!!!"



If I were a little kid, I'd be all over these Ankylosaur-inspired backpacks.



But where are their wings? (Heh.)



Funny story about Horseshoe Crabs I don't think I've shared yet.

I was very young and my class was on a field trip to a literal field (a local salt marsh) to explore nature during the autumn. We had some kind of scavenger hunt going on and I had to find a stick. So I see this lovely pointy stick stuck in the marshy ground and excitedly yanked it out of it's place without thinking to show my class -- who all looked at the thing in my little girl hand with varying expressions of abject horror.

You see that Giger-esque monstrosity in this case? Yeah. I'd pulled a gigantic live Horseshoe Crab out of it's hibernating spot. Life has never been the same since.



There's a very nice new (to me) exhibit about the history of the Museum of Science and it's predecessors with lots and lots of vintage exhibits on display.



9/1/14 Never Forget! (I don't think this is THE Martha, but still...)



And while we're on the subject of human bastardry and childhood trauma, see this eagle? Funny - well, actually the exact opposite of funny - story about this eagle.

He (I'm guessing) was put on display as part of a really neat exhibit from my childhood with the irresistible name, "What's In Our Attic"? My younger self was delighted to see all the cool stuff the Museum had accumulated over it's history (most of it is now on permanent display as part of Natural Mysteries).

To make a long story short, this is where young Trish learned that J.J. Audubon shot and stuffed many birds to use as models for his famous paintings. I very definitely remember being utterly crushed and suddenly not knowing anything about anything anymore.



Speaking of childhood trauma, note how misleading this advertisement is if you were, say, six. Hell, for all I knew, they'd found a real life Sally Impossible!



It's incredibly cool to see the original report of the Nahant Bay Sea Serpent though.



And a selection of Blaschka Glass sea creatures! Beautiful, delicate little works of art, it's always a privilege to see them.

2.28.12 - At the Museum of Science

And finally, drawings! Here's my study of Audubon's eagle.

2.28.12 - At the Museum of Science

Various other animal specimens.

2.28.12 - At the Museum of Science

And of course my traditional study of Cliff!