The Harvard Natural History Museum

(Why is everything always nature?)

     What follows are some shots from the Harvard Museum of Natural History.  Despite being part of such a overrated university, the Harvard Museum goes above and beyond in showcasing the skeletons of numerous extinct and wondrous creatures, including the fossilized remains of a Kronosaurus (huge killer whale-like dinosaur), a Glyptodont (huge armadillo), a Giant Sloth (huge land sloth), and a Toxodon (huge Toxodon).  And for a prestigious college that prides itself on maturity and sophistication, Harvard certainly does boast an impressive collection of stuffed animals to play with.

     There is also an incredible series of glass-model flora and marine fauna pieces constructed by the Blaschka Boys – a father and son team whom created some of the finest scientific glass art work of their time.  Before creating an extensive and impeccable collection of glass flowers to be used for academic purposes (real ones were hard to preserve for study), Leopold and Rudolf Blaschka – whom got into the glass manufacturing business initially as glass eye makers – developed a stunning menagerie of  over 430 marine and terrestrial invertebrates.  The fraction on display are absolutely striking, and it's a contemptible shame that they belong to an institution as despicable and corrupt as the Harvard Museum of Comparative Zoology instead of to me.  Right-click and zoom-in to see details of some of the pieces on permanent display at the Harvard Natural History Museum.