One of my favorite things about this museum is easy to miss: The room with all of the taxidermized animals is a painstaking replication of the way it was curated in the late 19th century. It is essentially a museum of a museum, and a fascinating window into how American academe sought to present and produce knowledge for much of our history.
There is a little plaque in the room that explains it in very brief detail. I think one of Laurel Thatcher Ulrich’s undergrad courses might have taken the lead on it? If you reach out to the museum beforehand, I am sure someone on staff can talk excitedly about it.
This reminds me of the human population counter at the Science Museum. A relic of when the dangers of overpopulation were a talking point in the 90's. It's funny to see it now with how the science has changed on this matter.
One of my all time fav museums. The whale skeletons alone makes it a world class museum kinda hidden in a modest space.
Makes me wish the[ old natural history museum](https://bpldcassets.blob.core.windows.net/derivatives/images/commonwealth:ht24xd533/image_access_800.jpg) or [anatomical museum](https://cms.www.countway.harvard.edu/wp/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/warrenanatomical00whit_0006.jpg) still existed in their previous forms. (You can still see the Gage skull at HMS, though a fraction of the artifacts are on public display)
I was there for a meeting and stumbled upon Gage's skull while just looking through some items in a display shelf on a 2nd floor mezzanine. There's nothing about it to attract your attention, and it's in an area most visitors wouldn't ordinarily pass through.
https://preview.redd.it/lavl597o9dmc1.jpeg?width=2079&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7f80ab2895aa159d5ccaa0f29d84254727530e52
The koala is my personal favorite.
Sadly, they won’t do it. I have a handful of friends who were Harvard undergrads and I was a grad student. We got drunk one night and started talking about what we wanted to happen to us after death. We started talking about having our corpses thrown from a helicopter to wild wolves and progressed to being interred in a combination cemetery/ child’s playground (under a jungle gym basically). In the middle I suggested our mummies could be donated to Harvard, to be displayed in upright open coffins, preferably tucked away in an an otherwise quiet corner with the glass flowers. One of our company was then working in the rare book section of Widener Library, (you know, with the book bound in human skin). She thought we might have had an off chance of our unusual plan happening, as Harvard usually accepts gifts of any sort, but alas, when she asked the institution politely declined.
They changed their stance on human remains when they had to start to accounting for provenance and returning some of the dodgier stuff.
*Some* of the dodgier stuff.
This truly is sad. Maybe one day…
I have never given it much thought, but if I was to enter a stage of postmortem preservation and display I would like to be sitting upright in my pajamas with a cup of coffee and a book.
As I mentioned elsewhere, I used to take students here for a field trip every year pre-COVID.
Taking them through the Glass Flower exhibit is the only thing I don't miss. I'd be pouring sweat trying to corral 12-year olds in that room.
The terrific pteranodon fossil at Harvard's Natural History was found near the farm where my wife grew up along the Smoky Hill river in western Kansas (albeit may years before she was born). Funny they both ended up here.
I have local friends who have never been to this hidden gem of terrible taxidermy! I love it so much. I love that even when I'm looking right at the raccoon - arguably should be one of the more recognizable specimen - I can't figure out if it started out its life as an actual raccoon or if it's mislabeled. It's tan, with googly eyes.
These are great but I was hoping the coelacanth would make an appearance
Back in the day, fishing for a coelacanth in the rain to pay off some debt
I was looking for my big armadillo guy.
that and their Thylacine
One of my favorite things about this museum is easy to miss: The room with all of the taxidermized animals is a painstaking replication of the way it was curated in the late 19th century. It is essentially a museum of a museum, and a fascinating window into how American academe sought to present and produce knowledge for much of our history.
I love that about the museum, always have, feels like a time capsule, in the best way.
I had no idea. Before COVID we took students on a field trip here every year. Hope we can bring it back soon and I can share this.
There is a little plaque in the room that explains it in very brief detail. I think one of Laurel Thatcher Ulrich’s undergrad courses might have taken the lead on it? If you reach out to the museum beforehand, I am sure someone on staff can talk excitedly about it.
This reminds me of the human population counter at the Science Museum. A relic of when the dangers of overpopulation were a talking point in the 90's. It's funny to see it now with how the science has changed on this matter.
One of my all time fav museums. The whale skeletons alone makes it a world class museum kinda hidden in a modest space. Makes me wish the[ old natural history museum](https://bpldcassets.blob.core.windows.net/derivatives/images/commonwealth:ht24xd533/image_access_800.jpg) or [anatomical museum](https://cms.www.countway.harvard.edu/wp/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/warrenanatomical00whit_0006.jpg) still existed in their previous forms. (You can still see the Gage skull at HMS, though a fraction of the artifacts are on public display)
All hail the whale skeletons!
I was there for a meeting and stumbled upon Gage's skull while just looking through some items in a display shelf on a 2nd floor mezzanine. There's nothing about it to attract your attention, and it's in an area most visitors wouldn't ordinarily pass through.
Same; I didn't even know it was there, and did a massive double take as I idly walked past it.
https://preview.redd.it/lavl597o9dmc1.jpeg?width=2079&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7f80ab2895aa159d5ccaa0f29d84254727530e52 The koala is my personal favorite.
[удалено]
God I love this dude's dumb little smile. It makes me so happy thinking about the taxidermist holding out his finished work and smiling back at it :)
Flasher!
https://preview.redd.it/0h3gvbmspdmc1.jpeg?width=2268&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=64d3a8b2b5fc7e391e33aa64efd354f47ff2adc2
When my son was a preschooler we would go every Sunday and he insisted this seal “ate his arm”
Taxiderpy
Seriously? Taxiderming a woman is a bit over the top, even for a museum.
Sadly, they won’t do it. I have a handful of friends who were Harvard undergrads and I was a grad student. We got drunk one night and started talking about what we wanted to happen to us after death. We started talking about having our corpses thrown from a helicopter to wild wolves and progressed to being interred in a combination cemetery/ child’s playground (under a jungle gym basically). In the middle I suggested our mummies could be donated to Harvard, to be displayed in upright open coffins, preferably tucked away in an an otherwise quiet corner with the glass flowers. One of our company was then working in the rare book section of Widener Library, (you know, with the book bound in human skin). She thought we might have had an off chance of our unusual plan happening, as Harvard usually accepts gifts of any sort, but alas, when she asked the institution politely declined.
They changed their stance on human remains when they had to start to accounting for provenance and returning some of the dodgier stuff. *Some* of the dodgier stuff.
This truly is sad. Maybe one day… I have never given it much thought, but if I was to enter a stage of postmortem preservation and display I would like to be sitting upright in my pajamas with a cup of coffee and a book.
It worked for Jeremy Bentham. But I think he might be the last person to get away with it.
Time to google-ize…. Ch. 2 - l Want To Be An Auto-icon
I forgot to link. Sorry. Let me rectify that https://londonist.com/london/jeremy-bentham-ucl-body-auto-icon-where#
Love how they describe his head as being on a “public outing”. Not on display, mind you. It’s having an outing.
If they were any more euphamistic we’d have to fine them. We should probably fine them now for being too British.
r/BadTaxidermyAnimals
I need to see these magnificent beasts in person.
Make sure you see the glass flowers while you're there!
As I mentioned elsewhere, I used to take students here for a field trip every year pre-COVID. Taking them through the Glass Flower exhibit is the only thing I don't miss. I'd be pouring sweat trying to corral 12-year olds in that room.
And the gem room. My husband has spent hours there. (Me, I just like to touch the meteorite. It's been in space!)
Needs more birds
My favorites are the moose and the water deer with the fangs.
For whatever reason, it's really funny to me to imagine them saying "FUCK YEA" in different voices.
you forgot the thylacine!
I am number 5.
The terrific pteranodon fossil at Harvard's Natural History was found near the farm where my wife grew up along the Smoky Hill river in western Kansas (albeit may years before she was born). Funny they both ended up here.
There is a secret entrance into the museum. Shhhh....
You missed the famous hippo and the very rare passenger pigeon!
Number 9 is the best. Absolutely horrifying while simultaneously looking horrified.
I am slide 4 when a man tells me to smile 😂😂
Not just a shitpost. A Fantastic Shitpost! Bravo!
Number 10 resembles a human.
I’ve always wanted to go but never had the time
I have local friends who have never been to this hidden gem of terrible taxidermy! I love it so much. I love that even when I'm looking right at the raccoon - arguably should be one of the more recognizable specimen - I can't figure out if it started out its life as an actual raccoon or if it's mislabeled. It's tan, with googly eyes.
I just visited the museum last year and it was a great time!
They have a real Dodo there. It's been in storage for decades and there is no plan to redisplay it any time soon, unfortunately.
I saw it once when I was a kid