#natural history collection

[sassafrasmoonshine]

James Bolton, illustrator (British, 1735-1799) • Northern Wheatear, Bilberry and Camberwell Beauty and Pupa • Illustration for The Natural History Cabinet of Anna Blackburne • 1768 • Watercolor and gouache over graphite on parchment • Yale Center for British Art, New Haven, Connecticut

[amnhnyc]

On this day in 1936, the last known thylacine (Thylacinus cynocephalus) died at the Hobart Zoo in Tasmania. The animal’s passing marked the extinction of its species. Also known as the “Tasmanian wolf,” the thylacine was Australia’s largest marsupial predator. It sported a dog-like form, with distinctive stripes, and a jaw that could open up to 80 degrees—one of the largest gapes of any mammal.

The thylacine fed primarily on small mammals and birds. Nocturnal and shy, it was seldom seen by humans. However, beginning in the 19th century, settlers believed the animals threatened their livestock and, spurred on by a bounty offered by the government, hunted them relentlessly. Attempts at protecting the species in the wild came too late: Despite numerous unconfirmed reports of sightings in recent decades, no definitive sightings have occurred since the 1930s.

[thoodleoo]

they really should warn you before you start studying history that it's going to turn you into a complete freak about at least one historical figure like. somebody should give you a heads up that someday youll be reading cicero's letter to some other ancient roman about his weeklong episode of explosive diarrhea from eating mushrooms ar a dinner party and still go online to post about his consular senussy

[katarinanavane]

Three new dollhouse curio cabinets! I didn't make the cabinets themselves but just found and arranged the contents.

[srlgemstone]

Pseudomorph Tube Agate

Like little memory chambers in the brain. It's a marvelous pattern.

[markscherz]

Those stuffed Ceratophrys blues

[mispelled]

That build-a-bear guy

[lady-0f-the-wood]

[ancientsstudies]

Natural History Museum by crazycatladyldn.

[birbbones]

Stillborn African Lion (Female, Captive bred) and a little 4-month-old Domestic Kitten (Skull and skeleton I am cleaning and will be articulating!)

[victorianvampyr]

Finally got the last of the fawn remains put together. Time for other projects! Cause I am sure burned out!

This fawn was a challenge from the start. @bigolbuzzard was the one to find it, her intentions are to taxidermy them and she very kindly gifted me the skeleton to articulate. The poor thing was hit by a car, it’s head was ruined. But fortunately, or unfortunately, I had found my own deceased fawn months prior, and I had kept its head.

In taxidermy, it’s common you keep the feet bones- so I also had to find a replacement for the feet(which are mummified). Luckily a kind soul on Reddit sent me the feet of a roadkill fawn they ran into and were pelting.

Once I had managed to clean the bones- I had to spend hours just gluing the skull/destroyed bones/and caps on the bones back together. When an animal is younger, the bones aren’t fused- so they fall apart when cleaned.

Anyway. I am going to call this skeleton “Frank” due to the fact I had to “Frankenstein” all the fawn pieces together. I know it’s not perfect, but I am proud with the end result! Off to the Nature Center they go for display!

[dead-dogs-still-fetch]

A Trip to the Field Museum

Some past photos from my previous trip to the Field Museum last year during a free day. The museum has an amazing collection of specimens and fun temporary exhibits. The one they were hosting when we visited was the Blood Suckers exhibit.

The museum offers free admission days serval times a month for residents or students in Illinois.

[amnhnyc]

What can we learn from a dinosaur feather preserved in amber? Let’s go behind the scenes of the Museum’s collection of amber fossils to find out!

[tiny-glued-things]

Herbarium tour room box. 1:18 scale.

I wanted to make this piece because I kept making miniature herbarium specimens and I wanted a way to display them. What better way than to lay them out like we do for tours or open houses on the counter tops.

The box is a separate fruit box, and the herbarium cabinets were also made from smaller fruit boxes. The inside lid and sides are covered with some of my favorite specimen labels.

Here's a full-scale counter top with specimens for reference:

[katarinanavane]

Tiny curio collection pendants! I try to put as many interesting tiny things in each of these as possible, so if you like tiny things you've come to the right place

Possible contents include: fossils, tiny bones, opal chips, emu eggshell pieces, preserved seaweed, sea urchin spines, barnacle feeding feelers shells, 17 year cicada wings shell legs or claws, jewel beetle shell pieces, coral pieces, ancient Egyptian beads, gears, and more!

These will be available first at the Detroit oddities expo July 13-14 (2024 in case you're reading this in the future) but I'll list them online after that. I also messed up half the batch (not pictured) so if you're interested in a "second" at a discount let me know (the glue wasn't completely dry between the resin layers before the second pour so some items have a milky-looking aura.)

[srlgemstone]

Agate Pair