Sea Creatures in Glass

March 21, 2008 - March 1, 2009

Many years before they were commissioned by Harvard University to make the “Glass Flowers,” father and son artists Leopold and Rudolph Blaschka meticulously shaped glass and wire into lifelike models of marine animals.

This new exhibition features dozens of these spectacular glass animals, many on display for the first time since Harvard acquired them around 1878. Combined with video, real scientific specimens, a recreation of the Blaschka’s studio, and a rich assortment of memorabilia, these models of marine invertebrates offer intriguing insights into the history, personality, and artistry of the extraordinary men who created them.

Image courtesy of the Harvard Museum of Comparative Zoology.

Looking at Leaves: Photographs by Amanda Means

May 8, 2008 - February 8, 2009

Dramatic black and white images of single leaves by New York photographer Amanda Means are a monument to the remarkable diversity and beauty of nature's botanical forms. These detailed blow-ups, some printed as large as 38 x 46 inches, were created by using the leaf itself as a photographic negative. The immediacy of the process gives the images an eerie intensity and adds to their compelling beauty.

Raised in rural upstate New York, Means has lived and worked in Manhattan and Woodstock, New York, for 25 years. She is a graduate of Cornell University with an MFA from SUNY Buffalo. Her work is held in the collections of numerous museums and has been exhibited widely in the US, as well as in London, Madrid, and Jerusalem.

For more information see the press release.

Image credit: Amanda Means.

Nests & Eggs

May 2007 - August 2008

Nests & Eggs is a HMNH exhibition that draws on the University’s extensive collections. Visitors of all ages will enjoy learning  some of the myriad ways that birds nurture and protect their young. The exhibition features stunning displays of egg diversity, showcasing specimens that range in size from the basketball-sized egg of the elephant bird to tiny hummingbird eggs. Visitors can get nose-to-nose with a heath hen and her young hatchlings; and compare the familiar cup-shaped nest of a sparrow, the mud nest of a chimney swift, and the intricately woven nest of an African weaver. Combining real specimens, breathtaking photography, illustration, video, and hands-on experiences, Nests & Eggs is sure to delight visitors of all ages.

For more information see the press release. 

Looking at Animals: Photographs by Henry Horenstein

September 28, 2007 - April 27, 2008

With the vision of both an artist and a scientist, acclaimed Boston photographer Henry Horenstein has created haunting images of creatures from land and sea. His photographs offer new ways to see and think about animals, inviting us to look closer and examine details we might have never before noticed.

Henry Horenstein is Professor of Photography at Rhode Island School of Design and author of 30 books. His monographs include Creatures (1999), Aquatics (2001), Humans (2004), and Close Relations (2007). His work is in the collections of numerous museums, including the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, and Houston’s Museum of Fine Arts.

For more information see the press release. 

Image credit: Henry Horenstein.