Looking at Leaves: Photographs by Amanda Means

Opening May 9, 2008 

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.

Gallery talks with the photographer will be offered on May 9 at 3:00 pm and May 10 at 10:00 am. Free with museum admission. RSVP required: 617.495.2773 or This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it  

Sea Creatures in Glass

Through January 4, 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.

Nests & Eggs

Through August 2008

Nests & Eggs is a new 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.

Carl Linnaeus: A 300-Year Legacy

This mini-exhibit, on display through May 23, 2008, showcases rare Linnaeus books and specimens from Harvard's collections. For more information, see the press release here.

Climate Change: Our Global Experiment

Ongoing 

Developed in collaboration with the Harvard University Center for the Environment Climate Change: Our Global Experiment will help you separate truth from spin and provide a basis for making informed decisions affecting the future of our planet. The exhibit offers an insider’s look at the scientific study of climate, presenting the latest research from renowned experts at Harvard and around the world. Get the facts, draw your own conclusions, then take part in a unique computer simulation that allows you to choose a course of action and see the consequences for the planet.

Dodos, Trilobites, & Meteorites…Treasures of Nature and Science at Harvard

Ongoing 

Dodos, Trilobites, & Meteorites… showcases never-before-seen treasures from historic expeditions that explored the depths of the oceans, Tibetan mountain peaks, the Brazilian Amazon, America’s western frontier, and other remote environments then unknown to science. The exhibit also features stunning meteorites and 2 billion-year-old microfossil specimens that offer clues about the formation of the Earth and the origins of its myriad life forms.