[meteorite-list] Field Museum, My Story

From: KevTK_at_aol.com <KevTK_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 10:02:24 2004
Message-ID: <174.4766a97.29b3940b_at_aol.com>

In a message dated 3/2/02 9:59:42 PM Eastern Standard Time,
SSachs9056_at_aol.com writes:

<< I know I'm rambling, but the frustrations you feel towards the Field
Museum,
 I can certainly identify with. It would seem that when an institution has
one
 of the largest meteorite collections in the free world--the museum curator
 and research staff could certainly try and advocate for more display room,
 and / or monetary allocations, grants, at least get something in the museum
 store! Possibly it's just political. They certainly don't seem to be doing
 any kind of meteorite-interest outreach program for our young people. >>

I do know the feeling when I go to the Museum of Natual History in NYC. Same
story - nothing has changed in that room since I became inteseted in
meteorites.
First of all the collection is stuck way n the back of the building. Anyone
who enters in through the Central Park West doors may never find it. Those
lucky enough to enter in throught the 77St entrance only has to travel
throught the "Hall of Mollusks" and "Hall of Human Biology" - nice segues
huh? You only have to deal with a Sue Store! :-) We have Mollusks!
Why, when they rebuilt the planetarium (ugh, don't get me started) didn't
they include a new and improved room for the meteorites there? All they did
was reinstall Willamette on edge.
WOW! :-P There's also no mention of the collection on the far side of
the building.
My experience with the staff was not asking to volunteer but just to
photograph some specimens up close or behind the scenes for a TV show I did
for a local access astronomy show here. I wasn't told no - in so many words -
I was told that each photo I took would cost $10! Needless to say all I got
were the ones on display in the poorly lit room for free. None of the photos
turned out well enough for broadcast. Too bad.

BTW - I am a newbie to the list, and have been lurking for about a week. To
introduce myself, I'm a firefighter from NYC and have been collecting
meteorites for almost 15 years now. While I don't have the collections some
of you guys have (drool) I do own about 40 specimens now, and am a regular in
the meteorite section of ebay and other personal websites. I am the immediate
past President of the NJ Astronomical Assn. and am currently incharge of
building improvements there. Where we are modernizing our lecture room into a
disply discovery room. Well, I tortured you guys long enuff - back to lurking
and learning.

Kevin K.
Received on Sun 03 Mar 2002 09:58:19 AM PST