[meteorite-list] Wow, nice tactites

From: Darren Garrison <cynapse_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Fri, 30 Mar 2007 22:54:39 -0500
Message-ID: <4omr03989846vdlkbsl373nfp52v24vqim_at_4ax.com>

http://news10now.com/content/all_news/?ArID=100315&SecID=83

Museum exhibit showcases different uses of glass
Updated: 3/30/2007 7:06:21 PM
By: Kat De Maria
   
Curiosities of Glassmaking pays tribute to unusual collections that date back
centuries known as "cabinets of curiosities."

"The cabinet of curiosities typically included botanical specimens, insects,
unusual horns or tusks, and skeletons. Kind of all the kinds of things that were
made in the natural world that were deemed interesting and unusual," modern
glass curator Tina Oldknow said.

So, Tina decided to create her own cabinets of curiosity. She went through the
museum's collections and filled these cases with all things glass, many of which
were rather unique.
   
"I found odd things from Corning Glass Works made during the second World War.
Because of the metal shortages, they made things like glass-tipped bullets and
glass irons," Oldknow said.

Some of the curiosities date back a whole lot further, such as beads from the
tenth century B.C. that were believed to ward off the evil eye and balls to ward
off witches. And, those items don't even count among the most morbid.

"We have a copy of a patent that was issued by the US government in 1903 to a
man from Herkimer, New York for preserving the dead in glass,? Oldknow said.

Some of the curiosities aren't even man-made.

?We also have in our collection wonderful examples of glass made by nature:
fulgarites made when lightning strikes sand or tactite made from meteorite
impacts,? Oldknow said.

The curator said the items' diversity represents the range of glass displayed
elsewhere in the museum.

"They really don't expect to see the kind of range of things that they see
throughout the museum. This show is kind of a little encapsulation of all that,"
Oldknow said.

And, some other things for curiosity's sake.
Received on Fri 30 Mar 2007 11:54:39 PM PDT