Exhibition

Mike Adams: Whale articulation & exhibit fabrication
Ian Breheny: Exhibit design
Jonnie Dietz: Lab coordination
Jeff Huber: Exhibit fabrication
Dale Johnson: Exhibit project management
Darcie MacMahon: Director of Exhibits & Public Programs
Chase Permann: Exhibit fabrication
Julie Waters: Exhibit content development
Hollis Wooley: Graphic design

Website

Sarah Fazenbaker: Website project management & audio production
Radha Krueger: Content development & social media coordination
Paul Ramey: Editor
Shuronna Wilson: Narrator (exhibit audio)
James Young: Theme development

Science

We gratefully acknowledge the curators, collection managers, research associates, postdocs and graduate students who contributed their voices and expertise to this exhibit:

Kurt Auffenberg, Amanda Bemis, David Blackburn, Jonathan Bloch, Jason Bourque, George Burgess, Ann Cordell, Charlie Covell, Kathleen Deagan, Kenneth Dodd, Mark Donop, Kitty Emery, Marc Frank, Kirsten Hecht, Richard Hulbert, Jaret Daniels, Douglas Jones, Walter Judd, Akito Kawahara, William Keegan, Michal Kowalewski, Andrew Kratter, Kenneth Krysko, Elise LeCompte, Michelle LeFebvre, Terry Lott, Bruce MacFadden, Steven Manchester, Bill Marquardt, Verity Mathis, Susan Milbrath, Jenna Moore, Max Nickerson, Patrick Norby, Larry Page, Gustav Paulay, Kent Perkins, Roger Portell, Irvy Quitmyer, David Reed, Robert Robins, Scott Robinson, Donna Ruhl, John Slapcinsky, Andrei Sourakov, Edward Stanley, David Steadman, Kent Vliet, Karen Walker, Neill Wallis, Hongshan Wang, Gifford Waters, Thomas Webber, Mark Whitten, Keith Willmott

Photography

All photography by Kristen Grace (unless otherwise noted), with assistance by Jeff Gage

From the photographer:

When first presented with this project, to photograph more than 170 specimens and artifacts for our 100th anniversary exhibition, website and coffee table book , I immediately knew I would shoot these items on clean backgrounds in a studio setting. Yes, this method limits perspective: Is that rock the same size as these mammoth tusks? But this is intentional. I was inspired by National Geographic photographer Joel Sartore to “level the playing field,” focusing on each object and equalizing its value. A dried orange blossom specimen can be just as intriguing as a megalodon jaw or a Seminole man’s long shirt as beautiful as a sea urchin. Every object featured in this exhibit is equally, but uniquely, important and interesting.

I am most comfortable photographing people, having studied journalism with a concentration in photojournalism. But for as long as I can remember, I have been fascinated with our natural surroundings. As a photojournalist, I enjoy making pictures of people exploring the environment. As a Florida Museum photographer, I enjoy photographing the natural history that shaped modern humans and the planet we know today.

Take a moment to look around your home at the things you have collected over time. Think about each item and the story behind it. The comfort we find in these objects runs deep. We cherish their stories and are eager to share these with friends, family and guests in our home. With these stories, we learn. We learn about history and about new places. We learn about people, plants, animals and our environment — and hopefully pass this knowledge on to others.

Welcome to our Museum’s home, our collections, our objects we have collected over time. Each of these items has a story to tell. As you look through this special anniversary website and exhibition, I sincerely hope you will take the time to think about these stories and objects and how they play a part in your life.

Exhibit Sponsors

Rare, Beautiful & Fascinating: 100 Years @FloridaMuseum was created by the Florida Museum of Natural History and made possible with financial support from Jon & Beverly Thompson and the 1923 Fund.