April 9, 2018

Fairbanks

By Joe

Yesterday, as part of an assignment for the class I’m taking, I had to go to a natural history museum. I chose the Faibanks Museum in St. Johnsbury, VT. The Fairbanks Museum was founded in 1889 by St. Johnsbury industrialist Franklin Fairbanks.

Inside the classic Victorian building, you find a dazzling array of animals and artifacts, dolls and tools, shells and fossils, and much more! When Franklin Fairbanks opened the doors to this Museum in St. Johnsbury over a century ago, he invited all of New England to see beyond the horizon by bringing exquisite examples of natural science and beautiful artifacts from around the world to his home town. Inside, the collections include:

• natural science specimens (mounted birds, mammals, reptiles and fish; insects; nests and eggs; shells; fossils; rocks and minerals; herbarium)

• historical artifacts (tools; toys; dolls; textiles; weapons; archival photographs and documents)

• ethnological items representing Oceania, the Near East, Africa, Egypt, Japan and native North America.

It was a small museum but very interesting. The sheer number of birds in the collection is astounding.

I’d have liked to have gone to another museum while I was there. The Atheneum, which is the public library and art museum is supposed to be quite fabulous but sadly it was closed on Sunday. Another museum was also closed on Sunday, and yet another was closed for the winter. So, I only got to see the Fairbanks Museum.

About Joe

Unknown's avatar
I began my life in the South and for five years lived as a closeted teacher, but am now making a new life for myself as an oral historian in New England. I think my life will work out the way it was always meant to be. That doesn't mean there won't be ups and downs; that's all part of life. It means I just have to be patient. I feel like October 7, 2015 is my new birthday. It's a beginning filled with great hope. It's a second chance to live my life…not anyone else's. My profile picture is "David and Me," 2001 painting by artist Steve Walker. It happens to be one of my favorite modern gay art pieces. View all posts by Joe
This entry was posted on Monday, April 9th, 2018 at 7:00 am and posted in Education. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.

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