- This event has passed.
Spineless: A Glass Menagerie of Blaschka Marine Invertebrates
10/21/2023
Opening October 21, 2023
C. D. Mallory Building
Curated by Krystal Rose and James T. Carlton
For millennia, naturalists, scientists, sailors, and artists have been fascinated by marine invertebrates, an abundant, diverse, and ubiquitous group of sea creatures including sponges, jellyfish, sea anemones, crustaceans, mollusks (such as sea slugs and octopuses), sea squirts, and many more. However, finding a way to document these spineless species was often a challenge. When alive and in their natural habitats, many species, especially those with soft bodies, present in vibrant colors and unusual shapes. When extracted from the sea, the animals may quickly become colorless, shapeless, and sometimes almost unrecognizable.
The major exhibition Spineless, opening in October 2023 at Mystic Seaport Museum, will explore some of the inspiring ways that people have tried to record the ocean’s mesmerizing marine invertebrates. The main theme of the exhibition features the intriguing story of father and son glassmakers Leopold and Rudolf Blaschka of Dresden, Germany. In the 1850s, the elder Blaschka became fascinated by invertebrates he observed while at sea. Inspired to produce glass models that would capture their forms, anatomical details, and colors, he and his son went on to create a unique mail-order catalogue business. They successfully sold and distributed these often extraordinarily fragile pieces to museums and universities around the world for teaching and display purposes. Over forty of these exquisite models from the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard University and other institutions will be displayed.
Related Events
