On Thursday, I offered to take the kids to the paleontology gallery of the natural history museum. (The natural history museum here is marvelous, but Eva was really only interested in the dinosaurs. They have separate buildings for paleontology and minerology.)
Apparently, last week was a school vacation, and everyone must have had the same idea. We had to wait in line for an hour and a half just to get into the building! Normally when we go to the Jardin des Plantes, we hardly even see any other people.
Max and Lucas wandered the gardens and took pictures while I waited in line with Eva. By the time we got in to the register, the museum was going to be closing in 45 minutes, so they didn't charge us admission (a bright spot in the day).
I love the attention to detail in these old museums. Even the stairs are interesting!
Eva was terribly excited that they had skeletons of dinosaurs we had never heard of, which is really something considering the number of dinosaur books we have read.
The boys and I were fascinated by the work in progress. They taped off a little section of the floor so they could continue assembly of a new skeleton.
Lucas photographing a creature "who forgot to brush his teeth."
One floor is devoted to Darwin's comparative anatomy. This is the true gallery of horrors section, containing creepiness in many forms, including a giant wall of jarred specimens in formaldehyde. (I tried to quickly steer Eva past the worst of it.)
The looks on their faces says so much. (Although Lucas is photographing whatever inspired those expressions of disgusted fascination.)
Of course I loved all of these old, hand-lettered signs. This one cracked me up, as it ends in a question mark. Apparently they're not quite sure what it is -- it might be a two-horned rhinoceros head -- but they just thought it was cool anyway?
Hard to believe, but this was the least creepy of the jarred specimens. Take my word for it. If you even knew, you'd thank me for my discretion.
It was an appropriate outing so close to Halloween...
8 comments:
I'm so glad they didn't charge you for your 45 minutes of museum time!
The grounds look gorgeous, of course, so it's too bad you didn't get a turn wandering around taking pictures too.
The hand lettering on the labels is great, apparently everything they do there is beautiful.
I thank you for your discretion and have to think Eva was able to endure much in the arms of her big brother- such a great photo!
That last photo would be great to frame and set out anually around Halloween once you are back in the states. It looks so Halloween to me.
I realize this shows my ignorance but do they "do" Halloween there? I am assuming All Saints Day is observed though, right?
I can't believe those labels are real. They are too cute, too endearingly antique to be real. I'm no one to dog on America, but I'm afraid that in a museum here in DC those tags would have been replaced long, long ago.
All of those skeletons look like they're running some kind of race...an evolution race. Ha! I kill myself.
I can't believe a place with such beautiful stairs contains bottles of brains. Although the French do have a love of contrast....I am intrigued to know what you photos you didn't take. Maybe Lucas should do a post with the creepiest items...It could be a great play on his "last thing you'd see" ideas.
"Jarred specimens"....sounds like something STRAIGHT outta Frankenstein.
I demand that you use a Jarred Specimen photo for next year's Halloween banner on your blog!
(do i have the right to make demands on someone else's blog? pushy of me.)
Those things in the jar are just plain gross. But the writing is oh so lovely! I wish everything could be written so nicely here in the states.
oh my that last photo is creepy, the only nice thing is the writing......ouuuuuuuu
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