It has been many years since I last visited the Windy City so I jumped at the chance this spring when a conference presented just such an opportunity. While Chicago is not much more windy that New York City, and even less windy than Boston, it certainly didn’t disappoint, especially along the long waterfront walk from downtown to the Field Museum.
Meteorites with Field Museum documentation are highly coveted by collectors including myself. One favorite Field Museum piece in my collection is Fukutomi, Japan. Another is Paragould, Arkansas.
The Field Museum began life back in 1893 with a generous one million dollar donation by Marshall Field, a local prominent businessman. In that time, and many greats in the field of meteoritics passed through the Field Museum doors, most notably Oliver C. Farrington.
The following photographs depict the large displays of meteorite, but fall short in sharing the real magic of the gallery. Enjoy the images, but don’t let them substitute for a in-person visit to the museum.
It wouldn’t be a visit to the Field Museum without stopping by for a talk with Sue, their resident Tyrannosaurus rex. I remember the story of Sue’s out-of-ground troubles well having visited the Black Hills Institute during the dispute. And then again teaching about Sue through a well-funded promotional campaign sponsored by McDonalds.Until next time….
