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Gail
Joined: 21 Feb 2008
Posts: 5839
Location: Texas, Lone Star State.
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Posted: Mar 18, 2009 09:41 Post subject: Re: The Smithsonian Mineral Visit with Behind the Scenes fun. |
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more notable minerals.
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Fluorite, this is a big one folks! Info in front of fluorite on the base. |
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_________________ Minerals you say? Why yes, I'll take a dozen or so... |
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Gail
Joined: 21 Feb 2008
Posts: 5839
Location: Texas, Lone Star State.
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Posted: Mar 18, 2009 09:47 Post subject: Re: The Smithsonian Mineral Visit with Behind the Scenes fun. |
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and...
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Info for specimen shown below. |
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This is a pretty spectacular attention getter. |
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info for the specimen in photo below. |
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_________________ Minerals you say? Why yes, I'll take a dozen or so... |
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Gail
Joined: 21 Feb 2008
Posts: 5839
Location: Texas, Lone Star State.
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Posted: Mar 18, 2009 09:55 Post subject: Re: The Smithsonian Mineral Visit with Behind the Scenes fun. |
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and...
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Some minerals that I am not all that familiar with. |
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Nicely displayed minerals. I am really pleased with how they are shown. |
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_________________ Minerals you say? Why yes, I'll take a dozen or so... |
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Gail
Joined: 21 Feb 2008
Posts: 5839
Location: Texas, Lone Star State.
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Posted: Mar 18, 2009 10:02 Post subject: Re: The Smithsonian Mineral Visit with Behind the Scenes fun. |
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ah, even more.
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This Mesolite looks like a gypsy moth nest! Very cool indeed. |
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Write up about Zeolites. I love that each case has some description and information about the displays. |
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Jessica got excited about the Sapphirine from Madagascar on the shelf in this photo. |
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_________________ Minerals you say? Why yes, I'll take a dozen or so... |
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Gail
Joined: 21 Feb 2008
Posts: 5839
Location: Texas, Lone Star State.
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Posted: Mar 18, 2009 10:07 Post subject: Re: The Smithsonian Mineral Visit with Behind the Scenes fun. |
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More minerals.
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I want first dibs on the one at the top! It is the very mineral that enticed me into collecting, and this one is a beauty! San Francisco Mine Wulfenite with mimetite. |
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_________________ Minerals you say? Why yes, I'll take a dozen or so... |
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Gail
Joined: 21 Feb 2008
Posts: 5839
Location: Texas, Lone Star State.
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Posted: Mar 18, 2009 10:16 Post subject: Re: The Smithsonian Mineral Visit with Behind the Scenes fun. |
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Fun with Jessica, Sarah and Bob. Saturday at the museum. We had asked them to join us while we were in town, and they came to spend a better part of the day with us. It was a treat to see Jessica, at ten years old, know so much!
I was given permission to post their photos, so thanks for letting me show them off a little.
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Sarah, Bob and their daughter, Jessica. |
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Bob and Jessica having a good time as they look at minerals. |
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Star of Bombay, what a romantic association! |
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_________________ Minerals you say? Why yes, I'll take a dozen or so... |
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Gail
Joined: 21 Feb 2008
Posts: 5839
Location: Texas, Lone Star State.
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Posted: Mar 18, 2009 10:20 Post subject: Re: The Smithsonian Mineral Visit with Behind the Scenes fun. |
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and more..
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Jessica stands next to a recreation of a crystal pocket. |
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Yes, you CAN touch this amazonite! |
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_________________ Minerals you say? Why yes, I'll take a dozen or so... |
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Gail
Joined: 21 Feb 2008
Posts: 5839
Location: Texas, Lone Star State.
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Posted: Mar 18, 2009 10:24 Post subject: Re: The Smithsonian Mineral Visit with Behind the Scenes fun. |
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some of the people there...
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My husband trying out his new macrolense. |
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Local women dressed in their traditional clothing. |
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The crowds in the mineral hall, amazing and busy ALL the time! |
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_________________ Minerals you say? Why yes, I'll take a dozen or so... |
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Gail
Joined: 21 Feb 2008
Posts: 5839
Location: Texas, Lone Star State.
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Posted: Mar 18, 2009 15:34 Post subject: Re: The Smithsonian Mineral Visit with Behind the Scenes fun. |
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a few more photos.
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Jim and Jessica with Bob looking at this flawless crystal ball. Waiting to see the witch from the Wizard of Oz show up saying "I'll get you my pretty, and your little dog too! ". |
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_________________ Minerals you say? Why yes, I'll take a dozen or so... |
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Gail
Joined: 21 Feb 2008
Posts: 5839
Location: Texas, Lone Star State.
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Posted: Mar 18, 2009 16:58 Post subject: Re: The Smithsonian Mineral Visit with Behind the Scenes fun. |
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Some items worth knowing.
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Pyrite, I overheard so many people talk about how well carved this is. How it is funny that it always is carved in cubes like that...ha! |
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Vanadinite. ( So I think the shape is that of a side of beef...my overactive imagination! ) |
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All about those that made it all possible. |
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_________________ Minerals you say? Why yes, I'll take a dozen or so... |
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Gail
Joined: 21 Feb 2008
Posts: 5839
Location: Texas, Lone Star State.
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Posted: Mar 19, 2009 09:39 Post subject: Re: The Smithsonian Mineral Visit with Behind the Scenes fun. |
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First, let me say that Jessica was sitting on a large beryl, not an amazonite...the large amzonite was in the next area and I should have looked closer. Many of you know how much I love amazonite....( not ) .
A few more photos...
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_________________ Minerals you say? Why yes, I'll take a dozen or so... |
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Gail
Joined: 21 Feb 2008
Posts: 5839
Location: Texas, Lone Star State.
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Posted: Mar 19, 2009 09:45 Post subject: Re: The Smithsonian Mineral Visit with Behind the Scenes fun. |
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still more.
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I caught some of the colour better in this photo, Goethite. |
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Rhodochrosite from Greece. |
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I might have posted this earlier, but worth seeing again if I did. Love the quartz with pyrite. |
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_________________ Minerals you say? Why yes, I'll take a dozen or so... |
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Gail
Joined: 21 Feb 2008
Posts: 5839
Location: Texas, Lone Star State.
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Posted: Mar 19, 2009 09:50 Post subject: Re: The Smithsonian Mineral Visit with Behind the Scenes fun. |
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and...
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Magnetite from Switzerland |
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This is an AMAZING rhodo. |
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Check out this incredible lead. |
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_________________ Minerals you say? Why yes, I'll take a dozen or so... |
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Gail
Joined: 21 Feb 2008
Posts: 5839
Location: Texas, Lone Star State.
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Posted: Mar 19, 2009 09:56 Post subject: Re: The Smithsonian Mineral Visit with Behind the Scenes fun. |
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and more.
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I loved seeing familys enjoying the displays. |
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I like the varied heights of the display, the subtle colour differences from one display to the next as far as shelf and background colour. This is an "interesting" display and well thought out. |
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Someone smart put this bench in the mineral hall. It is great to sit and look at minerals once in a while. Lots of older folks used it during the course of the day. |
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Assorted minerals, neat talc. |
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_________________ Minerals you say? Why yes, I'll take a dozen or so... |
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Gail
Joined: 21 Feb 2008
Posts: 5839
Location: Texas, Lone Star State.
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Posted: Mar 21, 2009 20:11 Post subject: Re: The Smithsonian Mineral Visit with Behind the Scenes fun. |
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"I'm back"
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This little cutie pie was running around the museum enjoying attention. |
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_________________ Minerals you say? Why yes, I'll take a dozen or so... |
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Michael Shaw
Site Admin
Joined: 30 Apr 2008
Posts: 2079
Location: Oklahoma
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Posted: Mar 22, 2009 11:07 Post subject: Re: The Smithsonian Mineral Visit with Behind the Scenes fun. |
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Gail,
Many thanks for posting all of the Smithsonian images. Years ago, we lived about an hour south of DC and had occasion to visit the museum quite often. It was nice to see the mineral hall again, especially with so many visitors.
After looking through the photos, I couldn't help but notice the bases or pedestals that most of the specimens are displayed on. They are very attractive, do not detract from the beauty of the specimens and are effective in creating a multi-level display. Do you happen to know what they are fabricated from? If not, perhaps John White or someone else knows. I'd like to try my hand at making some for my home display.
Mike Shaw
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Gail
Joined: 21 Feb 2008
Posts: 5839
Location: Texas, Lone Star State.
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Posted: Mar 24, 2009 08:55 Post subject: Re: The Smithsonian Mineral Visit with Behind the Scenes fun. |
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I agree Mike, and I stated so in along response last night just before the computer said "page timed out" and I lost all the photos and info I put on here. ( This has been the case for the last 3 times I tried to add to this thread )
So am copying this so I might repaste if that happens again. I think the risers are great, they give space and an opporunity to really see each specimen clearly.
Different colours for different displays too, many are very lightly beige and others are darker gray, or lighter depending.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
On another note, I think I will finish the photo section off with a few delightful pictures of our last day in the area. We left Washington to head north just over the state line into Pennsylvania and a fabulous visit to John and Merle White's home.
With a grand time looking at minerals and a fine bottle of wine and hearty lunch, well...it was hard to pull ourselves away and head to the airport 90 miles south.
John and Merle are wonderful hosts and I found myself becoming very fond of these two. I got a little choked up when I left and Jim and I talked about how fun it was being there the whole way home.
So, enjoy some parting photos....and I am going to do a write up of my thoughts when I find the time later.
Cheers, Gail
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John and Jim looking at minerals. I was there too, just never seem to get in many photos! |
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Locally made wine. It was wonderful. |
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Jim and John enjoying some banter as wine is poured. |
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_________________ Minerals you say? Why yes, I'll take a dozen or so... |
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John S. White
Site Admin
Joined: 04 Sep 2006
Posts: 1295
Location: Stewartstown, Pennsylvania, USA
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Posted: Mar 24, 2009 11:05 Post subject: Re: The Smithsonian Mineral Visit with Behind the Scenes fun. |
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I will just say that Merle and I were very sorry that Gail and Jim had to leave when they did. We really bonded. We hope they will return very soon.
With respect to the bases in the Smithsonian, I was not there when they were created but I believe they are simply very well-made wooden boxes painted various pastel colors, The labels were then silk-screened on them, a good idea only if you plan never to have to change the labels.
_________________ John S. White
aka Rondinaire |
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