Event 4: Natural History Museum Los Angeles County

I truly enjoyed my experience at the Natural History Museum in Los Angeles County. Two exhibits really stuck out to me in light of the course: the first being the gem and mineral hall, the second being the display on seashells.

The exhibit featuring gems and minerals highlighted the scientific importance of rocks and minerals. It focused on the use of rocks as raw materials. It helped me understand the depletion of these wonderful resources and explored ways in which these resources could be conserved.

My sister and me.

Immediately, as I stepped into the gem and mineral room, I was overwhelmed by the vast amount of beautiful rocks the exhibit contained. A staff member informed me that the museum has over 150,000 types of gems and minerals. It is evident that I am not the only one who finds the vast array of art, because the museum also showcases several artists’ incorporation of these rocks.

I had no idea California was a
jackpot for minerals!

Since accent times, Native Americans have carved
animals out of both shell and rock. Today, the Zuni
Pueblo call them Zuni fetishes.

Hard to pick, but my favorite rock from
the exhibit.

Amazing gem stones, when owned (in this form
or in jewelry) signify status and wealth
in many cultures.

Candlestick holder carved from Jade in
China in the 19th or 20th century.

Vase carved from Jade. Also from
China in the 19th or 20th century.

Upon seeing the shell exhibit at the museum, I immediately thought back to Professor Vesna’s lecture discussing how shells were representative of the mathematical Fibonacci sequence. The exhibit showcased nearly 200 different types of shells, as I was later informed. While extraordinarily beautiful, the exhibit informed that contrary to popular belief, you cannot, in fact, hear the ocean from a sea shell. They are incapable of generating sound, but sound waves get trapped in the shell when you hold to your ear. Along with echoes from the outside of the shell, these sounds together form a sound much like ocean waves.

This mold from a cast screams Fibonacci sequence!

I recommend this museum to anyone who is interested in seeing a vast collection of either gems or seashells. (As a side note, be forewarned that it is generally advised to have a California sportsfishing license to collect mollusks, as one staff member informed me.)