The Gilboa Museum

Last month I visited the Gilboa Museum for its annual open house. I had been to the previous event and thoroughly enjoyed it – a wonderful celebration of small town America and local pride. The Museum itself, while originated and run by local volunteers, is not simply of local importance. Despite its limited hours of operation (mostly on weekends in the Summer), a quick look at the guestbook shows the many visitors and the surprising distances traveled. Gilboa in fact is known internationally.

In 1870, quarry workers discovered fossilized remains of tree stumps nearby. The geology community has long been aware of those findings. But it was very recently that discoveries have led to the charting of the oldest known forest floor anywhere. People come from all over to see the fossils and gain an understanding of the significance of the area. And were it not for the local volunteers, all the visitors would find is a quiet country road. The locals have much to be proud of and the Museum is a fine representation of that.

To me, the best part of the visit is always the fossil exhibit. Many more fossils have been added since last year. Hurricane Irene stirred the ground and has uncovered many new and interesting fossils. In fact, the fossils on display (most from the immediate area) are donations from friends and neighbors. Put all together, they form a unique and excellent collection that would make any major museum jealous!

So, let’s just look at some of the gems of the collection.

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Although the Museum is small, it is packed with fossils and artifacts of local life from the past. The final image shows the wonderful centerpiece of the displays. It is a painting that illustrates what is believed to be the area during the Devonian Period when the local forest thrived. Based on the most recent discoveries, this stunning painting was produced by the multitalented Ms Kristen Wycoff, who runs herd over this operation.

Ms Wycoff, it turns out, is as much a local treasure as the fossils themselves. If you visit, you will probably run into her. She is a most genial and well informed ambassador for all the good folks of Gilboa.

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Thank you as always for visiting. More images at www.artmurphy.com

Where To Spend the Money

Great news about NASA‘s success with the Curiosity Rover landing on Mars. Good reason to be excited, not only to recognize the sheer magnitude of achievement, but also for what is yet to come. The earliest images, specifically those from the descent camera, had everyone elated. But did you know that they almost didn’t happen?

A little reported story came over CNN by their science guy, John Zarrella, about Mike Malin, head of Malin Space Science Systems, a small company in San Diego. They have been designing, building, and operating space camera systems for the past twenty years. On this mission, to cut costs NASA decided to kill that descent camera after already spending a million dollars on it. Mike then found ways to finish the project through other funding sources, one of which was his own pocket. “Eighty thousand,” when asked he said with a big smile, “But wasn’t it worth it!” Check out the brief clip here.

So, in a country where the science community is applauded on one hand for it brilliance (but shortchanged on the funding front), that same brilliance and critical thinking is ridiculed by a significant portion of the public over issues like climate change. While more serious signs emerged this past week in a paper published by the National Academy of Sciences, some of the most vociferous deniers are the same people happy to fund programs like Louisiana’s School Voucher System. This little gem will allow millions to be spent in one of the worst school systems in the nation. Maybe on computers, or broadened subjects, or maybe even expanding (or simply initiating) music and art programs. One would hope. But no According to Mother Jones:  “Thanks to a new law privatizing public education in Louisiana, Bible-based curriculum can now indoctrinate young, pliant minds with the good news of the Lord – all on the taxpayers’ dime.”

One last note: These same people, who very well might sway the coming election, think that early earth history was something akin to Fred Flintstone riding dinosaurs 10,000 years ago. That kind of thinking will will be a great help in navigating us through the difficult times ahead!

A mixed bag of images today, some fossils (mostly plant, Devonian, from Schoharie County) and BFF ( Before Fred Flintstone!), others just some interesting rocks from the last hike.Don’t forget to look out for the Perseid Meteor Shower on the nights of August 11 through 13. If the skies are clear you’ll see a great show.

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Thank you as always for visiting. More images at www.artmurphy.com

Thanks again for the visit.

Changing the Subject

The Raphaelesque baby looks out from a flag draped wagon. Entitled “Manger” it is the result of a recent non-fossil foray with the camera. It began with an email that my good friend and fine photographer Alan Bryan sent to me and eight other photographers. The idea he put forth was that we all get together and photograph the Fourth of July Parade in the small town of Saugerties, just a few miles to the south.

When the idea was first raised all I could imagine was ten photographers swarming over the same handful of opportunities like a cloud of gnats! But, as we began the planning I came to see a wonderful opportunity. It is rare for me to work with anyone (other than clients). Photography, the way I practice it, is almost always a solitary experience. In fact, having someone else along generally is an unwanted distraction. But this time the idea of ten different and individual viewpoints focused on the same topic held great appeal. (It turns out that the town is not that small – shooting opportunities were everywhere one chose to look!).

We will be getting together soon to view the collective work . I look forward to that and will have more to share on the subject in the weeks ahead. In the meantime, I have chosen to share two of my favorites from that day. The second juxtaposes young boys in uniforms against photos of what were once boys, who, for a multitude of reasons, had to grow up way too fast. I think these two images are worth an extra pause. Much to reflect upon on a special day.

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And now, back to fossils. Last week I shared images from a new site I’ve been exploring. It was so dense with fossils that I had more to share than I had originally thought. Many that I found were plant related – something I seldom run across in my immediate area. it is always particularly stimulating to find new and different subject matter.

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I’ll close with two new images of fossils that have been sitting around the studio for weeks, seemingly overlooked. As oftentimes happens, the light one day fell across them in a most revealing way. These are the results.

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Thank you as always for visiting. More images at www.artmurphy.com

Thanks again for the visit.

Balance

I ran across an interesting article in the Times recently, one that continues to resonate and provoke thought. Entitled “Nature: Now Showing on TV” and written by Diane Ackerman, it speaks to our relationship with nature in the age of digital omnipresence. For all of the great benefits that the web provides (nature cams being a fine example), there is a tendency to retreat from first hand experiences in favor of the “…small, flat glowing screen.” Even worse, the article cites studies that refer to “…widespread ‘nature deficit disorder’ among children who mainly play indoors.”

It’s real easy these days to disengage –  curtail our activities and replace them with our various “entertainment delivery systems.” The diversions serve a good purpose often enough. (The world does seem a bit off kilter, don’t you think?) The concern, obviously, is all about striking the right balance.

I found a new creek to explore – well, new to me that is. I was told that fossils had been found there and it was worth a visit. It’s always something to look forward to – the possibility of finding something cool and interesting. That said, hunting for fossils is, to me, akin to “going fishing” – doesn’t matter how many you catch. Being out there is the real reason for it all. Shortly after taking the above image a beautiful bald eagle flew right over me as it slowly made its way downstream.

The fossil images above were the result of a trip I took to the site last week. I was very happy with the results. The variety of other shooting opportunities was just icing on the cake. These next five images are not fossils, just observations (although I’m not too sure about the “sea lion!”).

I started this post with an image of a skeleton (I believe it is a great blue heron) that I found on the side of the creek. I end it with a scene I found on my drive home.Subscribe at my homepage https://artandfossils.wordpress.com

Thank you as always for visiting. More images at www.artmurphy.com

Thanks again for the visit.

The Gilboa Forest

My good friend, Ms Linda VanAller Hernick from the New York State Museum, and her associates, are in the spotlight and part of the cover story of the March issue of Nature Magazine entitled “The Lost World.” It was their work that has led to the discovery of the floor of the world’s oldest forest. Personally for Linda “This is the culmination of a lifelong interest” as she told Paul Grondahl of the Albany Times-Union. It’s a fascinating story involving a number of scientists working together over a considerable period of time and well worth a read. I can’t do it justice so please go to any of the following links to learn more:

Albany Times-Union –  A land lost to time is big find for museum

Art Daily – Floor of oldest forest discovered in Schoharie County by New York State Museum researchers

And, of course, Nature Magazine, on the newsstands now.

I met Linda while I was working on a project involving the relationship between the Hudson River School painters of the 1800s and the “gentleman geologists” of the day. I had already photographed fossils from the “box of rocks”, as it is known, in the possession of Cedar Grove, the Thomas Cole National Historical Site. Along with a series of Catskill landscapes, taken in areas explored by the likes of Thomas Cole, Asher Durand, Frederic Church, etc., I needed to round out the project.

Linda opened up the NYSM fossil collection to me and allowed me to photograph numerous, rare plant fossils. These beautiful, delicate fossil images became, to me, the anchor that pulled my project together. In fact, the picture above of a plant fossil (Archaeopteris) needed a background to set it off. We used one of the Gilboa tree stumps for that purpose!

What follows are images that could only have been made with Linda’s assistance and expertise:

Congratulations once again to all involved. For fossil nerds like me it’s an exciting story.

Since I brought up the Thomas Cole “box of rocks” here are a few images from that endeavor:

One final note – Last week’s post contained a cephalopod image of mine about which a scientific question was asked. My explanation fell short. So, as I often do, I turned to my good friend, Dr. Chuck ver Straeten, for a full explanation and I want to thank him for that.

Thank you for the visit. More images at www.artmurphy.com

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