Author. Thinker. Other things.
Valentine’s Day is almost upon us. But we’ve had warning - the decorations started going up in stores the day after Christmas. As a holiday, though, it almost keeps pace with Christmas. The first incarnation of the celebration may go back to Ancient Roman times, with the fertility festival of Lupercalia. St. Valentine himself could... Continue Reading →
I’ve just returned from visiting two immersive experiences that provide a lot inspiration for how we frame - or could frame - our stories in natural history museums. The first of these is the City Museum in Saint Louis and the second, Meow Wolf in Santa Fe. Neither of these are natural history museums -... Continue Reading →
The Festive season is upon us. Many of us are busy hanging wreathes, decorating trees, and putting up mistletoe in doorways for that holiday smooch. If it's Christmas you celebrate, most of our traditions go far further back than inflatable characters out of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer on the front lawn. And one thing that... Continue Reading →
The other day, on a whim, we went to a thrift shop and something happened that you fantasize about but never expect. We found a masterpiece. The painting was sitting in a corner behind a lot of faded prints from the 1980s, with "$12.99". scrawled on the back. We thought it was probably a clever... Continue Reading →
I'm enjoying a rare opportunity to indulge in a little bit of curation. At Carnegie Museum of Natural History, we are putting up a new display on human evolution called Becoming Human and I'm working with our wonderful exhibitions team to work through the various stages of its development. It's going to be installed next... Continue Reading →
It's a little daunting contemplating finding something novel to write about cats, the unofficial mascot of the internet. But we're thinking of getting one (or two), to add some fun - and a few hair balls - to our household. There's a lot to think about. What to get and how to get it? We're... Continue Reading →
A friend just emailed me a series of articles which surprised me considerably. Each describes an event in which an animal has died at the hands of somebody - and in some cases many people - grabbing it to take selfies. Here are some examples within the last couple of weeks - warning this isn't... Continue Reading →
I was at a dinner party the other day when I overheard one of the guests describing a living room in disparaging terms because it was too filled with chintz. I have to admit it's not a fabric I spend much time considering, nor before writing this post even knew anything about (except that it... Continue Reading →
I have the very good fortune to have a wall in my office that is ideal to hang large artworks. It was very recently painted an deep forest green and, even more recently, was installed a magnificent painting of the Whanganui River, by Thomas William (T.W.) Downes in 1896. Earlier this year the work was... Continue Reading →
One of the things I've long found interesting is the importance of context in determining our perceptions of what we see. In the context of heritage, the difference between science, art, music and even rubbish, can be determined by the value conferred on it by its context. Last night I had the pleasure of attending the... Continue Reading →
ERIC DORFMAN 