The Fossils of SoHo

Before heading to the Apple Store SoHo for our blogging panel last Wednesday, I dropped by evolution ("science and art in SoHo"), a store recommended by Pam of Phantasmaphile .


Evolution is clearly NYC's prime destination for the amateur natural historian, an east coast cousin of Berkeley's Bone Room. They offer skulls (real and replica), butterflies and beetles in cases, minerals, shells, memento mori carvings, skins, ammonites, coprolites, meteorites, tusks, teeth, arrowheads, and other things one never dreamed one needed. A sphere of elemental copper? Natural hematite magnets? A wallet made of toadskin with the head still attached? Or. . .


Yes, that raccoon is holding a basket of bacula. That's just weird.


While I was snapping photos, an art student came in and bought two of the human skull models for drawing practice. He was seriously psyched. I get the feeling that most of evolution's customers may be tourists seeking unusual gifts (according to evolution's Alex, popular items include shell coin purses, alligator heads, and scorpion lollipops) but clearly artists love it too. My Donors Choose challenge includes a request for a human skeleton to help art students learn figure drawing - for an artist, it truly is incredibly helpful to see and touch the bone under the skin.

A few more photos below the fold. . .







Thanks to Alex for his help, and permission to take these snapshots during a very busy day at the store. And thanks to Pam for the idea