Ceramic Figure

Ceramic Figure – ca. ?? Do you know how to spot a fake artifact? It can be extremely difficult!! For hundreds of years the art of forgery in antiquities has thrived and grown into a very sophisticated and lucrative business worldwide. Many high-profile and respected museums, galleries, auction houses, and collectors alike have been duped… Continue reading

Golden Calcite

Golden Calcite – Collected from Wasta, South Dakota A very common and widespread mineral, calcite can develop in hundreds of different crystalline formations and vary dramatically in size and shape. Calcite also forms in almost any color! This specimen is golden calcite, sometimes called honey calcite, which is often found in limestone areas. Did you… Continue reading

Red Fox

Red Fox – Native to Northern Hemisphere Did you know that red foxes are the most widespread meat-eating mammals on Earth? Other than humans of course. They live across much of the northern hemisphere, in open areas like woodlands, wetlands, and brushy fields. With a tail over half its body length, the red fox is… Continue reading

Vinyl Record, 33 1/3 RPM

Vinyl Record, 33 1/3 RPM – ca. 1965 Have you ever wondered what a steam train sounds like? You’re not alone! Semaphore Recording Company produced this vinyl record, “Doubleheader – a Double Feature of Steam Railroading Thrills” in 1965 to capture the sounds of steam engines in operation for enthusiasts before they vanished. On this… Continue reading

Valentine Card

Valentine Card – PopShots, ca. 1985 Happy Valentine’s Day! We hope you are giving a valentine to your sweetheart today, but it won’t be as stellar as this 3-D pop up card from 1985! With stars, hearts, and planets surrounding them, this couple of lovers sit closely together on a crescent moon that gives them… Continue reading

“Great Mogul” Playing Cards

“Great Mogul” Playing Cards – Belgium, ca. 1904 Did you know that today is National Periodic Table Day? But what does that have to do with this deck of playing cards? Russian scientist Dmitri Mendeleev created the periodic table of elements in 1869, and his love of the game solitaire helped him do so! In… Continue reading

Macintosh SE Personal Computer

Macintosh SE Personal Computer – 1987 40 years ago, Apple presented the Macintosh personal computer to the world. The Mac introduced the revolutionary graphic user interface (GUI), allowing users to click on icons for the programs they wanted to run instead of typing out names of programs on command lines. With the GUI, built-in-screen, and… Continue reading

Model Submarine

Model Submarine – Nautilus SSN 571 70 years ago in January 1954, the world’s first nuclear powered submarine was launched. Named after Captain Nemo’s submarine from the 1870 novel Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, the Nautilus was a large vessel at 323 feet long with a crew of 104. However, her pressurized-water nuclear reactor… Continue reading

Glenn Curtiss Commemorative Stamps

Glenn Curtiss Commemorative Stamps – 1980 This set of postmarked stamps commemorative the aviation pioneer Glenn Curtiss, one of the founders of the U.S. aircraft industry. Although he may be most known for developing the JN-4 “Jenny” two-seat training aircraft during World War I, Curtiss also created the world’s first successful flying boat. A flying… Continue reading

Iron Lung

Iron Lung – ca. 1940 On this day in 1938, President Franklin D. Roosevelt created the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis, better known as the March of Dimes. The organization was founded to combat polio, an infectious disease that affects nerves in the spinal cord or brain stem. In its most severe form, polio can… Continue reading