Einstein Goes To The Museum

Starting in March the Carnegie Museum of Natural History hosted an exhibit on race and racism.  Last Thursday I finally found the time to go see it.  I went with a friend and my buddy Einstein. 

I might share my thoughts on that exhibit in another post.  Right now I want to show you how much Einstein enjoyed this field trip.  There were some surprises.

This display of bugs was right near the elevator.  Very natural history-ish.

Einstein does not seem too thrilled.

Einstein seems to often find himself threatened by birds.  Last year it was a big rubber ducky.  This time it's an eagle sculpture.

Einstein once again in peril - is he going to be lunch for the eagle?

Since the Carnegie is both an art museum and a natural history museum, we were not surprised to see people amongst the dinosaurs, honing their drawing skills.  It was a surprise to be looking down on the dinosaurs from above - not the usual vantage point one gets at a museum.

This photo is here mainly to point out that I was at the
museum WITHOUT CHILDREN so I did not HAVE to
 go see the dinosaurs up close.  

We were thrilled to see these guys in an exhibit about birds which we rushed past on the way to the race exhibit:

Foghorn Leghorn and Opus.

After seeing the exhibit on race, we tried to do a mad rush to see the rest of the museum.  First, to the Hall of Sculpture.  It is surprisingly empty of sculpture, unless you count pillars as sculpture.

This room is just crying out for some activity:
a water balloon fight?  a three-legged race?
One wonders if the sculptures have all gone out for tea.

Some clever sculptures on the second level of the Hall of Sculpture

A few more sculptures, but really,
we are not getting our money's worth of
sculptures in this Hall.

Then we rushed down toward the Hall of Architecture, stopping to see Jane on the way.

Einstein said he did want to stop and see this dinosaur.
 Jane was just hanging out in the hallway,
waiting to use the bathroom.  

 
 The Hall of Architecture, in contrast to the Hall of Sculpture, is crammed full of artistic objects.  My friend said that this has been her favorite part of the museum since childhood, and with good reason.  It has many fascinating things in it.

Sophocles stands guard at the entrance of the Hall of Architecture.

Einstein at the feet of Sophocles.

All of Sophocles with a little bit of Einstein

The Hall of Architecture contains a clash of ancient and modern.  On the left there is the facade of a Romanesque church from 12th century France, details of which I might show you in another post. There are all those majestic pillary things, which we did not even look at, and a piano hanging dangerously from the ceiling.  

The piano is participatory art - the sign encouraged us to not be afraid and to stand under the piano and take a selfie.  Einstein was game.  

Brave Einstein, among 12th and 21st century art.

All I could think of was the Veggie Tales movie of "Esther" where murderous peas try to drop a piano on the king.  I spent as little time as possible helping Einstein get under this piano.

Did a Boy Scout tie that huge knot?
What kind of knot is it, anyway?

Do you enjoy visiting museums?  What's your favorite?

What event would you want to have in that empty Hall of Sculpture?