Inspiration Part 10 - Field Museum

Welcome back!

            Since March had no theme per se, I was left wondering what to talk about in this month’s inspiration post. Going over my files, I realised there is still plenty of content from my trip to Chicago that is still unused.

This presented itself as the perfect opportunity to share these pictures. I had taken hundreds of photos, so deciding which to chose was not easy. But then it dawned on me; the Field Museum was mentioned in the book I reviewed last month (The Time Traveler’s Wife), so best cover it now while it was still fresh on everyone's mind.

First let us take a look at the building itself. The outside has a strong greco-roman feel to it, giving it an appearance that is both sophisticated and imposing. Once past the main doors, we enter the main hall, with its white walls, marble floors, high ceilings and the presence of giants (two elephants, totem poles and of course SUE, the T-Rex) succeed in making you realise just how small you are. Truly an awe inspiring experience.  

              Further inside, the main hall divides into several exhibition areas, each showcasing displays with different themes. There was obviously way too many things to list here, so I will stick to some of the most memorable. In order to try and include more content, the picture I will be posting will be panorama’s, so sorry if the images seem a bit distorted.

             First on the tour we have the animal displays. Large rooms with multiple aisles, each composed of large glass displays. Each display contained real, stuffed animals from various regions around the world. I believe it was mentioned somewhere that all of these animals had died of natural causes, either donated from zoos or wildlife reserves (but don’t quote me on that, since my memory has been known to be hazy). For those who have read The Time Traveler's Wife, below you will see Bushman the ape, who was mentioned in the book during Henry’s first encounter with himself.

             Next we had my favorite exhibit: dinosaurs! I have had a love for dinosaurs ever since I was a child, so I was super excited to see this exhibit. I have posted only a few pictures here, as I plan on making an inspiration post in the future centered on bones and archeological research, so I don’t want to give too much away. For now, enjoy some of the panoramas I took.

             The museum had two floors, a large portion of the area was dedicated to exhibits featuring cultures from different countries from various time periods. Among them were Ancient Egypt, Tibetan artefacts, the african slave trade, native indians and so much more. I wish I had had the time (and memory on my camera) to take more pictures from each display. These displays contained a plethora of potential reference material.

             As you can see, a trip to the museum, especially one as diverse as the Field Museum, can be especially beneficial for a writer looking for inspiration. Maybe you need references for a period piece taking place in Ancient Rome, various animals for a jungle setting or maybe just the layout of a museum for a particular scene. Bottom line: go visit one, you'll be surprised at what you will find.

            I hope you enjoyed this month's inspiration post and that I encouraged you to go out there and experience it for yourself. Until next time.

Cheers,

Patrick Osborne