Gastropod Fossils at Boston Public Library McKim Building

 

When I visited the Boston Public Library's McKim Building in August 2022, I found it to be an artistic and geological wonder. So many gastropod fossils embedded in the polished limestone floor tiles. The complex is known as the Central Library in Copley Square of Boston, Massachusetts, USA. The building completed in 1895 with the chief architect being Charles Follen McKim (1847-1909).

When visiting The Abbey Room, after viewing artist Edwin Austin Abbey's (1852-1911) depiction of Sir Galahad's Quest for the Holy Grail composed of 15 panels, look at the checkerboard pattern on the floor. It consists of Istrian limestone (Croatia) and red Verona marble (Italy).

Learn more about the stone used in the McKim Building at this web site: 

https://quarriesandbeyond.org/states/ia/ia-structures.html

 

 While at the library check out the 1881 portrait of American journalist/lecturer Kate Field (1838-1896) painted by Francis Davis Millet (1846-1912). Millet died on April 15, 1912 when the RMS Titanic sank in the north Atlantic ocean.

Naseus rectifrons Fish Fossil

This fossil was displayed on August 2022, at the Harvard Museum of Natural History in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA. This fish fossil is called Naseus rectifrons (Agassiz, 1842). This specimen was found at Monte Bolca near Veona, Italy. It dates to the Eocene Epoch, Paleogene Period.

 

https://mczbase.mcz.harvard.edu/guid/MCZ:VP:VPF-5378

 

 

Dapedoglosus testis Fish Fossil

This fossil was displayed on August 2022, at the Harvard Museum of Natural History in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA. This fish fossil is called Dapedoglosus testis (Cope, 1887) along with a small Priscacara. This specimen was found in the Green River Formation at Kemmerer Wyoming USA. It dates to the Eocene Epoch (48 million years ago), Paleogene Period.

 

https://mczbase.mcz.harvard.edu/guid/MCZ:VP:VPF-13863

Mioplosus labricoides Fish Fossil

This fossil was displayed on August 2022, at the Harvard Museum of Natural History in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA. This fish fossil is called Mioplosus labricoides (Cope, 1887). This specimen was found in the Green River Formation at Kemmerer Wyoming USA. It dates to the Eocene Epoch (48 million years ago), Paleogene Period.

https://mczbase.mcz.harvard.edu/guid/MCZ:VP:VPF-5370

Priscacara serrata Fish Fossil at Harvard

This fossil was displayed on August 2022, at the Harvard Museum of Natural History in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA. This fish fossil is called Priscacara serrata (Cope, 1887). This specimen was found in the Green River Formation at Kemmerer Wyoming USA. It dates to the Eocene Epoch (48 million years ago), Paleogene Period

https://mczbase.mcz.harvard.edu/guid/MCZ:VP:VPF-5372

Ellipsocephalus hoffi? Trilobite Fossil

 

I was at a geology meeting yesterday there was this identified trilobite fossil there. The specimen is from the estate of Dr. James Conkin (1924-2017). No label was provided so identification is an educated guess.

My guess it is an Ellipsocephalus hoffi? (Schlotheim, 1823) trilobite fossil found in the Jince Formation of the Czech Republic. The fossil dates to the Cambrian Period (Drumian Age, Miaolingian Epoch). 

 

When I looked at Sunday's Courier Journal (October 16,2022) there was a huge two page advertisement for an upcoming art exhibit at the Speed Art Museum here in Louisville. It is entitled Alphose Mucha: Art Nouveau Visionary on exhibit October 21, 2022 thru January 21, 2023.

Alphonse Mucha (1860-1939) was born in the town of Ivančice in southern Moravia, Czech Republic. He grew up to become a graphic artist, painter and illustrator. So this artist is from the same country as this trilobite. He was famous for his Art Nouveau theater poster for the French actress Sarah Bernhardt (1844-1923).

 

Credit: Sarah Bernhardt in the role of La Tosca. Colour lithograph by A. Mucha, 1899. Wellcome Collection. Public Domain Mark

 

As it turns out Sarah Bernhardt visited Louisville five times to perform. Her first visit was February 21-22 in 1811. She performed Frou Frou on Monday night and Fedora on Tuesday night at Macauley's Theatre (1873-1925) and ticket prices ranged from $1-3. Sarah Bernhardt's next visit was about 10 years later when she acted in La Tosca on October 19, 1891 at the sold out 450 seat Louisville Auditorium and the next night at 8:30PM performed Fedora at the same theater. Interesting theater tickets were priced the same as before. 

 

1906 Postcard of Sarah Bernhardt in Fedora Source World Digital Library and Wikipedia

The Courier-Journal sent a reporter to Crawfordsville, Indiana to meet her private Monon train consisting of the engine, two baggage cars, a special coach and the actress's car. Another train was sent from Chicago to Cincinnati with the set for Cleopatra bypassing Louisville. She had closed a two week performance at McVicker's Theater in Chicago where the performed 10 shows a week. The reporter was invited to interview her about an hour outside of Louisville. The full interview is published on page 2 of the Monday October 18, 1891 edition. One part of the article stood out to me "When nearing Louisville she was asked if she remembered anything of her previous visit here. 'It is eleven years,' she said, 'and I have a very indistinct recollection. I can scarcely fix places or directions.' But as the train drew on the Bridge and some one said they were crossing the Ohio, she cried out: 'Oh the Ohio! Louisville is at the rapids. Yes, I remember all about it now. The rapids of the Ohio.'"

 

1894 Poster for the première production of Victorien Sardou's Gismonda starring Sarah Bernhardt at the Théâtre de la Renaissance in Paris.Plate 27 from "Les Maîtres de l'Affiche", Imprimerie Chaix (Encres Lorilleux & C^ie). From Wikipedia

According to her obituary notice in the Courier Journal in 1923 she returned to Louisville in 1898 to play in Gis Monda and Izael at the Auditorium. Bernhardt returned again in 1907.

 

Her last visit to Louisville, Kentucky USA was for a Saturday evening performance at Macauley's Theatre February 10, 1917. By then she was 70 years old and had part of one leg amputated so she acted several famous scenes (Cleopatra-Camille, Du Theatre Au Champ D'Honneur, Rosalie) from her past work while seated.  

One other tasty discovery I made at this geology meeting was tasting a Hoosier Cream pie. IT TASTES GREAT! Learn more about this type of pie at the IndyStar article.

 

 

Yellow Ammonite Fossils in Boston

 

When I was in Boston during August 2022 and second opportunity arose to visit The Boston Public Library's McKim Building. So here are some more pictures of the yellow ammonite fossils embedded in the marble (limestone) floor tiles. The complex is known as the Central Library in Copley Square of Boston, Massachusetts, USA. Charles Follen McKim (1847-1909) was the chief architect for this 1895 building 

The floor contains Jurassic Period yellow Siena marble (limestone) from Italy. When visiting the library look at the floor for sections of yellow marble and see the whorled remains of these cephalopods.

This last images shows a Louis St. Gaudens (1854-1913) Siena marble statue of a lion commissioned by American Civil War veterans to commemorate their fallen comrades of the Massachusetts Second and Twentieth volunteer infantries. The panels in the background are part of eight panels created by the French muralist Pierre Puvis de Chavannes (1824-1898). The panels represent the disciplines visitors could study at the library: Astronomy, Chemistry, Dramatic Poetry, Epic Poetry, History, Pastoral Poetry, Philosophy, and Physics.
 

Yellow Ammonoid Fossils at Central Boston Public Library

 

The Boston Public Library's McKim Building is an artistic and geological wonder. So many ammonite fossils embedded in the marble floor tiles. The complex is known as the Central Library in Copley Square of Boston, Massachusetts, USA. The building completed in 1895 at cost of 2.2 million dollars. Charles Follen McKim (1847-1909) was the chief architect for this building.

The floor contains Jurassic Period Siena marble (limestone) from Italy. When visiting the library look at the floor for sections of yellow marble and see the whorled remains of these cephalopods.

Once up the staircase the hallway leads to The Abbey Room and Bates Hall. The circular yellow section in the floor contains two prominent yellow ammonite fossils.

 

Other postings about Boston Public Library fossils:
https://louisvillefossils.blogspot.com/2022/08/red-ammonoid-fossils-at-central-boston.html
https://louisvillefossils.blogspot.com/2022/08/red-belemnite-fossil-at-boston-public.html

Siphonophrentis and Heterophrentis Horn Coral Fossils

These horn coral fossils were seen at the New Harmony Indiana USA Working Men's Institute Museum & Library in June 2020. Accession numbers are WMI 50.46 and 50.013.

The one on the left is Siphonophrentis (O'Connell, 1914) and on the right Heterophrentis (Billings, 1875). They existed in the Devonian Period. I wonder if they were found at the Falls of the Ohio. The genus  was named by Dr. Marjorie O'Connell in 1914, click her name to read about her fascinating life.

Triarthrus becki Trilobite Fossil

 

Yesterday's posting was of the trilobite Triarthrus eatoni (Hall, 1838) specimens on display at the Harvard Museum of Natural History. Today's post will cover another species of this trilobite highlighted in The Appendages, Anatomy, and Relationships of Trilobites by Percy E Raymond. It was published in December of 1920 by Connecticut Academy of Arts and Sciences. Dr. Raymond was associate professor of palaeontology and curator of invertebrate palaeontology in the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard University. It covers Charles Emerson Beecher (1856-1904) unpublished work on trilobites including the Triarthrus becki (Green, 1839?) found in the Utica Shale. Paleo-illustrator and MIT/Columbia University educated paleontologist Elvira Wood (1865-1928) did a lot of illustrating on this book.

On page 40 a historical description was provided, "Specimens of Triarthrus retaining appendages were first obtained by Mr. W. S. Valiant from the dark carbonaceous Utica shale near Rome, New York, in 1884, but no considerable amount of material was found until 1892. The first specimens were sent to Columbia University, and were described by Doctor W. D. Matthew (1893). This article was
accompanied by a plate of sketches, showing for the first time the presence of antennules in trilobites and indicating something of the endopodites and exopodites of the appendages of the cephalon, thorax,
and pygidium. Specimens had not yet been cleaned from the lower side, so that no great amount could then be learned of the detailed structure. Matthew concluded that 'The homology with Limulus seems
not to be as close in Triarthrus as in the forms studied by Mr. Walcott; but the characters seem to be of a more comprehensive type, approaching the general structure of the other Crustacea rather than any special form.'"

The following are from plate I in the book. Described as "Photographs of Triarthrus becki, made by C. E. Beecher."

Fig. 1. Specimen 213. The dorsal test has been removed from the glabella, revealing the outline of the posterior end of the hypostoma, the proximal ends of the antennules, the gnathites, and incomplete
endopodites of some appendages, × 5.43

Fig. 2. Specimen 214. The head of a complete large specimen. Part of the thorax is shown on pl. 3, fig. 6. Note especially the form of the segments of the endopodites and of the anterior coxopodite on the
right side, × 7.33.

Fig. 3. Specimen 217. This specimen shows better than any other the form of the gnathites of the cephalon. Note also the setæ of the exopodites under the cheek at the right. The appearance of a hook on the posterior gnathite on the right may be accidental, but it does not show broken edges, × 6.85.

Fig. 4. Specimen 215. The ventral side of the cephalon of a small entire specimen. Shows well the form of some of the gnathites and a few of the endopodites. Note the unusual position of the antennules. × 7.63.

Fig. 5. Specimen 226. This specimen did not photograph well, but is important as showing the exopodites and endopodites emerging from under the cephalon. × about 6.

Triarthrus eatoni Trilobite Fossils

When I visited the Harvard Museum of Natural History in August 2022, one of the most historical invertebrate fossils I found were these two. These trilobite fossils are Triarthrus eatoni (Hall, 1838). They were found in the Utica Shale of Trenton, New York USA. During the Taconic Orogeny, the geological process of moutain-building ash, clay and organic carbon compacted into what became the Utica Shale. The fossils date to the Late Ordovician Period.

The historical part of the specimens is that they were collected by Charles Doolittle Walcott (1850-1927). He is famous for discovering the Cambrian Burgess Shale of Canada and was the 4th secretary of Smithsonian Institution. Walcott published a number of papers on trilobites including the 1894 Note of Some Appendages of the Trilobites and 1918 Appendages of Trilobites.

https://mczbase.mcz.harvard.edu/guid/MCZ:IP:IPAR-5630

Recently, I bought a book that relates to this called The Appendages, Anatomy, and Relationships of Trilobites by Percy E Raymond. It was published in December of 1920 by Connecticut Academy of Arts and Sciences. Dr. Raymond was associate professor of palaeontology and curator of invertebrate palaeontologyin the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard University. It covers Charles Emerson Beecher (1856-1904) unpublished work on trilobites including the Triarthrus becki (Green, 1839?) found in the Utica Shale. Paleo-illustrator Elvira Wood (1865-1928) did quite a bit of work on this book.