A Natural Curiosity: A History of the Bell Museum

 

Organizer:  Don Luce

Date: Apr 22, 2023

Time: 10:00 am - 10:30 am

Location:  Washburn Library, 5244 Lyndale Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55419

From its humble beginnings as a one-room cabinet of scientific specimens, the University of Minnesota’s Bell Museum has grown to be an important cultural institution with a new public museum on the St Paul Campus. In this illustrated talk, Luce will trace the museum’s evolution, and highlight a sample of its remarkable history of programs and accomplishments.

As both a scientific research center and nexus for public education about the environment, the museum has made innovations in a diverse range of activities from the creation of wildlife habitat dioramas, to the development of radio-tracking for wildlife biology research. What has tied the many aspects of the museum together, is a passionate desire to make new discoveries about the natural world, and a commitment to build informed support for it preservation.

Don Luce, former curator of exhibits, worked at the Bell Museum for forty-three years, and is co-author of the book A Natural Curiosity: The Story of the Bell Museum, published by the University of Minnesota Press in 2022.