Author: UMMNH

Ann Copley Zinn

UMMNH

Year of Memory: 1940’s-Present Day
I grew up in Ann Arbor. My father, Frank O. Copley, was a faculty member in the Department of Classical Studies from 1935 until his retirement about 1976. There were five of us kids, and we lived across the Huron River in a rural area where the VA hospital now stands. As the oldest, I am only ten years younger than the Museum!

My father was always curious about the natural world. My siblings and I inherited his interest. He would often take us for walks in the woods and fields and to the pond near the house. He would have appreciated having his curiosity satisfied easily by the internet. However, just across the river in Ann Arbor there was the Ruthven Museum of Natural History!

The Zoo
I have many memories of the Museum, probably starting when I was about 5. My father’s office was in Angell Hall, just a short walk from the Museum. My first memory is of the small zoo of Michigan small animals located, along with a separate little pond for turtles, behind the Museum building near Washtenaw and Huron.

Identifying a Pond Creature
My second memory is of walking down a long hallway in the Museum with a jar in my hand that contained a ferocious looking creature from our local pond. My father had no idea what it was, but suggested I might find someone at the Museum who could tell me. I was looking for an open door along the corridor, not knowing who to ask. I went to the first open door, and made contact with the wonderful staff of the Museum for the first time. That kind person showed me where to go and who to ask about my small “monster”, which turned out to be a hellgrammite. After a satisfying identification and history, my father and I returned the creature to the pond to change into it’s adult form of a dobsonfly. I made many more visits with jars filled with mysterious things, fossils, plants. insects, rocks, and animals, which were always patiently explained and broadened my knowledge.

The Bone Belongs to …?
Many years later, our son, Fred, probably about 7 years old, discovered a bone in our yard and wondered about it. Even though I thought I knew what it was, we took it to the Museum and found an open door in the Mammal Division. That person took Fred in hand, told him the bone was a leg bone, and led him to a huge cabinet of drawers, each containing the bones of a similar mammal. He pulled out the drawers one by one, and had Fred compare his bone with the identical leg bone in each drawer. Naturally, he left the correct one until last, and Fred was delighted with being able to identify the bone himself. (It was the femur of a deer.) This was another wonderful teaching moment, one one that I really appreciated. And there were many more!

How the Bird Flies
Our family always loved the dioramas. Those beautiful works of art that took you into other worlds. My most favorite story is the day we were looking at the dioramas of indigenous people (that were recently removed to another facility.) This was always another teaching moment for us, and introduced us to the fact that not all tribes were the same. However, this day one of my sons wondered how a small bird was suspended in the sky in one of the dioramas. There was no visible support, but that bird was in the air. So, I said, “let’s go ask.” We went back into the hallways of the Museum, to the open doors, and eventually found the person who did the diorama. I believe it was Dr. Busch? We were both surprised and intrigued that the little bird was suspended by spider web, which introduced us to the amazing strength of spider silk.

Dinosaurs and Michigan Natural History
Over the years there have been many more contacts with the Museum: Dinosaurs especially when the kids were young. The diorama of ancient seas where the creature moved its arms realistically and scared the boys. Visiting for information from the Michigan exhibits when I was a field trip guide for the Ann Arbor Outdoor Education program. Learning about Michigan’s geologic history and its fossils. Learning more and more and loving it.

The Maston Trackway
Then, when I was 50 years old, I followed up on an old interest in Archaeology by taking Intro to Prehistoric Archaeology and jumping into avocational archaeology in the Michigan Archaeological Society. The Museum then meant even more as I worked in the Great Lakes Range to document archaeological sites found in Washtenaw County by our group with the help of several patient archaeologists, and was part of a group that helped Dan Fisher discover the mastodon trackway. Eventually, I was helping by doing ID Day for the museum.

Hopes for New Museum
I will miss the old museum, but I hope for the best. It would be wonderful if the opportunity will still exist for a young child to walk down a long corridor to an open door where someone will be willing to take time to kindle interest in the wonders of the natural world.

Quinn Burrell

UMMNH

B.S. in Evolutionary Anthropology with a minor in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

Year of Memory: 1998-2012
I’ve written a version of this comic several times, first starting freshman year of high school, and most recently last year at the age of 25. I have so many memories of the museum, it is impossible to narrow to just one and even harder to condense into a 3-page comic. The museum shaped me from a curious child into a professional scientific illustrator and I owe to it too many memories to ever put down on paper.

Matt Wund

UMMNH

Ph.D. Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, 2005

Year of Memory: 1999
Having been a graduate student in the Museum of Zoology from 1999 – 2005, the Ruthven Museum is at the heart of my whole Michigan experience.

In the winter of 1999, I came to visit campus as a prospective graduate student, and after my shuttle from the airport dropped me off in front of the Michigan League, I proceeded straight to the museum to meet with faculty. Within the first few minutes of browsing the exhibit museum, I decided that the University of Michigan was the place for me. I had a strong and immediate sense of belonging.

I have many wonderful memories from both the exhibit museum and the research wings, but perhaps my favorite is from one of the times I was leaving the museum at 2am after an evening of researching bat behavior for my dissertation. As I was walking in the basement hallway, about to return home for the night, a bat flew past my head. At first this didn’t register as odd, because I’d just left a room full of my own research subjects three floors up. But then it occurred to me that the basement hallway was not where I should be seeing a bat fly around. Too lazy to return to the 3rd floor to get my butterfly net, I successfully used my baseball cap to catch the bat mid-flight (on the first try!). It was not one of my research subjects, but instead a local big brown bat that had made its way inside, and who was trying to find his way out. I was glad to oblige him.

Duncan R.

UMMNH 2 Comments

 

Year of Memory: 1990s-Today
The University of Michigan Museum of Natural History (UMMNH) is a place with many fond memories for me. It started out when I was a small child, before I started school. When she was about to run errands (such as going to the grocery store), my mother would tell me that I was allowed to choose one errand for us to run. I always chose the museum, so we went there practically every day. I found myself absolutely dazzled by the prehistoric skeletons, the taxidermy specimens, and the T.A.M. (Transparent Anatomical Mannequin).

Fast-forward from early childhood to my high school years, and I was still a frequent visitor. In fact, in sophomore year (2011), I took a one-on-on class with scientific illustrator John Megahan. In our sessions, Mr. Megahan taught me about the value of drawing from observation, the use of watercolor paints, and how shadows and markings should match the contours of animals’ bodies. I cannot thank him enough for taking the time to teach me. This class has increased my interest in pursuing scientific illustration further, and I still abide by these lessons while working on my own art today.

As such, I frequently used the specimens on display as reference for imaginary creatures such as werewolves and dragons. Even though they are figments of the imagination, I want to create believable anatomies and mannerisms. Therefore, I look at the monster’s real counterparts (i.e. wolves, reptiles) for visual reference.

However, creative work is not the only reason I’ve gone to the museum. Although I’m now old enough to go alone, and I’m not taking any classes here; I still bring a friend every now and then. I brought my old girlfriend here (I think it was on our second date?). I also took one of my more pessimistic friends to the museum, even though he never really showed interest in dinosaurs before. His interests seemed to be primarily drinking, heavy metal, and video games.

Although, to my pleasant surprise, he showed great enthusiasm about the Pleistocene bison horns, and he told me he was relieved there were no basilosaurus living in the Great Lakes.

Due to the impact the museum has had on my creative activities and personal life, I will certainly miss it when it’s closed for the year. However, I am also eager to see what the new museum will behold in 2019 (I am especially excited for the new majungasaurus skeleton).

I am very thankful for everyone who’s contributed to this wonderful place. Keep up the good work! 🙂

The Dohm Family

UMMNH

Education 2008

Year of Memory: 2017
My 2 1/2 year olds first visit was April 2017 and he was so excited he ran around to see everything and said, “I not seen that before!” We have been obsessed with dinosaurs ever since.

The Hernández Jiménez Family

UMMNH

 

Year of Memory: February, 2013
A great memory of our first visit to our American-Mexican family at Ann Arbor. Both Zoe and Mateo enjoyed every minute inside, but Mateo was definitely blown away by the dinosaur models. He wanted a photo with each and every one of them. He even bought a fossilized shark’s tooth from the museum’s store which keeps always near him as one of his most precious treasures and he uses it to illustrate amazing adventures he imagines the shark may have had back then. We have been back to Ann Arbor more times in different years ever since. Kids have grown… but each and every time, a visit to Ann Arbor’s Museum of Natural History has been a must they look for!

Dave DeBruyn

UMMNH

LSA class of December, 1963

Year of Memory: 1961-63

A highly rewarding career of more than half a century as a planetarium professional might never have happened were it not for tip and follow up visit to what was then the “Exhibit Museum” in 1961. I was in my junior year at Michigan when astronomy lab instructor and mentor Charles Cowley told me about an employment opportunity. Cowley’s wife Anne, who like her husband was pursuing graduate studies in astronomy, was leaving a part-time position as a presenter in the Museum’s planetarium. “Talk to a lady named Heather Thorpe” he advised.

I beat a hasty trail to the facility in the venerable Ruthven Museums Building, finding Heather Thorpe an engaging person who was all business. She took a chance on a brash, untested “redhead.” It probably did not hurt when I told her I had built a basement planetarium in my home in North Muskegon while in high school, and with Charles Cowley’s encouragement, had presented shows at the planetarium in Angell Hall during Astronomy Department open houses.

I initially did mostly school presentations under tutelage of Thorpe and longtime weekend presenter Eileen Starr. When Starr moved on, I started doing weekend shows as well. “The Sky Tonight,” a basic current sky talk, was standard fare. The Spitz model A star projector was also pretty basic, motorized only for daily motion of the sky. Planet and moon positions had to be preset. The presenter stood in the center of the room, under an 18 foot diameter dome, controlling everything from a console at the base of the projector.

The growing popularity of the planetarium, and “spring rush” of school shows one after another found me losing my edge, and I was unavailable at times due to a busy academic schedule. Thorpe agreed that we needed more presenters, adding to a stream of future planetarium professionals – beginning with Starr – that has flowed continuously from under that tiny but highly significant dome on the fourth floor of the Exhibit Museum for decades.

Two notables I personally worked with while still at Michigan (many more would follow over the years) were Dennis Sunal, who went on to become a co-founder of the Great Lakes Planetarium Association, and the legendary Bob Victor, who originated (and still contributes to) the widely distributed Abrams Planetarium Sky Calendar issued from Michigan State University.

Our expanding student staff talked about introducing background music into our presentations, and also adding a slide projector and special effects. Thorpe and other Museum staff were cooperative in so far as resources would permit. I found myself spending more and more time at the Exhibit Museum. Entering my senior year, it was becoming abundantly clear what my life’s calling would be. Professional curators and exhibit preparers at the Museum were cordial and supportive of their sometimes overly enthusiastic young colleague. Memorable among them besides Thorpe was a fabrication specialist and all round handyman by the name of Joe Knueppelholz. The German immigrant had an easy going personality and a solution for just about any construction or electrical wiring issue that came up.

He found a way to increase the capacity of the console to include power switches and fade knobs to control auxiliary projectors and background music. I remember researching the components for the planetarium’s first decent sound system and working with Joe to install behind-the-dome speakers to provide stereo sound. To me, it was an impressive upgrade.

In the summer of ‘63, it was time to give the interior of the 18-foot-fabric projection dome a much needed paint job. Others joined me in slapping paint around its periphery, but it fell to Joe to paint the overhead area while standing on the TOP, not the top rung, of a tall step ladder. I can still vividly recall one of the most remarkable “balancing acts” I have ever witnessed.

The slide and special effects projectors allowed introduction of a few theme-based shows to supplement the venerable “Sky Tonight.” I vaguely remember shows about the stars visible over the southern hemisphere, a trip to the north pole, and one about seasonal changes. Other topics have become lost in the mists of time.

What surely has not gotten lost, and never will, is realization that our group started an amazing tradition of innovation that still rises from within that tiny dome. It would be difficult to name all of the people who, like me, began or enhanced their planetarium careers there. Several who come clearly to mind, in addition to the aforementioned Starr and Victor, are John Mosley, who went on to the famed Griffith Observatory and Planetarium in Los Angeles and for years edited the journal of the International Planetarium Society, and Garry Beckstrom, whose first director’s job was at the Exhibit Museum before going on to positions at Longway Planetarium in Flint and the new Delta College Planetarium in Bay City. Todd Slisher followed his passion as an innovative student presenter with planetarium positions in Columbia, South Carolina, Memphis, Tennessee, and Detroit Science Center. He is now Executive Director of the Sloan Museum and Longway Planetarium in Flint. Many more examples could be cited.

A recollection from September of 1963 stands out more clearly than any other from my years on campus in Ann Arbor. A Museum colleague had earlier told me about a position she had heard about for a lead curator at the new planetarium at the Grand Rapids Public Museum. Graduation was looming and I had already decided to put grad school on hold for a while, so I enthusiastically applied. I thought the interview over the summer had gone well, but despite favorable letters of recommendation from Heather Thorpe and others, I had heard nothing for weeks. I was preparing for disappointment.

As I arrived back at my rooming house that warm Saturday after doing the afternoon planetarium shows at the Museum, the landlady called my attention to a letter from the Grand Rapids Public Museum. Trembling as I opened it, I only read the first line from then Assistant Museum Director W.D. Frankforter: —- “It gives me pleasure to inform you that you have been appointed “ —- before running around to hug everyone I could find! It was the start of a dream career that extended across close to four decades. As stated earlier, that opportunity may have never come without the training, experience, and support acquired at the “Exhibit Museum.”

The Museum’s name was changed to the University of Michigan Museum of Natural History a number of years back, and as 2018 dawns, the current facility will go dark. As plans move forward to renovate Ruthven to take on a new function within the University community, the striking new Biological Sciences Building housing a new Museum of Natural History and Digital Dome Theater will be nearing completion right next door. Several exhibit galleries and the new Digital Dome Theater will open to the public in the spring of 2019.

Benefits from many years at the Grand Rapids Public Museum have enabled me to initiate something special for the institution that provided a life changing opportunity many years ago. The David L. DeBruyn Digital Dome Theater Student Internship Fund at Michigan will contribute to providing future planetarium professionals opportunities in a state-of-the-art planetarium similar to those extended to me and many others in its smaller, less sophisticated, but highly significant predecessor.

The Sneyd and Barna Families

UMMNH

2007

Year of Memory: 2013
Simple but so special. Just a very proud aunt taking her niece and nephew for the first time when Sarah was 2 and Jordan was 5. They were in awe and had an absolute blast, especially out front as you can see. It was one of their first times in A2, and having lived in and loved the city during my undergraduate and graduate years so much, it was particularly meaningful to bring them there. It remains a wonderful memory with many little, but big moments I can recall so clearly.

Susan Heuer Wakild

UMMNH



Biology – 1969

Year of Memory: 1968

A friend was a docent at the Museum. I thought that would be great to do as well. I remember coming for an interview and being blown away by dinosaur skeletons and info on woolly mammoths. At first, I was daunted by how much I had to memorize! As a docent for school groups, the students always loved learning about dinosaurs.

Working at the Museum confirmed my decision to major in biology.

Peggy Kett

UMMNH

 
Year of Memory: 2017
My daughter and I recently visited the museum with my grandson Charlie. Charlie is a 4-year-old, non-verbal autistic child. This year we saw an event for autistic children at the museum and jumped at the chance to let him enjoy what his mommy had years earlier.

What a wonderful experience!

The museum had comfort measures throughout if any of these amazing children got overwhelmed. We were so comfortable letting him explore and be himself without judgment from those who just ‘don’t get it’.

Please keep this amazing opportunity open to all of our kids. Inclusion means so much.

Sincerely,

Charlie’s Grandma