Cabinet of Curiosities

One of my favorite museum exhibits of all time is the Gem and Mineral Hall at the Los Angeles Natural History Museum. With two separate galleries housing over 2,000 specimens, I’ve always been amazed by the sheer size of the exhibit. The galleries are lined with cases on the side as well as cases in the middle of the floor. They have a wide variety of different kinds of crystals and minerals, as well as a special exhibit on minerals found in California and a room with precious gemstones. They are categorized by type and have multiple specimens made of the same material all together in the same case. While the exhibit is undoubtedly beautiful and very large, this size can be overwhelming at times. I felt that because there were so many specimens present, I didn’t really have time to admire any in particular.

While the crystal exhibit at La Specola had fewer specimens, I actually enjoyed it much more. The way the exhibit was designed gave it a more intimate feeling, while also allowing you to be in awe at the amount of crystals. At the natural History Museum, it is difficult to see everything at once, and other, less impressive, rocks crowd beautiful crystals. The Cristalli exhibit did a great job at letting the crystals stand for themselves. Whereas the Natural History Museum ordered them by type, La Specola did it either by color, or just randomly. I think this presentation gave the crystals a more magical feel. I also enjoyed spending more time around the crystals than I typically would if I had gone alone. By sketching them and documenting them for my project, I got the chance to really look at them and truly appreciate them.

When I was younger, I used to collect rocks and crystals every chance I could get. I would gather rocks and crystals from various stores and around my neighborhood. I would put them in a giant collection box and take them out every few days to categorize them and look at them. Although I didn’t realize it at the time, I was creating my own cabinet of curiosities. My fascination with crystals has continued throughout most of my life, so I was excited to get to work with them on this assignment. Crystals feel undoubtedly magical to me, both when I was a child and now. It is crazy to think that something so magical and otherworldly was made naturally right on this planet. I’m glad that I worked with only crystals for my project because it gave me a chance to really appreciate them. By doing such detailed and intricate studies, I was able to focus on every aspect of the crystals and see how magnificent they are. The rougher, less detailed paintings I did also gave me a different outlook on crystals. I was able to see the true essence and overall feeling of the crystals instead of just the details. Overall, I loved seeing a crystal exhibit different from the one I’ve seen in the past and appreciated the opportunity to really spend some time admiring them, both in La Specola and in my project.

Gem and Mineral Hall at the Natural History Museum in Los Angeles 

Cristalli Exhibit at La Specola in Florence