Join us for #MuseumWeek on Twitter

Perth Museum and Art Gallery joins institutions across Europe for open discussions on Twitter during the first ever #MuseumWeek, 24-30 March.

The microblogging service will launch the initiative to open up conversations between staff and museum visitors and supporters during a week of activities.

Participants are invited to join in using the #MuseumWeek hashtag, and various hashtags for themes that will change daily.

Perth Museum and Art Gallery will be participating throughout the week

Monday 24: #DayInTheLife: a conversation about the everyday workings of our museums,  Chat to Perth Museum and Art Gallery staff.

Tuesday 25: #MuseumMastermind: can you solve riddles about displays and collections? We will pose some questions throughout the day, can you solve the mysteries.

Wednesday 26: #MuseumMemories: share memories of your visits and your favourite specimens or exhibits from Perth Museum and Art Gallery.

Thursday 27: #BehindTheArt:  chat about the personality of the Museum. What lies behind the exhibits, history and architecture?

Friday 28: #AskTheCurator: what have you always wanted to know about natural history curation?

Saturday 29: #MuseumSelfies: share your selfies taken in museums. A chance to stamp your style on our specimens and exhibits.

Sunday 30: #GetCreative: recreate the story behind an exhibit or specimen in a single photo, or in 140 characters.

Historic Busking

Tam Daw's Horn

If ever out walking the streets or passing a park and overhear some fine music coming your way it might be worth stopping to take a look. As many will know, street performance is not a comparatively new concept and its history is really quite vast and colourful. One of our favourite examples of this comes from our own collection.

Thomas Christie of Kinross lived in Mill Street in Perth during the 19^th century. Better known as Tam Daw to his friends and passers by he used to play on the streets of Kinross for the locals. In particular he would often spend time playing during market days or for the homecoming of newly married couples.

Tam Daw’s instrument of choice however was not the increasingly more common drum kit that springs up in all areas of Scotland, but instead was a horn. This rather elaborate looking instrument made Tam Daw popular amongst the locals not least for his theatrical personality. This is well noted in the words painted on the horn’s side:

“Notice: Any lady or gentleman. Pleased to give the horn player a piece of money it will be thankfully received T. Christie Bellman Kinross 1867.”

A rather lovely and well written message to pass on to the locals. Perhaps one that might just crop up again in the future of busking.

A Step Through Time

Eubrontes Footprint

When first discovered in the Connecticut Valley in the early 19^th century, these fossils, according to geologist Edward Hitchcock, were thought to have been left by giant birds.

However, rather than a somewhat tremendously oversized feathered friend, this particular specimen, donated to the Marshall Museum in Kinross in 1860, belongs to a dinosaur.

At just under 210mm long, the print signifies the owner being a kind of large two-legged carnivorous dinosaur. Certainly not one you’d like to stumble in to alone at night.

Due to its overwhelming stature and presence it’s no wonder that these creature’s  footprints are scientifically referred to as, ‘Eubrontes’ or ‘true thunder.’ Suddenly Jurassic Park is seemingly all too real…

Not Your Average Tooth Ache

Megalodon Tooth

With the refurbishment of our museum galleries coming along nicely, we’ve had a great opportunity to get a closer look at some of our collections.

Perhaps one of our favourites from the Natural History collection is the rather frightening Pliocene shark’s tooth.

The extinct shark, Megalodon, was estimated to be 13 metres long (over twice the length of the average great white shark) and so, not surprisingly, was one of the world’s largest predators.

Megalodon teeth would vary greatly in size but this specimen, which is over 120mm long, makes it around three times larger than that of a great white sharks. Never mind Jaws, this is the real marauder of the sea.

Its sharp serrated teeth were probably used to attack seals and other marine mammals.

With the last Megalodon shark dying out some 1.5 million years ago, it makes it that bit easier to go near the ocean again.