On Thursday, April 24, 2014, we unveiled the new Audubon display case, which was a gift of the Museum's Women's Committee. The custom-made display case was manufactured by Glasbau-Hahn, a company based in Frankfurt, Germany, that specializes in museum exhibit cases.
The new case has a top that lifts easily and stays open, unlike the old case that required two strong people to hold the heavy top open while we turned a page. The display deck rolls out, allowing enough clearance for the page to be turned. As you can see in the above picture, the book lies flat in this display, which is a more gentle position for the binding. Also note the beautiful graphics on the wall behind the case. The graphics serve two purposes: they inform visitors about the Audubon volumes, while at the same time block harmful sunlight from the windows.
The grand unveiling event was attended by about 90 guests, who enjoyed remarks by Dr. Evalyn Gates, Museum Director, and Wendy Wasman, Museum Librarian & Archivist.
CJ Abood, President of The Women's Committee, and Chace Anderson, President of the Museum's Board of Trustees, did the actual unveiling, amid a great deal of applause and "oohs and aahs" from the audience!
We were also treated to a special guest appearance by John James
Audubon himself, who regaled the crowd with stories of his adventures in
the American wilderness.
A huge thanks to The Women's Committee for their generous donation which allows us to showcase and protect our Audubon masterpiece for generations to come!
Thanks also to Harvey Webster for his spot-on portrayal of Audubon, and to Laura Dempsey for the photos.
