“The Messy History of Scientific Observation”

News item published on: 2025-09-11 10:01:00

Large open book with an image of a bird on the page. Science materials from University Libraries Special Collections are the focus of the exhibition “The Messy History of Scientific Observation,” now open on the second floor of McCain Archives and Library. The exhibition tracks science’s non-linear progression from ancient medicinal use of plants, the Age of Discovery, and the work of the Naturalists, through the development of modern marine science and space exploration. Technological advancements as catalysts for greater understanding and revised - or even reversed – scientific beliefs, as well as the ethical concerns in light of evolving perspectives, are examined in the exhibition.

Photo of six photos on the wall. The photos document different stages of the installation of a Medicine Garden Wheel. An opening reception will be held on Thursday, September 18, from 3 to 5 p.m., and on October 8 at 12 p.m., Dr. Tammy Greer, the creator of the Medicine Wheel Garden, will present a gallery talk. Additionally, a Coffee and Cookies with the Curators Chat is scheduled for Tuesday, September 23 at 9 a.m.

Exhibition highlights include specimens from the museum at the Gulf Coast Research Laboratory (GCRL) and from the Herbarium at Lake Thoreau. As the Medicine Wheel Garden celebrates its 20th anniversary, photography documenting its creation is on display. Among the rare books of the Naturalists is a double elephant folio copy of John James Audubon’s The Birds of America Volume 3 (1851). The exhibition draws upon a wide variety of materials from Special Collections, including archival material from physicist, Richard Herzog; drawings from ichthyologist and GCRL museum founder, Charles Eric Dawson; logs from ichthyologist, A.G. Fish; and Stennis photography gifted by Bettie Cox.

Special thanks to Nadine Phillips, interlibrary loan librarian, photographer, and nature therapist; Sara LeCroy, GCRL museum curator; and Mac Alford, professor and curator of the Herbarium, for their loans to the exhibition.

The exhibition is free and open to the public from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Monday to Friday, through Friday, October 17. To schedule a class visit, please contact .