We visited the American Masterpieces: The Artistic Legacy of California Indian Basketry exhibit at the California Museum.
A selection of the baskets from the warehouse in West Sacramento were spiffed up and put on display at the CA Museum. Although I was told I could use non-flash photography in the museum, I show no individual baskets here because the local tribes consider that a bit of a no-no.
The actual baskets were in very dimly lit displays, dim so as not to light-damage the baskets. Myself, while I know light may fade coloring on baskets, handling is good for them. Oil from human hands keep the fibers more alive, and without it the baskets grow brittle. Even baskets, now and again, desire the touch of admiring human hands.
Quite near the baskets exhibit was the traveling With Malice Toward None: Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Exhibit - no photographs allowed at all. Volumes of hand written Lincoln letters, Civil War memorabilia and the bit that had my full attention was the Lincoln family bible, used for the swearing in of President Obama at his inauguration. The bible is huge, and curiously the name on its front in gold lettering is Mary Todd Lincoln... no one knows how she managed that.
There was a quite display of the bits and bobs Lincoln had in his pockets the night of his assassination at the Ford Theater. Staring at 2 pair of eensie little eye glasses, strange little wallet, and lens cleaner and to think where they have been was amazing. One of the spectacles folded, and both pairs were so small they might have belonged to a myopic child. There was a play bill too, with a long-dry spot of blood on it, that the placard assured was a real blood - ewwww.
After the Lincoln exhibit I visited several other exhibits, including a totally depressing one about the Japanese Americans who found themselves squirreled away on American soil in dreary desert hovels for the crime of being racially Japanese during war time. After a lot of head shaking at unfairnes I have no control over, I decided something whimsical would be nice.
I discovered there are some strange animals hanging around the California State Musuem. They all seemed to have their origins in the v. strange mind of one Dr. Theodore Giesel, AKA Dr. Seuss.
