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Richard Fallon

@richardfallon.bsky.social

3.4K followers 1.5K following 750 posts

Scholar of Earth's history in literature and culture. Research Associate in Natural History Humanities at the Sedgwick Museum of Earth Sciences, University of Cambridge.

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Richard Fallon @richardfallon.bsky.social · 25d

In a few weeks, I'll be starting a new role as Research Associate in Natural History Humanities at Cambridge, based at the @sedgwickmuseum.bsky.social. As part of @camglamresearch.bsky.social, my project will be about 'Re-Excavating the Cambridge School of Geology, 1850–1914'.

Robert B. Farren's portrait of the elderly geologist Adam Sedgwick, cradling and gesturing to a globe.

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Richard Fallon @richardfallon.bsky.social · 1h

The tree outside is living its best autumn.

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Richard Fallon @richardfallon.bsky.social · 11h

Frankly I'm just getting gossip from the 1890 Sedgwick biography, which haa great snippets about the rogues gallery of former Woodwardian professors. I enjoyed this disgusting ornament:

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Reposted by Richard Fallon

fossilfamilytree.bsky.social @fossilfamilytree.bsky.social · 14h

The University of Queensland has this frieze, and several carvings all around the Great Court area.

A carved sandstone frieze from the 1950s depicting a forest scene with what appears to be a Triceratops, two Rhamphorhynchus-like pterosaurs, two small creatures (possibly mammals?), a Stegosaurus, two Archaeopteryx-like birds, a temnospondyl amphibian, and two sauropods. All of these are plausibly Jurassic, except for the Triceratops, so I'm not sure where that came from. Stegosaurus and Triceratops are North American, and Archaeopteryx is European, but sauropods, temnospondyls, and distant relatives of Stegosaurus are all found in Australia.

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Reposted by Richard Fallon

Rick Schmitz @rickschmitz.bsky.social · 20h

Not furniture, but there are a variety of prehistoric and modern animal life carved into the molding of the Biology Dept. at Cal Tech.

Many animals, including dinosaurs, elephants, trilobites, horseshoe crabs, sea stars, etc. are carved into the molding of the Biological Sciences building on the campus of Cal Tech.

I large crab is carved into the side of the Biological Sciences building on the campus of Cal Tech.

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Reposted by Richard Fallon

Suave Morbida @maitre-poulard.bsky.social · 21h

Pas sur les meubles, mais sur les murs de ma bibliothèque, il y a des dinos et des pterosaures chelou (bibliothèque d'étude et du patrimoine, Toulouse)

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Chris Manias @chrismanias.bsky.social · 21h

There is Quenstedt's magnificent desk with ammonite carvings in the Tübingen palaeontological collections:

A photograph of a scene in a library - a wooden desk, with carved ammonites and a very uncomfortable looking wooden chair are in the foreground. A microscope and book are on the desk. In the background is a bookshelf with a large number of old books, a card index cabinet, and a wallchart with a picture of a Pareiasaurus skull. There is also a white plaster bust of Friedrich August von Quenstedt behind the desk.

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Richard Fallon @richardfallon.bsky.social · 23h

As far as I can see the design is less ornately themed inside, which is why it's nice to see these occasional extra touches.

Richard Fallon @richardfallon.bsky.social · 1d

Yeah, it's a touch they didn't need to add, but did.

Richard Fallon @richardfallon.bsky.social · 1d

A literary Iguanodon at the Earth Sciences Library. Do any other libraries have dinosaurs or other antediluvian creatures carved into the furniture?

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Research Society for Victorian Periodicals @rs4vp.org · 1d

Are you doing #19thC attribution research? Do you have DH skills and nowhere to use them? YOU could be the next editor of the Curran Index! We're still accepting applications thru next week on 15 Oct. Lead this ongoing + fully supported DH project into its next iteration! rs4vp.org/curran-edito...

Lead the Curran Index as Our New Editor – RSVP

RSVP seeks a new Editor or Editors to lead the Curran Index! Applications should be sent to VP Alison Chapman by October 15.

rs4vp.org

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Richard Fallon @richardfallon.bsky.social · 1d

A heron of the Cam.

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Richard Fallon @richardfallon.bsky.social · 2d

Agostino Scilla's sketch of a shark in La vana speculazione disingannata dal senso (1670). This is Scilla's pencil sketch version in the @sedgwickmuseum.bsky.social archives. Wish my vain speculations could be undeceived by sense! Ah well.

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Richard Fallon @richardfallon.bsky.social · 4d

According to one (hostile) contemporary, Zacharias Conrad von Uffenbach, viewing John Woodward's celebrated museum of fossils was a trying experience. Woodward allegedly bored visitors by quoting 'whole pages of his works' and spent the entire time admiring himself in 'mirrors hanging in every room'

Title page of John Woodward's An Attempt towards a Natural History of the Fossils of England.

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Reposted by Richard Fallon

Steve White @sharkbitesteve.bsky.social · 5d

Very excited to find the advent calender with my NHM artwork already in our local Marks 'n' Sparks! Had to buy one even if it was just for the cool cutouts on the back! Now I'll be able to act out the classic T.rex v Trike confrontation!

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Reposted by Richard Fallon

Ben Miller @extinctmonsters.bsky.social · 6d

This adorable oreodont family has had quite a journey. Paul Miller made this mount for the U of Chicago Walker Museum in 1924. They were transferred to the Field when the Walker shut down, then loaned to the BYU museum for 60 years. The oreodonts are now back in Chicago. #FossilFriday

Framed plaster slab with three mounted Miniochoerus skeletons

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Richard Fallon @richardfallon.bsky.social · 7d

Charles Mason, Woodwardian Professor of Fossils at Cambridge, 1734–1762. According to one contemporary, the 'coarse and slovenly' Mason 'could ornament a subject at the same time that he disgusted and disgraced Society'.

Engraving of a sceptical-looking bewigged man.

Reposted by Richard Fallon

Darren Naish @tetzoo.bsky.social · 7d

You've likely seen Auguste Jobin's 1884 reconstruction of Stegosaurus, in which it's portrayed as a spiny-backed, long-necked biped. Great news! Splendidhand Toys have produced a model of Jobin's vision, I'm proud to own one :) Get your own at... www.etsy.com/uk/listing/4... #dinosaurs

Splendidhand model of Jobin stegosaur against rocky backdrop, info card in shot.

Splendidhand model of Jobin stegosaur against rocky backdrop.

Splendidhand model of Jobin stegosaur against rocky backdrop, close up.

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Richard Fallon @richardfallon.bsky.social · 7d

A Planorbis discus from the Bembridge Limestone of the Isle of Wight, presented to the @sedgwickmuseum.bsky.social by none other than Lord Tennyson. There rolls the deep where grew the tree!

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Iván Narváez @inarvaezp.bsky.social · 8d

Grillosaurus, Dyrodor, Filarmura, Stegoceratops, Monocornus... probablemente no te suenen estos #dinosaurios o 'dinosauroides', porque todos ellos son nomen ignotum. Es decir, son criaturas del pasado que sólo existen en los mundos de ficción. Te cuento más... [1/9]

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Richard Fallon @richardfallon.bsky.social · 8d

New job, new aurochs.

Shaggy sculpted aurochs on the stairway to the Sedgwick Museum of Earth Sciences.

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The Public Domain Review @publicdomainrev.bsky.social · 9d

Nudibranchs as pictured by a Japanese illustrator named Kumataro Ito, artist for the USS Albatross’ Philippine Expedition, 1907–10. More of his stunning images here: publicdomainreview.org/collection/k...

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Richard Fallon @richardfallon.bsky.social · 10d

Interesting New Yorker cover spotted.

Green-tinted cover of The New Yorker for 18 February 1950: a museum security guard finds that a fossil dinosaur egg has hatched.

Reposted by Richard Fallon

Crystal Palace Dinos @cpdinosaurs.bsky.social · 10d

Articles or photos that reference the condition of the Crystal Palace Dinos before 1950 are quite rare.

The caption on this photo, dated as 1924, refers them being “extracted from the mud”, which could imply a period of time where the lake also needed some attention..

Black and white scanned newspaper photo . A smartly dressed boy and girl study a fresh looking Crystal Palace Mosasaurus. The lake water level appears non-existent. The caption:

“The collection of models of antediluvian monsters on an island in the grounds of the Crystal Palace has now been extracted from the mud and renovated. Teeth and claws have been sharpened, eyes painted, and everything done to make them as attractive as possible.”

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Richard Fallon @richardfallon.bsky.social · 10d

A high street endling: there's one small, lonely, desolate fish still alive in the empty aquarium in what used to be Holy Moly, and the Japanese restaurant, on Harborne high street. Reminds me of Lafcadio Hearn's essay about the cricket he forgot to feed.

Reposted by Richard Fallon

Mike Sanders @bronterre1.bsky.social · 12d

Very sad to hear of the passing of Tony Harrison, a truly great #working-class poet. Probably best known for ‘V’ but fwiw I think his ‘School of Eloquence’ & ‘Continuous’ collections are outstanding.

youtu.be/FA3AL14d05k?...

'V' by Tony Harrison

YouTube video by spartakirk109

youtu.be

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