bioephemera is art + biology - everything from representations of science in art and literature to the neuroscience of aesthetics. 
Before heading to the Apple Store SoHo for our blogging panel last Wednesday, I dropped by evolution ("science and art in SoHo"), a store recommended by Pam of Phantasmaphile.
Evolution is clearly NYC's prime destination for the amateur natural historian, an east coast cousin of Berkeley's Bone Room. They offer skulls (real and replica), butterflies and beetles in cases, minerals, shells, memento mori carvings, skins, ammonites, coprolites, meteorites, tusks, teeth, arrowheads, and other things one never dreamed one needed. A sphere of elemental copper? Natural hematite magnets? A wallet made of toadskin with the head still attached? Or. . .
Yes, that raccoon is holding a basket of bacula. That's just weird.
While I was snapping photos, an art student came in and bought two of the human skull models for drawing practice. He was seriously psyched. I get the feeling that most of evolution's customers may be tourists seeking unusual gifts (according to evolution's Alex, popular items include shell coin purses, alligator heads, and scorpion lollipops) but clearly artists love it too. My DonorsChoose challenge includes a request for a human skeleton to help art students learn figure drawing - for an artist, it truly is incredibly helpful to see and touch the bone under the skin.
A few more photos below the fold. . .
Thanks to Alex for his help, and permission to take these snapshots during a very busy day at the store. And thanks to Pam for the idea!
Life Science
Comments
I heard of it, yet could not find it last time when in NYC. I'll have to try harder next time. Amazing pictures, amazing store.
Posted by: Coturnix | October 5, 2008 5:45 PM
WANT! I think I have to go back now, just to visit that store if nothing else. I think I'm going to have to give my wife my wallet, though, or else I'll spend all out of money there. It's probably good I didn't go before the blogging panel; I never would have left.
Posted by: Laelaps | October 5, 2008 6:58 PM
For the most part, I'm very good at telling myself that I just don't want more stuff. Then I come here....
Posted by: Stephanie Z | October 5, 2008 8:54 PM
I love Evolution, Jessica. I used to work at a gallery just across the street and I spent way too much time in Evolution, staring at stuff I couldn't afford.
Good job with the ScienceBlogs panel, by the way. I thought the questions you all were asked were pretty bland, but you all handled them well. It was good to see you!
Posted by: Hungry Hyaena | October 5, 2008 10:20 PM
HAH I am the king of that WP page. I won at it. YES I DID MERGE OOSIK & RACCOON PENIS BONE because I am a winner.
Posted by: mordicai | October 5, 2008 11:21 PM
That's completely awesome! I MUST go!
Posted by: scicurious | October 6, 2008 8:54 AM
FTW: You have the coolest blog in the WORLD!
I think you have a nice camera, too.
Posted by: Greg Laden | October 6, 2008 6:22 PM
Yay...penis bones! Did you know these are used in Folk Magick? In Hoodoo they are commonly used in sex magick...they represent male potency! A "coon bone" is carried by men who are trying to increase their male power...voodoo viagra! They are carried by women looking to attract the opposite sex!
Posted by: Lady Lavona | October 7, 2008 2:05 AM
Ah yes. I came across this place purely by accident upon getting lost in NYC when I was there for two weeks in late May and had to come back a few days later. Amazing shop, though the cute raccoon holding the penis bones is new - when I was there they simply had a selection of penis bones from various mammals in a basket, among other things. (I have no idea why this doesn't disturb me - perhaps growing up in the south has something to do with it.) After staring at many beautiful, expensive things that I couldn't afford I settled on grabbing a t-shirt from there (about the only affordable thing in the shop!) since I wanted a non-stereotypical NY t-shirt to wear, anyway, and decided I had to support a shop that damn cool in some manner or another.
That said, for anyone that has been there - did you prefer the first floor or the second? I liked the first better, but that gigantic lobster carved out of ivory on the second floor was just AWESOME.
Posted by: Thomas M. | October 8, 2008 12:43 AM
if it's still there (hope so) also check out Maxilla and Mandible, just NW of Natural History Museum. Not as big, not as Soho-pricey, but seriously great.
Posted by: Schnoidl | October 12, 2008 12:34 PM
If I was 10 years old, that would be the coolest place in the world. But I'm 32 now and... yeah it's still pretty rad.
Posted by: website design | October 15, 2008 5:09 AM
Are shops like these regulated in some way nowadays because of potential conservation issues? I would be interested to know more about the collection of al the organisms and organism parts.
Posted by: Isabel | January 2, 2010 10:18 AM
"Our specimens are obtained from paleontologists, entomologists, anthropologists and others who supply museums and private collectors from all corners of the world.
All of our items are legally obtained and can be legally sold in New York State."
from their site; I just hope they aren't encouraging irresponsible collecting in some way.
Something about this business, selling creatures as curiosities, and its pre-conservation-awareness Victorian flavor...
The raccoon penises may be amusing but they would surely have been collected from drowsy families emerging from their dens in the spring who were hit by automobiles. Not such good luck for the raccoons. Sorry to be such a downer.
I'm also kinda creeped out by the toad purses - I wonder why so many of these toads are collected that they can be sold for leather and turned into inexpensive ($24.?) purses? And aren't those huge iridescent blue butterflies from the Amazon?
I guess I'll have to look into the issue!
Posted by: Isabel | January 2, 2010 11:28 AM
when i was a kid in the late 50's you could order neat stuff like this from Wards Science Inc?..Wards in the name for sure anyway.my Mom was not too happy with the Dogfish shark that came in the mail one day.even thru the plastic bag and cardboard box the stink of formaldehyde was sort of heavy.it was a science fair project and at over three feet long a real prize for a kid to dissect.my biology teacher put it out the window in the lab room but i was allowed to spend study halls working on it..so the crux of this is that you can't but this kind of stuff from Wards anymore,i checked their web site,unless your a school.nothing to kids anymore..no wonder they waste time with computer games...
Posted by: Dave | January 26, 2010 12:18 AM