2019 Perry Photo Challenge Kenneth Ferriera, Finalist
A Magical History Forgotten
The Nebraska State Museum has been the source of many magical moments. For many college students, though, the allure the building once held is not as strong anymore. Now it is just that dilapidated building they walk past on their way to class. Inside, though, young and old alike are finding a new love for the old building.
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Archie the mammoth, stands proudly before the University of Nebraska State Museum on March 9, 2019, in Lincoln, Nebraska. Founded in 1871 by Erwin Barbour, the museum has been a source of inspiration and wonder to young minds across Nebraska. However, as time passes and the young get older, the magic and allure the museum once held seems to dissipate. Photo by Kenneth Ferriera / Junior / Broadcasting and Journalism major
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Quinten Miller, 1, is led by his father Josh Miller, 38, through the paleontology exhibit at the University of Nebraska State Museum on March 9, 2019, in Lincoln, Nebraska. "He loves this place; whenever we are here he always wants to go see the dinosaurs," Josh said. Photo by Kenneth Ferriera / Junior / Broadcasting and Journalism major -
Oliver Cartwright, 3, peers through an opening in a small cave where cave dwelling creatures are displayed on the fourth floor at University of Nebraska State Museum on March 9, 2019, in Lincoln, Nebraska. Oliver is here with his family. "This is my first time here ever," said Oliver's father, Jamie Cartwright, 39. While many residents are aware of the museum some have never been. "It's just a little out of the way and not as interesting as the newer ones downtown," Jamie said. Photo by Kenneth Ferriera / Junior / Broadcasting and Journalism major -
Quinn Trutna, 13, holds Jaiden Green, 4, up to the viewing bubble so he can see the creatures that are in the tall grass exhibit at the University of Nebraska State Museum on March 9, 2019, in Lincoln, Nebraska. The family had only recently heard about the museum opening its new fourth floor. Parents and their children are the most common patrons at the museum. The new fourth floor exhibit has ramped up foot traffic in recent weeks. Photo by Kenneth Ferriera / Junior / Broadcasting and Journalism major -
From, left: Jayla Green, 8, Quinn Trutna, 13, Josiah Trutna, 14, and Tom Hertzel, 62, look through one of the many pamphlets that scatter the fourth floor at the University of Nebraska State Museum on March 9, 2019, in Lincoln, Nebraska. The family is here for one of the Investigate series of events. This month, it is all about invasive species in and around Nebraska. In an effort to attract patrons, the museum hosts events that are staffed by student workers and real scientists. Photo by Kenneth Ferriera / Junior / Broadcasting and Journalism major -
Jingshen Chu, 9, plays with an interactive game table at the University of Nebraska State Museum on March 9, 2019, in Lincoln, Nebraska. The museum underwent construction last year in an effort to stay relevant. Attendance numbers have risen. Thousands of people have already come this year. Photo by Kenneth Ferriera / Junior / Broadcasting and Journalism major -
Sally Cox, 5, lets pieces of sediment run through her hands at the University of Nebraska State Museum on March 9, 2019, in Lincoln, Nebraska. The museum has been trying to make exhibits more interactive. Studies suggest that incorporating interactive displays helps with learning. They ask that patrons be participants rather than bystanders. Photo by Kenneth Ferriera / Junior / Broadcasting and Journalism major -
Everett Burton, 6, holds sediment pieces in his hands for an exhibit that shows the distribution of rain on uneven land at the University of Nebraska State Museum on March 9, 2019, in Lincoln, Nebraska. For children, the museum is like a treasure trove. Around every corner it encourages exploration. Children are told to jump in and play, and the curious mind is rewarded with hidden surprises. As a professor himself the museum's founder would very likely approve. Photo by Kenneth Ferriera / Junior / Broadcasting and Journalism major -
Keanu Taylor, 6, looks up at the towering mammoth mural at the University of Nebraska State Museum on March 9, 2019, in Lincoln, Nebraska. The museum had originally gotten a donation of fossils from Erwin Barbour in 1991. Erwin went out on his own to try and fill the museum's empty displays. On one such expedition he discovered a new fossil he dubbed the Daimonelix. Photo by Kenneth Ferriera / Junior / Broadcasting and Journalism major -
Miguel Ayala, 34, shows his son Sebastian Ayala, 2, one of the mammoth bones that are open to touch at the University of Nebraska State Museum on March 9, 2019, in Lincoln, Nebraska. Charles Morrill learned that Erwin Barbour had been doing these expeditions with his own money, so he donated $1,000 to the museum. In his honor, the museum was named after Charles Morrill. Photo by Kenneth Ferriera / Junior / Broadcasting and Journalism major -
A family walks past the stuffed mountain lion exhibit in the basement of the University of Nebraska State Museum on March 9, 2019, in Lincoln, Nebraska. Erwin Barbour worked tirelessly on the museum he created. The morning of the day he died he was making plans for his next trip. He had been taking students on expeditions for almost 25 years. Henry Fairfield Osborne, who was president of the American Museum of Natural History at the time, had said, "Nowhere in the world today has any state or country an exhibition to compare to this." Photo by Kenneth Ferriera / Junior / Broadcasting and Journalism major -
Patrons move around the Mesozoic era exhibit at the University of Nebraska State Museum on March 9, 2019, in Lincoln, Nebraska. Those who forget their history are doomed to repeat it. In a world full of technology, the past and future combine at the University of Nebraska State Museum. While the magic and wonder for college students has waned for the dilapidated building, inside still exists a wondrous world of curiosity and magic. Photo by Kenneth Ferriera / Junior / Broadcasting and Journalism major