Exclusive Society Members Tour: Giant Predators of the Ancient Atlantic
Wednesday August 9
5:30 pm

South Carolina has been home to an astounding array of giant marine animals over the past 70 million years including crocodiles, whales, and predatory fish. Many of these adorn the Museum’s Bunting Natural History hall, however even more can be found lurking in the research collections. As many of these are one of a kind specimens, researchers from around the globe have made the trek to Charleston to study them. Join Curator of Natural History Matthew Gibson in a special look at these rare exciting creatures as well as the ways we preserve and study them.

Beverages and light hors d’oeuvres will be available. Registration is required.

This program is free of charge and exclusive for current Museum Members at the following Membership Levels: Milby Burton Society, Manigault Society and 1773 Society. Not a Member, yet? Join (or upgrade) your Membership, today!

Register online or call 843.722.2996 ext. 235.

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What’s the Pattern? Exploring Transfer-printed Earthenwares from Charleston
Thursday August 10
4:00 - 5:00 pm

Transfer printing, developed in Staffordshire around 1783, revolutionized the ceramic industry. This process, that used tissue paper to transfer a design from an engraved and inked copper plateto a ceramic vessel, allowed potters to quickly apply complex decoration to pottery. Printed wares were common through the nineteenth century, and came in a variety of vessel forms. North America was the main market, and British potters sent shiploads across the Atlantic, many decorated with American scenes. Many transfer patterns were produced for a short time, so identifying the pattern on pottery fragments allows archaeologists to better date their sites. But with thousands of patterns available, this isn’t always easy. Join Curator of Historical Archaeology Martha Zierden and archaeology volunteer Juliana Falk to view a table full of transfer printed earthenwares from the archaeology collections. We’ll discuss some of the archaeological sites that produced these ceramics. We’ll highlight identified patterns and use reference books and web sites to identify others.

Guests are invited to bring their own printed wares to be identified. Please note, due to the vast number of patterns, identification is not guaranteed. A limited number of wares are able to be identified at the workshop. Registration for identification is required and is on a first come, first served basis.

Member $25 | Non-Member $40
Member with Print Identification $40 | Non-Member with Print Identification $55

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Conversations with a Curator: Ice Age Giants with Curator of Natural History Matthew Gibson
Friday August 11
10:30 am

The Last Great Ice Age occurred 2.5 million to 11,700 years ago and Lowcountry was a very different place. During this period South Carolina was inhabited by giant sloths, mammoths, and saber-toothed cats. Often their bones are found in the bottom of our local rivers or washed up on our barrier islands and by studying these remains using a combination of cutting-edge methods, paleontologists can examine an ancient ecosystem that stands in stark contrast to what we see today. Escape the heat to join Curator of Natural History Matthew Gibson in learning about these Ice Age giants and the new and interesting ways we are studying them.

Conversations with a Curator allows visitors a chance to have an in-depth look at an object or exhibit in the Museum galleries, ask questions and spark conversations. The Charleston Museum’s collections are both extraordinary and diverse and each Curator-led talk and tour allows participants to immerse themselves in a different aspect of Charleston’s rich history.

All Conversations with a Curator programs are open to the public and FREE for Members and FREE with admission.

This program is FREE for Members and FREE with admission.

For more information call 843.722.2996 ext. 235

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Fossil Friday with the Natural History Department
Friday August 11
3:30 - 4:30 pm

Join Matthew Gibson, Curator of Natural History, or Jessie Peragine, Natural History Curatorial Assistant, on Fridays from 3:30 – 4:30 PM in the Bunting Natural History Gallery lab. They will be on hand to share projects currently being worked on and to help identify your fossil finds.

FREE for Members and FREE with admission to The Charleston Museum.

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