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Article: Figures of fantasy: dragons, unicorns, mermaids and more: a New York exhibit assembles a cast of "Mythic Creatures," and scientists speculate about what inspired them.(American Museum of Natural History)
- Article from:
- The Philadelphia Inquirer (Philadelphia, PA)
- Article date:
- May 28, 2007
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2007 The Philadelphia Inquirer. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Byline: Faye Flam
May 28--NEW YORK -- Christopher Columbus, Henry Hudson and John Smith all recorded sightings of mermaids. Sea monsters populated the old ships' logs, too.
"The eye sees a fragment and the mind fills the rest," explains a placard near the entrance to "Mythic Creatures: Dragons, Unicorns and Mermaids," a new exhibit at the American Museum of Natural History here. The creatures "give shape to humankind's greatest hopes, fears and most passionate dreams."
The exhibit pulls together drawings, maps and other renderings of mythological beings famous (Loch Ness monster) and obscure (hippocampus, bunyip and kappa). Much of the display ...