The Department of Geology continues to bring its historical treasures back into the Natural History Building.  Several detailed replicas of fossils that were part of the early natural history museum displays in NHB have been brought out of storage and are being mounted in the hallways for all to see.  The photo shows a U of I carpenter fastening a large fossil fish display to a wall in the hallway near the Geology faculty offices, and also close to teaching spaces used by the School of Integrative Biology.

The department owns several of these exhibits.  We think they are over a hundred years old, and they are detailed replicas of classic fossils (one original icthyosaur fossil exists in Chicago's Field Museum).  They are made of plaster, and were carefully taken down and stored by U of  I master carpenters when NHB was shut down for the big renovation.  They were stored in custom-made wooden crates for over three years and recently returned to NHB.