Dinosaurs in the Collections of The Henry Ford

9 artifacts in this set

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The staff at The Henry Ford

What is a dinosaur? A "terrible lizard" -- the name given to a large group of reptiles, which died out approximately 65 million ago (though today's scientific community indicates modern birds are evolutionary relatives)? Or is a dinosaur something that is impractically large, old-fashioned, out-of-date, or obsolete? In 2024, curators at The Henry Ford found some fascinating "dinosaurs" lurking in our collections.

Detailed Description

"65 Million Years" by Kelly O'Dell, 2023

Sculpture (Visual work)

When Kelly O'Dell first began sculpting glass dinosaurs, it challenged her abilities as she explored the color and texture of glass, fashioning the eyes, horns, and claws of these beasts of the ancient past. Soon, these sculptures became more than a learning tool. Her work unearthed themes of extinction, preservation, memory, and self-reflection -- a connection to human mortality and a call to appreciate our time here on earth.