Smithsonian Museum of Natural History: The Foyer

Like so many other museums down on The Mall, the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History is currently under exterior renovations.  Inside the grand hall of Dinosaurs is closed and also in the midst a multiple year redesign.  But still, there's a lot of wonderful things to see.

The first is the enormous African Elephant gemstone of the Grand Foyer.  It's been part of the museum for decades.  A few years back it was completely restored and placed on a larger island covered with natural fauna and other species like small rodents and native birds.  My friend, Paul, was in charge of this iteration as the chief taxidermist of the Smithsonian Institutions.  When I saw that it was again pared back and the new information desk, I immediately went to the desk and asked the young woman when the change had occurred.  She had no idea what I was talking about....sigh...