Periodic Paleo Posting - The Pie Cabinet

[bockryan]

Recently made some modifications and additions to my main display case and was inspired by some other threads to start working through my collection one fossil at a time (hopefully every few days) to sharpen some IDs and learn more about the fossils I’ve been collecting. Some of these fossils are in my main album, but many have not been added yet so this will be a good incentive to get things photographed, ID’d, and uploaded. Eagle-eyed forum members may spot a few gifts and exchanges from the forum that have enriched my collection.

 

First, some interesting history – the cabinet previously belonged to my great-uncle, who led an interesting life as a cook in the paratroopers during the Second World War, then as a bar owner in Greektown in Detroit, which is where he acquired it to store pies. Hopefully he wouldn’t mind that it’s now full of rocks.

 

I’ve added some fairly crude lighting (the next project might be to make it a bit more sophisticated) and an additional shelf made from acrylic. A friend helped me out by duplicating the two brackets used to support the shelves using his 3D printer. He also gifted me a 3D printed trilobite to grace the collection – pretty cool!

 

 

 

 

The first fossil is the ubiquitous Neuropteris ovata from the Llewellyn Formation exposure in Centralia, PA. There are a couple of fairly nice examples on this plate solidly preserved in white. Much of the material here is very flakey and prone to breaking, so it’s nice to get a good, solid piece (with the help of a little consolidation in some of the cracks, and a very thin layer of Paraloid on the fossils to prevent flaking). The white color, famously associated with the St. Claire locality, is due to the involvement of pyrophyllite and kaolinite in the fossilization process. A couple good explanations can be found here and here. There is also an ESCONI Species Spotlight on N. ovata that includes some fun paleoart and some gorgeous specimens from Mazon Creek concretions.

 

 

 

My label for this specimen is:

Neuropteris ovata

Centralia, PA

Llewellyn Formation

Carboniferous (Late Pennsylvanian)

 

And lastly, a few shots of the collection area. Endless fun slipping and sliding down the hill and coming home looking like you'd been mining coal all day.

 

 

[Ludwigia]

Lookin good. I do believe I recognize a few plant fossils in the cabinet

[Fossildude19]

Aside from the top shelf looking a bit, ... stressed, it is a very nice display! 
Great history behind it, as well.

Thanks for showing us. 

 

[bockryan]

11 minutes ago, Fossildude19 said:

Aside from the top shelf looking a bit, ... stressed, it is a very nice display! 
Great history behind it, as well.

Thanks for showing us. 

 

 

I think that's partially the angle but the shelves are a bit more flexible than I hoped, I may upgrade the thickness. I don't think it's the weight as there's basically nothing on the top shelf and what's there are very light specimens