Palaoa

Bishop Museum, Honolulu

The Sperm Whale skeleton arrived from New York in December 1901, having traveled cross country and then overseas to Hawaii. The skeleton was assembled piece by piece. Two steel rods were inserted in the vertebrae for support. The "skin," made of a papier mache' mixture, was then added and painted.

The whale is open on the opposite side so that all the bones may be seen. Schoolchildren are in awe. So am I.