This could be lengthy - but it seems incomplete without the background. When I was in elementary school, about fourth of fifth grade, my parents gave me an Invisible Woman kit for Christmas. I was fascinated by the skeleton and organs and to have some idea how they all fit together. Mind you this was in the early 1960s, long before all the technology that's available today. (The picture below is the current model.)
Then this summer I heard that an exhibit, "Our Body, the Universe Within" would be at the Alaska State Fair. Although I hadn't intended to go to the fair, my interest was piqued. The thought of seeing the exhibit drove me to find the time to go - and hopefully on a non-rainy day. Finally, on September 1, the last Saturday of the Fair, Uncle Ron and I made the trip to Palmer.
I was not disappointed. The exhibit had numerous skeletons, some just bones, some with muscles, tendons, and ligaments. In other displays, organs were shown either alone or with systems. The explanatory information was well written. The only other thing more I could have wanted was a personal tour guide who could answer all my questions. Alas, I have to find my own answers.
Now the Anchorage Museum is hosting an exhibit called "Body World The Original Human Bodies Exhibition." I plan to check it out as well.
Note: What wasn't mentioned above, is that the kit I received, had a second set of abdominal pieces depicting a woman at full term pregnancy. Dad tells me that the day I took the entire kit to school for show and tell he really heard about it. Seems even for the early 1960s my parents were more open-minded than some adults. You may ask with all my interest in the human body why I didn't go into medicine or a related field. I thought I would until volunteering as a "Candy Striper" and a few personal experiences I discovered I don't do well around bloody people and body fluids. Seems that I'm more interested in models and exhibits showing me how things fit and work together !
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