Pompeii | Jennifer Kaplan

Remember when I went to see Pompeii: The Exhibition at the California Science Center? (If not, that post is here.) Well, after the #GoForPayload event the other day I went back to the Pompeii exhibit. I don’t think my pictures are particularly different than the ones I took before, but I was able to go back and look at items I’d wanted to get a better look at which was nice. (And I did manage to get pictures of things that I didn’t post the first time around!)

: Four Little Dogs, White Marble, 1st century BC

: Statuette of a Deer, White Marble, 2st century AD

: Clay Figurine, Clay, 1st century AD

: Safe, Wood, Bronze, 1st century BC – 1st century AD

: Statue of Ephebe (Young Man), Bronze with Silver Cladding, Glass Paste Eyes, Roman Copy of 5th century BC Statue

: Statue of Ephebe (Young Man), Bronze with Silver Cladding, Glass Paste Eyes, Roman Copy of 5th century BC Statue

: Labrum, White Marble, 1st Century AD

: Statue of a Satyr, Bronze, 1st century AD

: Mosiac with Gate Pattern, Mosaic in Black and White Tiles, 1st Century BC

: Table, Marble, 1st century AD

: Table, Marble, 1st century AD

: Sickle, Iron, 1st Century AD

: Oscillum of Blacksmith Working, Marble, 1st Century AD

: Rake, Iron, 1st Century AD

: Gardening Items – Hoe and Axe, Iron, 1st century AD

: Hammer, Iron, 1st Century AD

: Grill, Iron, 1st century AD

: Bronze Jug, Bronze, 1st century AD

: Bucket, Bronze, 1st century AD

: Frying Pan and Baking Tray, Bronze, 1st century AD

: Frying Pan with Two Handles, Bronze, 1st century AD

: Samovar, Bronze, 1st Century BC

: Silver Ribbed Pastry Mold, Plate, Spoon, and Shell Shaped Cup, all Silver, all 1st century AD

: Plate, Silver, 1st century AD

: Spoon, Silver, 1st century AD

: Lamp Stand, Bronze, 1st Century AD

: Bathtub, Bronze, 1st Century AD

: Bathtub, Bronze, 1st Century AD

: Anchor, Iron, 1st Century AD

: Amphoras for Garum, Olive Oil, and Wine, Terracotta, 1st Century AD

: Strigil, Silver and Bronze, 1st Century AD

: Pitcher, Light Blue Glass, 1st century AD

: Bottle, Light Blue Glass, 1st century AD

: Three Unguent Jars, Glass, 1st century AD

: Gold Necklace with Emeralds, Gold Half Shell Earrings, both 1st Century BC – 1st Century AD

: Ring, Jasper Intaglio Ring, Ring with a Pair of Emeralds, all Gold, all 1st century BC – 1st century AD

: Gold Necklace, 1st century BC – 1st century AD

: White Marble, 1st Century AD

: Glass Cup, Green Glass, 1st century AD

: Glass Cup, Variegated Blue and White Glass, 1st Century AD

: Glass Jug, Blue Glass, 1st Century AD

: Bronze, 1st century AD

: Bronze, 1st century AD

: Painted Terracotta Clay Figurines of a Gladiator, Iron, Gladiator Helmet, both 1st century AD

: Pair of Shin Guards, Bronze, 1st century AD

: Painted Plaster, 45-79 AD

: Terracotta Lamp, 1st century AD

: Statuette of a Satyr, Bronze, 1st Century AD

: Statuette of a Dancing Satyr, Bronze, 1st Century AD

: Bronze Statuette with Lamp (Tintinnabulum), 1st Century AD

: Bronze Statuette with Lamp (Tintinnabulum), 1st Century AD

: Bronze Statuette with Lamp (Tintinnabulum), 1st Century AD

: Cast of Man in Stairs, Resin Copy

: Cast of Youth with Sandals

: Cast of Man on Stairs, Resin Copy

: Cast of a Youth with Sandals

: Cast of a Child, Cast Replica

: Cast of Youth with Sandals

: Cast of a Youth, Resin Copy

: Cast of a Pregnant Woman, Chalk

: Cast of a Youth, Resin Copy

: Cast of Man on Stairs, Resin Copy

: Cast of Man from the Garden of the Fugitives, Resin Copy

Thanks to a very sweet friend I was able to see Pompeii: The Exhibition at the California Science Center. Now I’ll be honest, I didn’t know much about Pompeii and most of what I know came from TV and movies, so most of it is probably wrong. There is a brief summary of what happened in Pompeii here if, like me, you need to refresh your memory. (Or just verify what is fact and what is “Hollywood.”) In the grand tradition of museum exhibits, the room was not well-lit and almost everything was behind a reflective surface so please don’t judge the photos too harshly.

At first some of the artifacts seemed almost… underwhelming until I realized why. Without knowing I was doing it, I was expecting things that looked really old. Like, really, really old. But the items on display have been so well-preserved that it’s almost hard to believe they are as old as they are. Once I figured out that my expectations were flawed each and every piece overwhelmed me for how perfect it looked.

Just a small warning, there was some erotic art on display and a few pictures of it below. I’m pretty sure there are five of you who read this website and I know you all by name and how old you are so it’s nothing inappropriate for you, but if I’m wrong and human bodies or expressions of sexuality offend you, well… consider this your warning.

The casts of the victims were more emotional than I was expecting. (I’m not sure what I was expecting to be honest.) If you don’t know anything about them there is a good explanation here of what they are and how they are made.

I was describing them to a friend later over the phone and her reaction was “how creepy!” It was creepy on one level, yes. But it was also really personal in a way I wasn’t prepared for, and almost heart-warming in a strange way. 25,000 people dead heartwarming, you say?! Yeah, I know it sounds really bad/weird. When I was standing in the room with the casts I just kept thinking that everyone who died there probably died along with everyone they’d ever known. We were told earlier in the exhibit was that within a few years of the loss of Pompeii no one remembered where it had been. These people were basically erased, completely erased. It may have taken 2,000 years but now I was standing in front someone, looking at his face in surprisingly good detail. I may not know what his name was or if he were kind, if the kid liked sports or music better, if the pregnant woman was hoping for a boy or girl, but in that moment I was seeing them and grieving them and by extension all 25,000 victims. I think every human being deserves to be mourned no matter who they are at least for a moment. It took a really long time but these people are not erased anymore. So yes, it was creepy and sad and felt good all at once.

: White Marble, 1st Century AD

: Safe, Wood & Bronze, 1st Century BC – 1st Century AD

: Signet Ring, Bronze, 1st Century BC

: Landscape, Painted Plaster, 45-79 AD

: Satyr and Maenad, Painted Plaster, 45-79 AD

: Clay Figurine, 1st Century AD

: Marble Table, 27 BC – 14 AD

: White Marble, 1st Century BC

: Bronze, 1st Century AD

: Labrum, White Marble, 1st Century AD

: Bronze Statue with Silver Cladding, Glass Paste Eyes, Roman Copy of 5th Century BC Statue

: Bronze, 1st Century AD

: Leg of a Couch, Bronze, 1st Century AD

: Headrest, Bronze, 1st Century AD

: Mosaic in Black and White Tiles, 1st Century BC

: Spoon and Cups, 1st Century AD

: Samovar, Bronze, 1st Century BC

: Iron, 1st Century AD

: Oscillum of Blacksmith Working, Marble, 1st Century AD

: Iron, 1st Century AD

: Iron, 1st Century AD

: Cooking tools, Bronze, 1st Century AD

: Weights in Black and Dark Grey Marble, Iron, 1st Century AD

: Terracotta Jug, 1st Century AD

: Terracotta Jug, 1st Century AD

: Anchor, Iron, 1st Century AD

: Lamp, Bronze, 2nd half of 1st Century AD

: Oil Lamp, Bronze, 1st Century BC – 1st Century AD

: Lamp Stand, Bronze, 1st Century AD

: Terracotta, 1st Century AD

: Bathtub, Bronze, 1st Century AD

: White Marble, 1st Century AD

: Bronze, 50-25 BC

: Gold and Emerald Jewelry, 1st Century BC – 1st Century AD

: Marble, 1st Century AD

: Silver Mirror and Silver and Bronze Strigil, 1st Century AD

: Blue Glass, 1st Century AD

: Blue and White Glass, 1st Century AD

: Hydraulic Valves, Bronze, 1st Century AD

: Bronze, 1st Century AD

: Gladiator Shin Guard, Bronze, 1st Century AD

: Bronze, 1st Century AD

: Bronze, 1st Century AD

: Gladiator Helmet, Bronze, 1st Century AD

: Painted Plaster, 45-79 AD

: Bronze, 1st Century AD

: Bronze, 1st Century AD

: Bronze, 1st Century AD

: Resin Cast of Man

: Resin Cast of Youth

: Resin Cast of Child

: Resin Cast of Youth with Sandals

: Chalk Cast of a Pregnant Woman

And of course we had to visit the shuttle while we were there. (Because, ya know, I don’t have enough photos of Endeavour here and here, to say nothing of the hundreds I have that aren’t on this site!)