AMERICAN METEORITE MUSEUM POSTCARD

This auction is for 1 (one) postcard from the famous METEOR CRATER, located on Route 66 in Northern Arizona (Az., Ariz., Ari.). The card was limited to a print of only 500 copies. Each postcard has also been autographed and hand numbered by the photographer. The postcard shows the ruins of the original American Meteorite Museum, which sets about 200 feet from the remains of Rt. 66. Search my auctions for more limited edition meteorite postcards.

Front of Postcard

Each card has been hand signed and numbered. The number in the photo is not the number you will get, you will get a random number.

Back of Postcard.

The structure stands on a small unkept dirt road. A small single lane road once busy with traffic now almost deserted. The road was once known as Route 66, it was a gateway to the west, or if you were coming the other way, to the east. The structure, now just a few crumbling red sandstone brick walls is empty and unwanted. Once known by locals as "The Observatory", it would have another name that should make this site a National Landmark. This broken and eroded building was proudly, The American Meteorite Museum, the first meteorite museum in the world. It's founder and curator, Dr. Harvey H. Nininger.

From October 1946 to September 1953, this was Nininger's home, workplace and lab. With display cases given to him by the Denver Museum of National History and a meteorite collection that would make most colleges jealous even today, Nininger did what he did best, educated the public about meteorites, and furthered the science of meteoritics.

The builder originally used red mud to bond the bricks in place and the building together. This error was discovered after the first rain, when the mud released itself from its home. Cement was quickly filled in, but as Nininger would later remember, it was never fixed completely. "After every storm we had to go about with a shovel or dust pan and bucket and mop. There were always six to a dozen places - not always the same ones - where mud piles accumulated. The most unsightly part was the walls. They had been plastered and we painted them white to reflect as much light as possible for the exhibits. Now the muddy water which ran down the walls left glaring red streaks."

But Nininger did not move in a building out in the middle of nowhere for its facilities. Outside the museum you could see it. As I walked around the ruins in March of 2003, Fifty years after Nininger left this place it was still there. If you could blink 100,000 years, it is likely it will still be as visible. Meteor Crater or Barringer Crater, the world's first and best preserved, meteorite crater.

It was 1871 when a crater was first mentioned in Coconino County, Arizona, U.S.A. Approximately 3850 feet wide, the unusual terrain is an impressive sight. The origin of the crater however was a debate for many years with most believing it to be a natural gas blowout. In 1902, Philadelphia lawyer and Mining Engineer Daniel Barringer visited the crater and at once suspected the crater's cosmic origin. After making a mining claim, Barringer and a group of investors started drilling in the crater for the large mass of meteorite he believed to be in the bottom of the crater, and the large commercial profit that would be make from its mineral values. About 30 holes were dug in the crater floor, set backs were numerous. Flooding of drilling holes, snapped drills, and slow work made the job frustrating to the workers.

The American Meteorite Museum charged an admission of twenty-five cents, most paid and were quite pleased but some would get angry. It was an educational place, and therefore in some peoples mind, admission should have been free. After all, wasn't education free in this country?

In the museum, was a collection of over five thousand meteorite specimens from over 526 falls and finds. Here you could purchase small meteorite samples and jewelry along with publications Nininger had written. There was no electricity so the hours open was limited to the hour of good light from the sun. Tours were given to those interested and would often include area classrooms.

As Nininger put it, "In the museum, a visitor could heft in his two hands a piece of matter from outer space. He could himself touch and wonder at these particles of matter that a scientist can weigh, can analyze, can study, and from which he can gain information just as significant as that the astronomer gains when he catches in his telescope lens light that has been on its way to earth for hundreds of millions of years."

Display were separated into 17 different aspects of meteorites and related. Among them were a few of the topics, Nininger himself was the first to question.

This building was Nininger's passion. This science was Nininger's life, a science that was greatly advanced because of this man. Yet today, not even a small metal plaque recognizes his accomplishments. A modern museum sets on the crater itself and the only reference there is to this great man is a couple lines that attack him and call him thief. It is no wonder Nininger became angry and bitter.

Once he had proposed a field plan for meteorite collecting to a national museum. They laughed at him and told him, if they did what he asked. He would be lucky to ever recover a single meteorite. Nininger replied the next time you see I will be selling you a meteorite. In truth, the next time they saw him, he sold them two.

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US and APO Bidder pays $2.00 shipping, Canada and Mexico $3.00, Elsewhere $4.00. Combined shipping is available at $0.50 each additional like item. Flat and non-flat items ship separate. SASE's are not accepted. Check (U. S. A. Only please), Money Order, or Credit and Debit cards with Pay Pal. You can pay by Pay Pal by clicking the gray Pay Pal button at the bottom of the auction. I do combine shipping if you win more then one auction but you must pay for all auctions in one payment. To view more postcard auctions, or just my meteorite related offerings click the store link, which will show you my store categories. There you will find the store categories "Postcards” and “Meteorites.” Thank you for your interest.