There have been multiple occasions where I’ve gasped while reviewing the images from the glass plate negative collection of the Bell Museum of Natural History. I saved many of those gasp-worthy images to share for this very week because they are creepy, kooky, mysterious, spooky, and yes, all together ooky – perfect to celebrate the spirit of Halloween. Each day this week I will share an interesting and/or off-putting image (however you want to categorize them) from the glass plate negative collection. With animal study as a primary interest of the University’s natural history museum, there are just as many creepy and curious images as there are cute ones…

Right off the bat, here are some images of a staple mascot of the upcoming holiday – a bat! This particular red bat was a specimen collected by museum taxidermist and preparator Jenness Richardson.

– Bat, red, front view, on table, undated


– Bat, red, central view, hanging, undated


– Bat, red, central view, hanging, undated


– Bat, red, side view, hanging, undated


– Bat, red, back view, hanging, undated