Photo courtesy University of Memphis Libraries, Special Collections Department
Dear Vance: What happened to that big log in the old Pink Palace, where kids stuck their hands and tried to guess what was inside? — J.B., Memphis.
Dear J.B.: I was always nervous about this attraction. How could I be certain a rattlesnake or bear trap hadn’t been set in place, as a cruel trick?
When the “Memphis Museum of Natural History and Industrial Arts” first opened in 1930, visitors quietly admired old things displayed in cases, mounted to the walls, or lined up on shelves. But in the “Hall of Adventure,” dedicated to teaching children about nature, they encountered a truly “interactive exhibit.”
As you can see in the photo, the “mystery log” instructed children to “reach in hole, feel and guess, then lift lid.” I believe one of the objects was a tortoise shell, but can’t recall the others. To confirm your guess, kids lifted a tiny door and peered inside.
So what happened to it? According to Caroline Carrico, supervisor of exhibitions at the Pink Palace, “After being on display at the mansion for several years, we transferred it to Lichterman Nature Center, where it is in storage.” One mystery remains about the mystery log. Does anybody remember what objects were inside?
Got a question for Vance?
Email: askvance@memphismagazine.com
Mail: Vance Lauderdale, Memphis magazine, P.O. Box 1738, Memphis, TN 38103
ONLINE: memphismagazine.com/ask-vance
