Carmel Magazine

Carmel Magazine, Summer/Fall 2018

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A Storied Museum Gets its own Book B Y R E N E E B R I N C K S A s Monterey Peninsula native Patrick Whitehurst gathered research for his new Images of America book, "The Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History," he was struck by the facility's enduring role in the community. "In the 1800s, people would come by with things they'd found on the beach and wanted identified. People still do that sort of thing today," he says. "The museum has long been a favorite of locals who, like me, grew up visiting exhibits there." In addition to viewing museum displays and specimens as a child, Whitehurst served as its communications coordinator from 2014 to 2017. His book, published this spring, features historic photos and detailed descriptions of the museum's long-term evolution, from its original 1800s octagon environs to the 1980s arrival of the beloved Sandy the Whale sculpture. The book's release coincides with the muse- um's 135th birthday. An October gala will cele- brate the milestone, and museum exhibits director Juan Govea is also planning a retro- spective that will feature memorabilia uncov- ered during Whitehurst's research. "We started out as a community of learners who wanted to find out more about the world. Happily, that's still a central tenet here at the museum," says Govea. "The Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History" is available at the museum, select area bookstores or patrickwhitehurst.com. SHORTCUTS LIT Patrick Whitehurst authored "The Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History" for the Images of America series. The museum is a window into local history. 78 C A R M E L M A G A Z I N E • S U M M E R / F A L L 2 0 1 8 Photo: Kelli Uldall

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