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Restoring passenger pigeons

The New London Public Museum’s passenger pigeons are being restored.

Sponsors Al, Jennifer and Ben Grumann donated the money to the Friends of the New London Public Museum and asked for a matching donation from the Bemis Company, through their Employee Gift Matching Program.

With their donation and the matching funds, both birds can be cleaned and preserved.

This restoration is especially important as the museum honors the 100th anniversary of the passenger pigeon’s extinction. The last passenger pigeon died in captivity in 1914.

In April 1890, Charles Carr, the founder of the museum, collected these birds in Jefferson County, Wis.
Cleaning old bird mounts is the most difficult aspect of taxidermy restoration. This restoration is especially tricky as these birds cannot be replaced.

The restored birds will be back at the museum in time for the new exhibit, “Extinct: The 100th Anniversary of the Last Passenger Pigeon.”

The exhibit opens Sept. 6 and looks at the rise and fall of the species.  

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