An icon of wealth, beauty and power
On view May 30 through Aug. 2
Discover El Dorado this summer at the Anchorage Museum with Gold, a dazzling exhibition created by the American Museum of Natural History.
These 300 geological specimens and cultural objects showcase gold in its most dramatic forms, from sunken treasure to hulking gold nuggets to ancient Aztec jewelry.
Visitors can literally surround themselves with gold. An entire 300-square-foot room in the gallery is covered floor-to-ceiling with just three ounces of 23-karat gold leaf.
The exhibition follows the path of gold from the molten depths of Earth to glittering examples of jewelry and artifacts that captivated ancient civilizations, from gold rushes that shaped the world to modern pop-culture baubles that continue to mesmerize us today.
Visitors learn how gold has been located, mined, processed and turned into objects both beautiful and useful. Displays explain the rare scientific properties of the mineral gold, including its extreme malleability (demonstrated by the gold room), reflectivity and conductivity that make gold invaluable to technology from satellite circuitry to astronaut helmets.
Exhibition highlights include examples of the first gold coins minted in ancient Lydia and Ionia (now Turkey); gleaming pre-Columbian jewelry; a Tiffany brooch designed by Paloma Picasso, a Fabergé Easter egg and Walter Cronkite’s Emmy.
Gold is organized by the American Museum of Natural History, New York, in cooperation with The Houston Museum of Natural Science.
Gold is a ticketed exhibition. Tickets are $12 adults, $7 members and $5 ages 3 to 17 in addition to museum admission.
The museum gratefully acknowledges the support of major sponsors Wells Fargo, BP, ConocoPhillips, TOTE and CIRI.
Special thanks to media sponsors Anchorage Daily News, KTUU Ch 2, KNBA 90.3 FM and Tati Broadcasting..
