Friday, April 28, 2000
Walton firm creates exhibit for dinosaur shows
By Kristina Goetz
The Cincinnati Enquirer
WALTON — Before a pair of dinosaur castings tour museums across the country they're spending a little time in Northern Kentucky.
Folks at Murphy Catton Inc. are building two sets of interactive exhibits for the Chicago Field Museum that will be part of a traveling dinosaur show.
“We design and build custom museum and trade show exhibits,” said Mark Catton, president of the company.
Each show, called “A T-Rex Named Sue,” will fea ture the life-sized cast of Sue, the world's largest and most complete Tyrannosaurus Rex ever unearthed. The bones were found in South Dakota in the early 1990s. The casts are about 40 feet long and 15 feet tall.
“It's about the size of a tractor trailer,” said Mike Murphy, company vice president.
Although another company did the castings and Jack Rouse Associates designed the exhibit, employees at Murphy Catton are building the exhibits that will surround the giant T-Rexes.
“Many of them are graphic panels,” Mr. Murphy said. “It's an educational thing that's kind of geared toward kids but that adults can also enjoy.”
Two sculpted dinosaur heads will show children how the ancient creatures saw the world.
“The T-Rex had binocular vision like humans do that made them good hunters,” Mr. Murphy said.
“They can see that the T-Rex had depth perception. The triceratops had eyes on the side of its head much like a cow. It had a wide field of vision but no depth perception.”
Other exhibits will also show how a dinosaur jaw or arm worked.
Now, employees are putting the finishing touches on the exhibits so they'll be ready to be shipped in June. One of the castings, with a set of exhibits, will first go to Hawaii and the other will go to Boston.
Mr. Murphy said the traveling show is not yet scheduled to come to Cincinnati.
Cincinnati unprepared for terrorist acts
Submit your ideas for state motto
Bengals sue to manage stadium
Bishop Tutu next 'Freedom Conductor'
Son of Beast takes off today
Coach's sons charged in Badin drug theft
Kidnap victim strangled, burned
Police union criticizes Luken
Census-takers hit streets for count
Convicted murderer's rape trial gets under way
Cops crack down on drugs
Education solutions vary
McNicholas students protest coach's firing
Newport teen guilty of murder
Rally draws attention to rape
Book gives kids problem-solving tools
Report: State laws weak on charter schools
Test teaches parents how to help
Congressmen seek vote on Ohio motto
GET TO IT
Going to a wedding? You might find a date
'Mommy Magic' casts a spell of love
TRISTATE DIGEST
AROUND THE COMMONWEALTH
Queen City's moments to shine reflected in book
Adults invited to NKU
Butler County drug-board leader resigns
Classes help to clear trail
Clinton to visit schools in Ky., Ohio
Fine Arts Fund surpasses goal
Foes likely can't halt Hamilton park road
GOP 'David' targets Goliath
Kings building 2 schools
Ky. man charged in e-mail threats
Ludlow council again OKs budget mayor vetoed
Painting depicts aviation history
Policeman injured in mall chase
Sharonville decides against I-275 buffers
Taft's free tickets criticized
Teen girls learn how to cope with stress
'Traffic' movie needs extra extras
Values curricula proposed
Veteran lawman to serve as interim Carlisle police chief
Walton firm creates exhibit for dinosaur shows
