New Museum Puts Billions of Years of History Into Hands Around the World
After raising $200,000 in five minutes, the latest Mini Museum proves people still love science and history.
FAIRFAX, VIRGINIA, February 27, 2017 (Newswire.com) - After delivering more than 10,000 personal museums to over 70 countries around the world, the Mini Museum has launched an all new collection featuring 29 rare and unusual items such as a brick from the streets of 14th century Venice, fossils from three of the largest predators of all time, and a slice of a 14th century Samurai sword.
Interest in the new collection has outstripped all expectations. The company raised over $200,000 in less than five minutes on the crowdfunding site Kickstarter and the campaign is still going until March 9th. When asked about the support of so many people around the world, Hans Fex, the creator of the Mini Museum was nearly speechless.
"It's truly overwhelming. I am just so grateful to continue the journey I set out on nearly forty years ago."
Hans Fex, Creator of the Mini Museum
"It's truly overwhelming," said Fex, pointing out that he'd been working most of his life on the project. "I am just so grateful to continue the journey I set out on nearly forty years ago."
The idea for the Mini Museum took hold when Fex was just seven years old. At the time, his father, Dr. Jörgen Fex of the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, MD. brought home a small relic he'd received at a conference in Malta and sealed it in epoxy.
"Nearly every weekend we'd do something science related," said Fex. "It might be going to the Smithsonian or studying something right at home. But when he showed me this relic, the idea for the Mini Museum hit me all at once. Holding history in your hand like that was an experience I wanted to share with everyone I could."
Over the course of a lifetime, Fex kept working on the Mini Museum, collecting specimens from around the world, meeting scientists, astronauts, and fellow adventurers. Then in 2013 after losing his position as a product designer, Fex decided to put all of his focus into the Mini Museum and turned to crowdfunding to try and make the Mini Museum a reality. Originally asking for $38,000 for safety equipment, the world responded by pledging more than $1.2 million in 30 days. Three years later, Fex and his team see the ongoing support as proof that science and history matter to people all over the world.
"People love science. People love history," said Jamie Grove, a friend of Hans Fex and co-founder of the Mini Museum. "It may not seem like it all the time, but there is hope. It's very inspiring."
As mentioned above, the Third Edition of the Mini Museum features 29 all new specimens, beginning with 4,557,000,000 year old space gems formed in the heart of an asteroid near the start of the solar system, and includes items from recent history such as the world's fastest airplane, the SR-71 Blackbird, and a piece of the Royal Wedding Cake of Prince Charles and Lady Diana. The 29 specimen version of the Mini Museum is $299 and a smaller, 12 specimen version is available for $129.
A full list of all the specimens in the Third Edition appears below. The company also provides pictures and detailed information about every specimen online at minimuseum.com.
Specimens of the Third Edition
- SPACE GEMS (4,557,000,000 years old)
- OLDEST EARTH (4,374,000,000 years old)
- GREAT OXYGEN EVENT (3,020,000,000 years old)
- OLDEST RIVER (Finke, 400,000,000 years old)
- JURASSIC TREE
- CRINOID (170,000,000 years old)
- SPINOSAURUS (Spine)
- ANKYLOSAURUS (Bone)
- MOSASAUR (Jaw)
- SAN ANDREAS FAULT
- MEGALODON (Tooth)
- MOLDAVITE (14,400,000 years old)
- GIANT SLOTH (Claw)
- DIRE WOLF (Bone)
- EGYPTIAN PAPYRUS
- VIKING AXE (10th Century)
- SAMURAI SWORD (14th Century)
- VENICE (14th Century)
- ROUGH OPAL (Australia)
- FIRST TRANSATLANTIC CABLE
- ALCATRAZ
- WWII ENIGMA (Rotor)
- FORDITE (Motor Agate)
- THE BEATLES (Cavern Club)
- SR-71 (Blackbird)
- PELÉ (Soccer ball)
- CHARLES & DIANA (Royal Wedding Cake)
- STEVE JOBS (Turtleneck)
- SPACE STATION MIR (Cosmonaut Food)
About the Mini Museum
Mini Museum creates personal collections of rare curiosities from Earth and beyond. Handcrafted and designed to last for generations, each Mini Museum is a limited edition collectible where each specimen is authentic, iconic, and labeled. More information is available at minimuseum.com
About the Third Edition
Available to reserve on Kickstarter until March 9th, the Third Edition of the Mini Museum features 29 specimens. The 29 specimen version of the Mini Museum is $299 and a smaller, 12 specimen version is available for $129.
Media Contact:
Jamie Grove
1-571-418-8133
press@minimuseum.com
Source: Mini Museum
