Jurassic Technology on Fire

Photo: (c) Callum Perry

I'm late to the news, but a fire of unknown origin broke out at Culver City's Museum of Jurassic Technology on the night of July 8th. Founder David Wilson and family fought the blazes until assisted by seven LAFD fire engines. 

So yes, the title of this blog has become alarmingly literal in the past six months. ("Is your city ever not on fire?") The MJT blaze has nonetheless escaped mention in the local media. The most complete account I've seen is on the blog of Lawrence Weschler, author of Mr. Wilson's Cabinet of Wonder, the definitive book on Wilson's curiously conceptual anti-museum. The LAFD posted the photos seen here. The firefighters credit "the museum's caretaker" for "skillfully using a pair of handheld fire extinguishers to trounce flames" near the first-floor entrance to "Los Angeles' strangest museum."

Photo: (c) Callum Perry

Weschler reports,

"The enchanting gift shop (which is to other museum shops what the museum is to other museums, talk about an utterly confounding emporium!) was pretty much completely gutted—though thankfully that was the only part of the museum that sustained such direct loss. Much of the rest of the first floor, however, was limned in smoke damage—'as if a thin creamy brown liquid had been evenly poured over all the surfaces—the walls, the vitrines, the ceiling, the carpets, the eyepieces, everything'—and the staff and other volunteers were already at work following the repair protocols (dry cloth, soapy cloth, repeat, scrape, vacuum). It will likely take weeks, huge fans churning away the entire while. They don’t expect to reopen till sometime in August."

The economic losses are considerable for a shoestring nonprofit lacking a billionaire board. The MJT website accepts donations by credit card or Paypal. 

Photo: (c) Callum Perry