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The James R. Smail Natural History and Science Gallery was established in honor of James Smail, a beloved Biology professor and department chair, who died in 1993.  The mission of the Gallery is to communicate science in a primarily visual format.   All exhibits must meet three criteria.  The content must involve science, natural history, or mathematics.  The exhibit must have a strong educational component .  And, the exhibit must be visually striking.

Each year, a Department in the Science Division organizes an exhibit, which is mounted in the gallery for the entire academic year.  In many cases, the artist is invited and participates in the opening of an exhibit.  The gallery was created during the renovation of Macalester’s Science building during the mid-1990s.  With the generous help from alumni, friends, and family, a Smail Gallery endowment was created, which pays for the costs associated with the exhibits.

Images of the Sea

Flip Schulke '54  

Flip Schulke '54 is an internationally reknowned photographer, famous for his photos of people like Martin Luther King and Mohammed Ali.  He was also a pioneer in the development of underwater photography.  In the 1960s and 70s, little equipment was available to photograph underwater.  As a result, Schulke fabricated most of his own equipment.  This show exhibited some of the actual cameras and other technology Schulke used in his pioneering work as an underwater photographer as well as a number of his photographs.  The photograph on the lower right is the first underwater photograph ever taken of an orca. Schulke was just six feet from the orca when he shot the photo.   Curator:  Mark Davis, Biology.

Macalester College · 1600 Grand Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55105  USA · 651-696-6000
Comments and questions to Mark Davis davis@macalester.edu