ALT Red and gold bodice from the History collection: Looking at old black and white photos can sometimes trick us into thinking that people lived colorless lives in the past, but as this c.1900 bodice shows, people in the past were surrounded by vibrant colors. Clothing became incredibly colorful with the development of aniline dyes in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Aniline, a by-product of coal tar, made it possible to synthesize vibrant dye colors inexpensively. As a result, fashions, especially for women, grew brighter and more colorful.

ALT Zebra sandstone from the Geology collection: the banding pattern in this zebra sandstone results from cyclic, alternating deposition; the colors come from red iron oxides and white and yellow quartz sand grains.

ALT "The Wheel of Deluded Existence," an image from a book called Celestial Gallery found in the Library collection, is found in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. Also commonly called the "Wheel of Life," the image depicts the realms of existence associated with the unenlightened state, encouraging us all to seek our higher purpose and pursue enlightenment.

ALT A close up of the wings of female (left) and male (right) monarch butterflies.