CALVERT MARINE MUSEUM
14200 Solomons Island Road
Solomons, MD 20688
Press Contact: Traci Cimini - 410-326-2042 x62

CMM-PR-16-49
June 30, 2016
For Immediate Release

GRANT AWARDED TO STORE DONATED SEA SHELL COLLECTION

The Calvert Marine Museum (CMM) received a world-wide collection of thousands of sea shells in May 2014 donated by Marilyn Silverthorn. This collection was her father-in-law’s, Lieutenant General Merwin H. Silverthorn USMC, acquired during his global oceanic travels.

Working closely with Marie Silverthorn (Lieutenant General Merwin H. Silverthorn’s granddaughter), the Calvert Marine Museum applied and was awarded a grant from the RSMIS Foundation of Houston, Texas. The grant was used to purchase Viking storage cabinets and archival specimen trays (both of which are shown in the attached photo) to properly preserve the Silverthorn collection in perpetuity.

Under the direction of John Nance, CMM Department of Paleontology Collections Manager, curation of the Merwin H. Silverthorn seashell collection has begun. CMM staff and Paleontology summer interns have started to organize this large collection to maximize its scientific value and availability for researchers, and for possible use in future exhibits.

CMM Photo - left, John Nance, paleontology summer interns Peyton Mills, Amber Hobbs, and Cecily Hein clean and sort shells into their new specimen trays and cabinets, funded by a grant from the RSMIS Foundation.

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The museum is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $9.00 for adults, $7.00 for seniors, military with valid I.D. and AAA members, and $4.00 for children ages 5 - 12; children under 5 and museum members are always admitted free. For more information about the museum, upcoming events, or membership, visit the website at www.calvertmarinemuseum.com or call 410-326-2042. Like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, Google+, Instagram and Pinterest.