Freshwater Mussels
Mezzanine Level
Alabama Museum of Natural History
The University of Alabama

14 September 2021 – 31 August 2022

freshwater mussels / mother of pearl buttons

The exhibition, Freshwater Mussels, at the Alabama Museum of Natural History, explores mussel biology within the freshwater biodiversity of our state and examines why it is environmentally important.

It also showcases how the shells from freshwater mussels were used in the fashion industry, during the late 19th century through the mid 20th century, to make mother of pearl buttons and how it affected the mussel population in our rivers and streams.

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View the online exhibition

The fashion | mother of pearl button section