NEW MUSEUM OPENS ON LONG ISLAND

[Mark Joel Lane]

   

The village  of Roslyn on Long Island, NY is buzzing with the excitement of  the opening of a brand new museum this Memorial Day weekend.  While many folks here on Long Island and in New York City are flocking to the beaches on both the North and South shores, thousands of historians, artists, and salon technicians can't wait to see the exhibits at the new National Fingernail Museum.

 

Some of the oldest fingernails ever collected are on display here including those of George Washington who slept in the village before one of his victorious battles of the Revolutionary War. Many of today's celebrities including Lady Gaga, Johnny Depp, Cher, and politicians including Bill Clinton have had their fingernails authenticated by the curator here at the National Fingernail Museum.

 

A 78 year old man from India has agreed to donate his Guinness Record fingernails on his left hand,(approximately 6 feet each in length) to the museum upon his death. According to the AFS,(American Fingernail Society),fingernails grow at about the rate of one tenth of an inch per month. Pregnant women seem to have an accelerated growth for unknown reasons.

 

Fingernails are made up of layers called keratin. Changes and discoloration often indicate health problems. The National Fingernail Museum has many fingernails from people whose bodies were ravaged by disease we know they died from.  For those folks who bite their fingernails, detecting a serious illness in advance becomes much less likely.

 

Fingernail fans of all ages have lined up, many even camping out overnight here in Roslyn to get the first looks at the fingernails on display in this 5 floor exhibit with over 30 rooms of fingernails. One young man who sold his Yankee baseball tickets to a game this weekend said " I'd rather look at famous fingernails any day over watching A-Rod strike out."

 

With other museums and historical sites on Long Island, including nearby  Oyster Bay's Theodore Roosevelt's home, Roslyn is sure to become a village that attracts attention from folks all over the world. Just be sure to examine any fast food you might be eating at any of the local restaurants here. Word has it that some finger foods aren't  exactly what the customers have been ordering.