photo credit: Denis Finnin, © American Museum of Natural History

(top) Members of the Research Casting International crew begin to peel the latex from the cliff of Schnebly Hills Sandstone. (bottom) The peel is nearly complete. Note the drape-like quality of the latex, as well as the color on the underside. In the case of a relatively soft rock like this, when the latex is peeled away, the outermost surface of the rock comes with it. This thin layer will ultimately become the surface of the cast in the exhibition.