Talk:Fiji mermaid

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"The original exhibit was shown around the United States, but was lost in the 1860s when Barnum's museum caught fire. The exhibit has since been acquired by the Harvard Peabody Museum and is currently housed in the museum's attic storage area."

How can the exhibit first be lost in a fire and then be acquired by the Harvard Peabody Museum?

My best guess is that a second Fiji Mermaid was created to replace the first. At least, I think that's what it's trying to say... (from User:runa27, not logged in)

The article states:

In reality, the mermaid was a gaff, the work of an Indonesian craftsman using either papier-mâché and materials from exotic fish, or the tail of a fish and a torso of a baby orangutan, stitched together with the head of a monkey.

It seems that this sentence is in need of editing. Where is the citation for the fact that the craftsman was Indonesian? And how was the construction of the hoax limited to precisely two such disparate options as papier-mâché and materials from exotic fish vs. the tail of a fish and a torso of a baby orangutan, stitched together with the head of a monkey? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Timkhuff (talk • contribs) 17:05, 23 October 2007 (UTC)

Here's a link to the item at Harvard if that helps - Robert Paynter: http://www.peabody.harvard.edu/col/longDisplay.cfm?ObjectKey=93625 —Preceding comment was added at 15:34, 26 March 2008 (UTC)