The Portland Society of Natural History (PSNH) operated from 1836 to 1972. In the 1960s, photographer Ed Richardson made several images of the interior showing a leatherback turtle and Penobscot canoe among the multiple cases and items on display.

According to PSNH curator Arthur H. Northon, the 1200-pound Leatherback Turtle featured in this photograph was “captured” in Penobscot Bay in 1891. The largest of all living Turtles, the Atlantic Leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea) can grow over 6.5 feet. It feeds primarily on jellyfish and lives in the Atlantic Ocean, and frequents New England and Newfoundland during the summer months.