Most of us know Leonard Nimoy through his iconic role as Spock in the original Star Trek series. Although it brought him fame, Spock wasn’t the only great thing Nimoy did during his lifetime. The Boston Museum of Science wants to build a memorial statue to honor Nimoy, who lived near the museum and was actively involved with the organization to further community interest in space. To get the statue built, the museum is doing an online fundraiser.
The proposed statue would be a large recreation of the Vulcan salute that often accompanied the words “live long and prosper.” Nimoy himself helped create the hand gesture that has become a part of our culture. In his autobiography, he said a Jewish blessing priests would perform with both hands inspired the salute. Putting a bit of his Jewish heritage into the Star Trek universe shows how deeply he connected to the character.
Although Spock has meant a lot to fans of Star Trek, Nimoy didn’t limit himself just to that character. He also wrote poetry and released five studio albums throughout the 1960s and 1970s. After being diagnosed with COPD, which ultimately ended his life, he advocated for research on the disease and awareness. He even was an accomplished photographer. Until a few years ago, I was unaware of his 2007 photography book, The Full Body Project. The book features nudes of full-bodied women celebrating their beauty. Yes, Nimoy really did all of that.
If you have extra money to donate to the Boston Museum, they are also offering rewards. With a $25 donation, they will send you a cute pair of space socks. Higher donation amounts get bigger rewards like a tote bag, hoodie, and painting of the statue sketch. Nimoy deserves to be honored and the Boston Museum of Science seems to be doing it right.
(featured image: CBS)
