Natural Habitat

Jessica Alba (left), Barbara Bush (daughter of W, not his mother), Tinsely Mortimer, Amanda Hearst and Katie Lee Joel were among those who turned out last night for the 2009 Museum Gala at the American Museum of Natural History. The annual black-tie soiree, a must-attend event for philanthropists under the age of 40, began with a swank dinner in the museum space known as the Powerhouse and then transmogrified into a larger dessert-and-dancing bash in the Cullman Hall of the Universe. DJ Harley Viera-Newton kept things lively as chairs Fabiola Beracasa, Claire Bernard, Joel, Milla Jovovich, Mortimer and Arden Wohl sauntered around the meteor-anchored room in Stella McCartney gowns. For an institution whose mission includes the study of all things ancient, the stunners at this evening's fête were anything but.

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