#natural history museum
Natural History Museum London
Natural History Museum by comewithkris.
The Musée de la Chasse et de la Nature, or ’The Museum of the Hunt & Nature’, is a stunning collection of both classic and contemporary pieces. The museum itself is truly a piece of art that one wanders through. A celebration of man’s obsession with animals, hunting and conservation.
Artist Kohei Nawa’s gorgeous ‘PixCell Deer’ is currently on display along side classic stags and other fauna. From Japan, Nawa’s cultural belief in the sacred nature of deer cannot be more clearly defined here.
And, much to my delight, an entire room is focused on dogs. Louis XIV’s portraits of his hunting hounds and lap dogs are featured.
Modern works are sprinkled throughout this beautiful 1600s mansion. You might find modern sculptures decorating a vast antique gun collection or trophy room. I finally got to see one of Kate MccQwire’s stunning feather pieces. (I could not get a satisfactory photo sadly. Her work can be seen here: @kate_mccgwire)
Also in the collection is this expressively deceased bronze bear head by artist Nicolas Darrot. Shown simply here, it has a hidden bronze diorama within it’s neck.
Through its art, the collection also makes one look at the ways in which we utilize animals today. Pascal Bernier’s piece ‘Farm Set’ uses one taxidermy hen and a mirrored box to make a big statement about factory farming.
There’s no ‘bad taxidermy’ here and you can see the collections are truly alive. Wonderful to see such a vibrant institution supporting the past and the future of wildlife artistry and design.
Strolling amongst the parade of animals at the Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle is a state of awe. This beautifully designed spectacle is truly greater than the sum of it parts.
Many of the animals individually were taxidermied in the 1800s or early 1900s. Though from a distance and in such a mass, our eyes are delighted.
And, one has to marvel at the craftsmanship of a taxidermy specimen from 1850 still delighting the public today.
That’s why I wanted to share some photos also of the ‘bad taxidermy’ from this museum and make a case for it.
In museums such as this in the later 1800s, it was common for the preparator / taxidermist to have limited (if any) information about the animal. They were not the collector, usually not a biologist and certainly did not have access to google images or Wikipedia. They mostly likely had some illustrations and writings from field biologists— if they could track them down in the museum’s library.
What they had to work with was typically a dried skin perhaps stuffed with straw and a cleaned skull with teeth. Everything had to be prepped in the field and sent along in crates as there was no refrigeration. Many times this would take months and there was no communication between the collectors and the taxidermist.
So, while some pieces may have been done by a skilled naturalist / taxidermists like John Gould or Carl Akeley, most were done by confused museum employees doing their best with what they had.
So, while the rest of the museum patrons see an ‘angry Hippo’ or a ‘bad Seal’, I get to walk through time. I see an 1800s taxidermist who heard terrifying stories about Hippo attacks. I see a very confused Parisian taxidermist from the early 1900s who was guessing about how flippers worked. (He guessed wrong, but A for effort.)
And yes, I imagine future taxidermists, walking through museums, pondering my mistakes.
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Dippy, the model diplodocus that has lived at the Natural History Museum, London for 112 years, has been dismantled so it can be taken on a tour around the U.K. http://abcn.ws/2lved82
The Brain Scoop:
This Fossil Arachnid Penis was a HUGE Discovery
It’s not every day you get to discuss the scientific implications of a 99-million year old harvestmen penis in amber.
natural history museum tattoo flash
Magical Maritimes does London - Round Two!
From the top down pictures include the Tower Bridge, Tower of London, inside the Tower of London, Natural History Museum, Piccadilly Circus and Regent Street at night.
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Saw some very lovely bird paintings today. My personal favourites are strawberry birb (middle) and mr grumpy birb (bottom centre)
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Fic teaser:
John Smith and Rose Tyler both work at the Natural History Museum in London, he’s a scientist at the Ancient DNA laboratory, and she’s a salesgirl in the gift shop. They are only friends, but the upcoming staff Christmas party promises developments they’ve both been longing for.
However, before they can leave the lab to attend the party, an ancient pathogen from a prehistoric reindeer causes a lockdown.
John, Rose, Martha, Donna and Jack all get stuck together in the laboratory. Shenanigans ensue: decontamination showers, cocktails in beakers, a game of truth-or-dare and a Secret Santa rigged by meddling friends.
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Some quick ballpoint pen studies done at the Natural History Museum in London a few weeks back.
