Treasures of the Natural History Museum

Details

The Natural History Museum, London is home to one of the world’s most important and comprehensive collections of natural history specimens, literature and artworks.

This book is a celebration of over 200 of the Museum’s most exceptional possessions including world-famous specimens and little-known curiosities. The treasures are selected both from objects on display and those stored behind the scenes. Each one is chosen for its scientific importance, striking beauty or intriguing story – and sometimes all three.

Among the many exceptional natural wonders featured are: a rare meteorite from Mars; Darwin’s celebrated finch specimens; a lethal claw from the dinosaur Baryonyx; one of the first forms of life on Earth; and some immaculately dressed fleas. The book also includes the magnificent Museum building itself with its many architectural treasures.

Key features

• Stunning celebration of over 200 of the Museum’s most treasured possessions
• Lavishly illustrated throughout including images of rarely seen objects not on view to the public
• Fascinating entries reveal the intriguing stories behind each treasure

See inside

Look inside this book to get an idea of its content.

Pages from Treasures of the Natural History Museum

Pages from Treasures of the Natural History Museum

Pages from Treasures of the Natural History Museum

Pages from Treasures of the Natural History Museum

Pages from Treasures of the Natural History Museum

Pages from Treasures of the Natural History Museum

Pages from Treasures of the Natural History Museum

Pages from Treasures of the Natural History Museum

Pages from Treasures of the Natural History Museum

Pages from Treasures of the Natural History Museum

Pages from Treasures of the Natural History Museum

Pages from Treasures of the Natural History Museum

Pages from Treasures of the Natural History Museum

Pages from Treasures of the Natural History Museum

Pages from Treasures of the Natural History Museum

About the Museum

With more than 70 million specimens, the Museum is home to one of the largest and most important natural history collections in the world.

The scope of the specimens is simply vast including the ill-fated dodo, dazzling diamonds and a full-size blue whale model. The collections cover almost all groups of animals, plants, minerals and fossils ranging from cells on slides to whole animals preserved in alcohol.

The Library of the Museum is a repository for the largest collection of natural history literature in the world. It holds half a million artworks, comprising one of Britain’s biggest art collections, and over one million books, including rare, richly illustrated antique volumes.