Extracted from a whale’s stomach, it comes from the museum’s huge, uncanny collection of specimens in spirit. Equally incredible is a pickled giant squid. The oarfish is real yet its lengthy skeleton looks disturbingly fantastical. The Fantastic Beasts films may not be brilliant, but Rowling’s imaginary creatures are in a great tradition of marvels prowling around the margins of scientific classification. The Harry Potter-addled scientists who found this skull gave it the Latin name Dracorex hogwartsia. The most dream-like object here is the skull of a dinosaur discovered in South Dakota in 2004, covered with unexpectedly elegant and ornate spikes. Science rejected fantasy creatures as it revealed real wonders. This puts his fascination with sea monsters in another light. It was Richard Owen who named the Dinosauria in the Victorian era, when fossils started to be understood as the remains of extinct species. ![]() There’s a sample of dried dragon blood once owned by Hans Sloane, from whose collections the Natural History Museum began.ĭinosaurs are the proof there really are, or have been, fabulous beings. And the pioneers of science were joyously inclusive of the weird. ![]() The Renaissance expanded the gallery of monsters by adding classical myths to medieval lore. This exhibition shows, in an entertaining way, that natural history didn’t evolve by eradicating those marvels – it grew by curiosity. Modern science started in the Renaissance, when people believed in all manner of wondrous beasts. The mermaid is juxtaposed with an accurate depiction of a crayfish. This volume was published in 18th-century France, during the Enlightenment. ![]() Another rare book from the Natural History Museum library is opened at a colour picture of a mermaid, or “siren”, seen by sailors near Borneo. Science, as well as popular culture, took mermaids seriously for a surprisingly long time. Of course, this one isn’t real, but rather a 19th-century sideshow attraction made from assorted animal parts. She’s half-fish, half-Norman Bates’ mother. Half-fish, half Norman Bates’ mum … Buxton Mermaid.Īnother mermaid nearby uses a clawed hand to stroke back the dried hair from her tiny shrivelled face. As well as being family fun, the show delightfully reveals some of the oddest things in this museum’s vast collections. The picture of a colossal serpent with staring eyes menacing a modern ship is a surreal slice of steampunk.įantastic Beasts is much more than a celebration of JK Rowling’s film series about magic animal expert Newt Scamander and his cute pets, although Newt does feature heavily, along with recreations of Nifflers and the like. It’s in the museum’s new show about natural mysteries, open at a story from The Illustrated Police News – usually full of true crimes – about the latest sea monster sighting. ![]() This Victorian scientist didn’t actually sail the oceans massacring monsters, but he did set out to prove such creatures were tall tales told by sailors, collecting reports in an album so he could expose them. The documentary will also feature the Natural History Museum's exhibition.Although his nickname was Sea Serpent Killer, Richard Owen is best known today as the founder of the Natural History Museum, and as an all-round rival-crushing anti-Darwinian scoundrel. And if you can't travel to London to catch Fantastic Beasts: The Wonder of Nature, fret not. In its announcement, the BBC claims Fantastic Beasts: A Natural History will go from “the frozen steppes of Siberia and secret caves of Madagascar” to behind the scenes at both the Natural History Museum and Warner Bros. “Joining forces with the combined powers of the fabulous BBC, its legendary Natural History Unit, and the magical Natural History Museum, we hope to be able to bring you closer than you've ever been to some of the most spectacular and extraordinary creatures ever seen.” “I could not be more delighted to be a part of this magnificent opportunity for us Muggles to show the Wizarding World that the Fantastic Beasts in our world are more than a match for theirs,” Fry said in a prepared statement. Additionally, the Natural History Museum will present an exhibition called Fantastic Beasts: The Wonder of Nature in London in spring 2020. Rowling's stories, and their history and connections with animals roaming the planet today.” Stephen Fry will present and narrate the special. Here's some Fantastic (Beasts) news: BBC, Warner Bros., and London's Natural History Museum have partnered to announce a one-off hour-long documentary special called Fantastic Beasts: A Natural History - it's a working title - that will “explore the origins and stories of mythical creatures and the fantastical beasts from J.K.
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