I think the last time I visited The Natural History Museum in London was on a school trip – back in the days when it was just called The Natural Museum and all the dinosaurs were wandering around alive and for real. Ha!
No, really, it was a long time ago.
So here’s some photos from my visit there a few weeks ago, I’d forgotten all about them. It’s such a lovely old building, even without all the exciting treasures inside – and boy are there a lot of treasures!
Getting my head around all the time-scales involved with pre-historic life always leaves me feeling a bit insane and in hippy-like love with the universe.
Oh, and it’s not just extinct things on display – there are more recognisable creatures too. It’s hard to imagine a time when these now familiar animals would have appeared just as bizzare and unreal to people in Victorian England as a Tyrannosaurus Rex does to us today.
It’s a museum that’s as much about people as it is dinosaurs though, about Victorian collectors and pioneers – brave and adventurous dudes like Darwin (who has now been given pride of place – keeping an eye on the old place).
Oh and there are rocks, too. Lots and lots of rocks. Rocks, rocks, rocks. Every single geological compound you could ever think of, in fact. They’re in a room at the very top of the museum with wonderfully big and airy windows which, if you visit on a boiling hot day like we did, means you don’t mind spending a lot of time there looking at rocks. I liked the pointy pink ones.
Get yourself there, it’s a fab day out – and it’s free! (I want to go back)!
All photos taken with my Canon 5D MkII and 50mm f/1.4 lens
7 Comments
Michelle
4 July 2012 at 10:39These are really nice photographs! What a great place.
Angie
6 July 2012 at 17:10I loves me a dinosaur
Robert
4 July 2012 at 13:03It has been too long since I’ve been, and I absolutely must go before my Daughter gets too old to find it wonderful (there is definitely a bit between about 15 and 30 where it fails to inspire).
Angie
6 July 2012 at 17:10It’s a brilliant day out – those grumpy teenage years might make it a tad more challenging though
meg
4 July 2012 at 22:12I’ve got a trip to the V&A scheduled but this has inspired me to swing by the Natural History Museum too. xx
Angie
6 July 2012 at 17:06You’ll love it! The building alone is worth a visit
Magali
8 July 2012 at 16:49Looks like a fascinating place, also kinda shocking to me that it’s free. Government museums here all have an entry fee, & for privately run ones it’s all the more exorbitant. And of course there’s an additional camera fee too.