Nature and Us
About the exhibition
Open to the public for the first time in more than 80 years, this gallery was once a working herbarium, filled with plant specimens from around the world.
Now reimagined as an exhibition space, the gallery showcases an eclectic mix of objects, models and tools that were used to collect and share knowledge about nature.
Explore how humans have tried to understand, conceptualise and represent nature over time and consider how values and assumptions have shaped our understanding of the natural world.
On display are an intriguing selection of modern and ancient specimens both humanmade and natural. Each one asks you to consider how we think and feel about nature, how we interact with it and how our relationship with it has changed or sustained over time.
Star specimens and exhibits:
- a miniature model of one of the Crystal Palace dinosaurs
- the skeleton of a monk seal called Jenny known as ‘the talking fish’
- a bryozoan-encrusted Star Wars toy
- a handaxe that transformed our understanding of when humans first existed on Earth
The opening of Nature and Us is part of NHM150, a transformation of our building that will open a new or revitalised gallery each year leading up to our 150th anniversary in 2031.
