[NHCOLL-L:3069] displaying botanical specimens

[Vicki Papworth]

Dear Colleagues,

I have recently started a year-long secondment to our exhibitions department, which is proving very interesting and challenging. I am working on the Balconies project. This aims to provide a specimen-rich way of showcasing the Natural History Museum's 'iconic specimens' from the collections, as well as the history and architecture of the museum. It is my aim, over the course of my secondment, to try to get more botanical specimens into the NHM permanent galleries, as well as using them to showcase the work of the museum. (And to encourage the use of specimens in the permanent galleries alongside other means of interpretation such as interactives etc.).

I am putting together a document which aims to show the many and varied ways that botany could be displayed in the galleries. I would be very grateful if you would share with me any experience that you have of particularly successful ways that plants have been displayed, or ideas of your own, or memories of exhibitions where botany has been used in an interesting or innovative way.  I am convinced that there are many ways that botany, botanical specimens and botanical artworks can be included in galleries and prove to be as visually interesting and as intellectually stimulating as other natural history specimens.

Please feel free to respond to me off-list at V.Papworth at nhm.ac.uk.

Many thanks for your time.

Victoria Papworth

Curator - General Herbarium / Interpretation Developer - Gallery Development Team
Botany Department
The Natural History Museum
London
SW7 5BD

020 7942 5100