Saturday, July 24, 2010

Dioramas

The dioramas in our Museum of Natural History are breathtaking.

If you stare at them long enough, you will see the animals move.


Other times, the taxidermy itself becomes an element in a two dimensional painting.


Before you leave the museum, they send you all over the world.




Although museum dioramas were conceived before photography and world travel were everyday occurences, they still have a magically transporting effect.  Is it because every leaf and grain of sand is scientifically accurate?  Because, like a photograph, they have captured a unique moment in a changing world?

Is it because the scale is 1:1, neither larger nor smaller than life, thereby making it easy to see yourself inside of it?



4 comments:

  1. So cool! Makes me think of Night at the Museum!

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  2. a handful of years ago, a friend of my son's had a birthday party there. they paid extra for a tour, & the boy asked for the painter to be our guide. it was a unique view of the animal halls.

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  3. Kat- that sounds so fun! I'd love to get the painter's tour.

    Here's a video about the dioramas that is pretty interesting:

    http://www.youtube.com/user/NHMLA#p/c/37FA960FC8DA9259/2/f3WYnNV8Yic

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  4. natural science museums are my favorites

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