"British Dinosaurs: from Fossils to Feathers": temporary exhibition, Tring (NHM)

[ceratopsian]

Today was wet (hail and thunder) so indoor activity seemed sensible.  My husband and I decided to visit the outstation of the Natural History Museum, London.  This branch is in Tring, a suburb of London.  Originally the building housed the private collection of one of the wealthy Rothschild family.  This Rothschild was not interested in banking but very interested in collecting.  Over his collecting time, he had more than 400 people collecting for him.  He met financial difficulties with the Depression in the early 1930s and a large part of his collection of birds was sold to the a museum in the USA.  But there was still quite a bit left and in the end, he left his remaining collection - birds, stuffed animals, butterflies etc - to the nation on the condition that it became part of the Natural History Museum.  I'd never been and we both enjoyed wandering around.  You have to accept that it is essentially a late-19th/early-20th century collection, so if taxidermy upsets you, it's not the place to go.

Until the end of October, there is a small room with a temporary exhibition on "British Dinosaurs: from Fossils to Feathers".  It's very much aimed at children - Tring specialises in attracting young children and school parties.  But it was still interesting.  A selection of photos..... (note taken indoors without flash and through glass, so not perfect!)

[ceratopsian]

Part II











The display also included a couple of fossils of parts of Pantydraco , including a hand, (but in a very dark case indeed), along with a leg of an Iguanodon (for children to measure their height); and a bit of Dacentrurus (tail spike - also in a dark case).  Finally there was a cast of the original fossil of Hylaeosaurus.  On the floor was a map of the UK with dinosaur find spots marked out.  Plus a few nicely done panels and a couple of very short videos to watch: Prof. Paul Barrett talking about their Ornithoscelida theory; and something on theories as to why birds survived the mass extinction when non-avian dinosaurs did not.

Those of you with sharp eyes will perhaps notice that each and every small bone of Hypsilophodon at some point had been numbered in ink by a museum worker with a steady hand and good eyesight!  Haestasaurus was new to me.  The name was raised in 2015.  Previously it went by Pelorosaurus.  As a museum worker, it was pleasing to see that the skin impression still had an old sticker on it saying "Beckles collection". 

In summary - a small exhibition and aimed at children.  But if you were in the area, well worth catching just for the opportunity to see the beautiful juvenile Hypsilophodon specimen and the Haestasaurus skin impression.

[Halichoeres]

I wasn't aware the NHM had satellite facilities! Thanks for sharing these photos.

[leidy]

These are great, I wish they had more good UK dinosaur material on display in the main NHM museum.  Looks like the neural spine on that Baryonyx vertebra isn't all there.  If I were doing a modern reconstruction of Baryonyx, I'd be curious about just how long they would've been. 

I am also very interested in Megalosaur material anywhere it turns up.  This looks very similar to the hip in the Oxford museum display.   

The skin impression is also very nice.  Thanks for posting these. 

[ceratopsian]

@leidy: thank you. It was also great to see the fossils in peace and quiet without the surging throngs at the NHM!  My next trip is up to Glasgow to see the Tyrannosaurus on loan from the Netherlands but that might be rather busier!