Natural History Museum’s Post

How do you feel looking at this board of beetles? Is there an urge to organise, or do you like the visual variety? 🪲🐞 Natural History Museum scientists faced the same conundrum in 1983 when entomologist Francis Polkinghorne Pascoe sold us his whopping collection of 42,000 specimens. Usually scientists would split up arrangements like this, sorting these beetles - an array of different species of weevil - by their different classifications to aid their scientific study. But in this case, they decided the display - with its incredible diversity of sizes, shapes and colours - was beautiful in its own right and should be kept as it is. 🎨 Would you make the same decision? Is there a place for art in science? Let us know what you think ⬇️

  • A display of around 80 beetles of varying size, shape and colour, pinned and labelled with minute handwriting. Some of the tiniest beetles are stuck to cards, too small to be pinned, whereas the largest need several pins to place them.
  • Another display of roughly 80 beetles in varying size, shape, and colour, pinned and labelled with minute handwriting. Much of the space at the bottom of the display is taken by a beetle much larger than the rest with a long snout and spikes on its back.
  • A close up view of a beetle display case, taken from the side to show detail and differentiation between the pinned specimens. Some are very long and thin, some are bright and shiny, and one is large with a long curved snout.
  • An overhead view of a display case with two boards of around 80 beetles of various size, shape and colour, laid side by side. Underneath, a placard reads “A selection of Curculionoidea prepared by F. P. Pascoe, circa 1890, to show variation in the group. {BMNH 1893-60}”
  • A close up view of a beetle display case, taken from the side to show detail and differentiation between the pinned specimens. Some are bright green, some have long spider-like legs, and some have long snouts.
Andrea Ku

Founder of B 4 Biodiversity CIC running community and participatory design and build with the aim of learning through doing to enhance our natural environment.

4d

I thought that was a tea towel and wondered I could get one from!

Nadine Sagel

Junior Collectiebeheerder bij Museum Catharijneconvent, Utrecht 📸 pfp door: Myrthe Hoekstra

4d

There is always a place for art in science - and vice versa! Art and science are complimentary fields in my opinion and visuals like this make the piece rather unique!😄

Anna-Maria White

Lancashire Wildlife Trust Comms Officer / Science Communicator & Presenter / MCR Museum Vivarium Curatorial Assistant / British Herpetology Society Trustee / Conservationist / Director, Graphic Designer & Illustrator

4d

I love the diversity of beetles 🪲 and also the delightful palette of colours used for the individual name plates. 🩵💚🩷🧡

Little me geeked out when I saw this display!

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Charlotte Collins

illustrator, art & media technician and friend to all dogs

3d

I absolutely adore viewing the diversity of different species like this. So much that i did my whole project at university on the taxonomy of nature ❤️🤓

Saroj S.

Strategic Planning | Brand Marketing | Ex-Disney Consumer Products | University of Cambridge Alumni

4d

Leave as is! It draws your eyes into different areas and makes your choice to focus on one deliberate.

Clemency Wright - Keywording Consultant

🔎 Optimising visibility to online visual content through strategic Keywording to increase engagement

4d

If they were my beetles, I’d organise them by what looks prettiest. If I was organising them for my client, it would have to be done taxonomically!

Dr Danae Dodge

Communications Officer (Ecological Continuity Trust), & Volunteer for Royal Society of Biology London Group with 10 years of scicomm experience

4d

I think this looks fantastic! I'm glad it was kept as is!

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