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Books about the Natural History Museum, London

This page lists books about the Natural History Museum.

The books are ordered by publication date with the most recent at the top of the page.


Natural History Museum publications pages

There are a number of NHM related pages on the site:

Bird related publications
Art Of Nature series
Images Of Nature series
Other nature art books
Books about the museum
Other publications

Also see:

Catalogue Of The Birds In The British Museum (1874-1898)

Catalogue Of Birds' Eggs In The British Museum (1901-12)


Natural History Museum

For more information about the museum see the Natural History Museum website.

 

Natural History Museum: Alive: The Stories Behind The Museum's Great Extinct Creatures

Amabel Adcock

Foreword: David Attenborough

Natural History Museum

2014

"This beautifully illustrated book explores the incredible array of extinct creatures chosen by David Attenborough in his acclaimed film Natural History Museum Alive 3D. Amongst others it includes dinosaurs, ice age beasts, giant birds and colossal apes. Each chapter investigates the stories and myths surrounding the discovery of these priceless specimens and reveals the surprising true stories behind their journey to the Museum s display cabinets. Challenging the somewhat fanciful Victorian interpretations of these extinct animals with expert analysis by scientists from the Natural History Museum and further afield, Amabel Adcock pieces together the clues, revealing the creatures in a new light and gaining a fresh understanding of what they looked like and how they lived."

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Nature's Treasurehouse: A History of the Natural History Museum

John Thackray & Bob Press

Natural History Museum

Revised edition

2013

"Nature's Treasurehouse is a warm, honest and sometimes whimsical account of the history and development of the Natural History Museum in London. The Natural History Museum has long been a favourite destination for millions every year, from curious children to scientific researchers. Nature s Treasurehouse takes you on a whirlwind journey through the history of the Museum, the people, the influences, the discoveries and much more. It chronicles the important milestones in the development of the Museum, and brings to life the times in which they occurred, and the excitement and sometimes controversy that surrounded many of these events. It is beautifully illustrated with images of the Museum, its staff and their work, including many evocative photographs from the Museum's own archives."

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Museum of Life

Steve Parker

Natural History Museum

2010

"For the first time cameras are going behind the scenes of the Natural History Museum in London to meet the experts who define the world we live in. In March 2010 the Museum will be the subject of a major new BBC TV series, Museum of Life. This landmark television series will provide viewers with unprecedented access to all aspects of museum life, with a focus on its pioneering research worldwide and the 70 million specimens that it looks after. Published to tie in with the BBC TV series of the same name, Museum of Life features all of the themes and events from the series, as well as stories about the Museum and the scientific research it is involved in. It is illustrated in colour throughout including photographs of both the Museum's collections and its scientists in action."

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Treasures of the Natural History Museum

Vicky Paterson

Natural History Museum

2009

"The Natural History Museum, London is home to one of the world's most important and comprehensive collections of natural history specimens, literature and artworks. Treasures of the Natural History Museum is a celebration of over 200 of the Museum's most exceptional natural history objects including world-famous specimens and little-known curiosities. Among the many natural wonders featured are: a rare meteorite from Mars; Darwin's celebrated finch specimens; a lethal claw from the dinosaur Baryonyx; and some immaculately dressed fleas. The treasures are selected both from objects on display and those stored behind the scenes; some are familiar and some never seen by the public before. Each one is chosen for its scientific importance, striking beauty or intriguing story, and sometimes all three. Discover a tiny snail no bigger than a letter on this page and one of the first signs of life on Earth in the form of a 3.5 billion-year-old fossil. The book also includes the magnificent 200-year-old Museum building itself with its many architectural treasures. With striking photographs and intriguing stories throughout, this is a fascinating insight into the best of the Museum's unrivalled collection."

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Museum Through a Lens: Photographs from the Natural History Museum 1880 to 1950

Susan Snell & Polly Parry

Natural History Museum

New edition

2009

"Featuring a wealth of stunning black-and-white photographs from the Museum's archives, this book offers a real flavour of life at one of London's oldest and most famous visitor attractions, from Victorian times until just after the Second World War. The book focuses on the unusual events that have taken place over the years, the characters working at and visiting the Museum, and of course the remarkable specimens. The photographs go back as far as the 1880s, to the earliest years of the Museum, when only a few horsedrawn carriages plied the streets of South Kensington and elephants and gorillas from distant parts of the British Empire were exhibited for the first time. In later years the Museum gardens were to be dug over for vegetable production during the Second World War and whale carcasses were buried in the grounds to allow the flesh to rot away. Ranging from the amazing to the amusing, the images are evocative and brimming with period detail."

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Dry Storeroom No. 1: The Secret Life of the Natural History Museum

Richard Fortey

Knopf

2008

"‘Dry Store Room No. 1 is an intimate biography of the Natural History Museum, celebrating the eccentric personalities who have peopled it and capturing the wonders of scientific endeavour, academic rigour and imagination. Behind the public façade of any great museum there lies a secret domain: one of unseen galleries, locked doors, priceless specimens and hidden lives.Through the stories of the numerous eccentric individuals whose long careers have left their mark on the study of evolutionary science, Richard Fortey, former senior paleaontologist at London's Natural History Museum, celebrates the pioneering work of the Museum from its inception to the present day. He delves into the feuds, affairs, scandals and skulduggery that have punctuated its long history, and formed a backdrop to extraordinary scientific endeavour from Darwin to the present day. He explores the staying power and adaptability of the Museum as it responds to changes wrought by advances in technology and molecular biology – 'spare' bones from an extinct giant bird suddenly become cutting-edge science with the new knowledge that DNA can be extracted from them, and ancient fish are tested with the latest equipment that is able to measure rises in pollution. Dry Store Room No.1 is a fascinating and affectionate account of a hidden world of untold treasures, where every fragment tells a story about time past, by a scientist who combines rigorous professional learning with a gift for prose that sparkles with wit and literary sensibility."

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The Gilded Canopy: Botanical Ceiling Panels of the Natural History Museum

Sandra Knapp and Bob Press

Natural History Museum

2005

"How can a major art collection be on full display to the public, yet never be noticed? The answer is that it is on the ceiling. These painted panels were a key part of the Natural History Museum's original design and are covered in plants of all descriptions, painted in rich colours and finely gilded.'...each one tells a story - plants that have made and broken Empires, been the cause for terrible human suffering, or have brought joy through their beauty...the plants themselves tell stories that bring to life the times in which the Museum was conceived and built - the Victorian age.' From the Preface to The Gilded Canopy. With specially commissioned photographs showing every single panel and full of intriguing plant histories, this book is a fascinating insight into one of London's best kept secrets."

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The Wildlife Garden at the Natural History Museum

Roy Vickery

Natural History Museum

2004

"This title should prove an inspiration to all those house- and flat-dwellers who have some outside space, however small, and would like to make a real difference to the environment. It tells the story of the Wildlife Garden at the Natural History Museum, from its conception to the present day. The text comes to life with the helfp of a selection of colour photographs. With the ever-growing awareness of conservation issues and as gardening becomes an ever-more popular pursuit, people are starting to realize that they can give wildlife a helping hand. A city garden, patio or even balcony can offer enough space to establish valuable food plants, or a water feature that will become a focal point for birds and insects. The Museum's garden proves that modest areas of ground can bring enormous pleasure to people and tangible benefit to the environment."

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Nature's Treasurehouse: A History of the Natural History Museum

John Thackray & Bob Press

Natural History Museum

2001

"From its beginnings as part of the British Museum to its current site at South Kensington, the Natural History Museum has long been a favourite destination and home to one of the world's finest collections of natural objects - some 70 million animals, plants, minerals, rocks and fossils. This study takes the reader on a whirlwind journey through the history of the Natural History Museum, the people, the influences and the discoveries. It chronicles the more important milestones in the development of the Museum, brings to life the times in which they occurred, and the excitement and sometimes controversy which surrounded many of these events."

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The Terracotta Designs of Alfred Waterhouse

Colin Cunningham

John Wiley & Sons

2000

"The Natural History Museum in London is one of Britain?s finest examples of late Victorian architecture at its exuberant height. A decorative tour de force, it was conceived by Alfred Waterhouse, whose attention to detail in the creation of this masterpiece is legendary. The terracotta mouldings of flora and fauna adorning both interior and exterior of the building rival in richness and variety the equally renowned contents of the Museum?s collections. This book presents a history of the development of Waterhouse?s designs for these mouldings, setting them in the context of his work as a whole and of their manufacture. It acknowledges his courage in selecting the generally frowned upon medium of terracotta for the execution of the ornament, rather than the established and respected material of carved stone. It also provides a unique document of his exquisite pencil drawings for the individual blocks: although many of the drawings were destroyed when their practical use had expired, over 130 still survive, and are held in the Museum?s Library. Seldom seen and never reproduced in their entirety, they bear witness to the fact that Waterhouse was not only a skilled architect but also an extremely accomplished draughtsman."

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Nature's Connections: An Exploration of Natural History

Nicola McGirr

Natural History Museum

2000

"Using anecdotes and examples from the work of The Natural History Museum's scientists, this book introduces readers to how the natural sciences are helping to unravel some of the key issues facing the world. It looks at the background of natural sciences, the setting up of the natural science institutions, the role of the scientists in the past, present and future, and the place of natural science in the future."

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Alfred Waterhouse and the Natural History Museum

Mark Girouard

John Wiley & Sons

1999

"Explores the history of the design and building of The Natural History Museum in London. It traces the development of the design, describes the influences of the key personalities involved and highlights the features of the building."

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The Natural History Museum at South Kensington

William T. Stearn

Natural History Museum

Reprint edition

1998

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A Guide to the Official Archives of the Natural History Museum, London

John C. Thackray

The Society for the History of Natural History on behalf of the Natural History Museum

1998

"The archives of the Natural History Museum form a rich treasure house. They reveal how the Museum functioned, how it was run and how it developed and changed over the decades. This book provides a fascinating introduction to the archives deposited up until 1975 including scientific research, curation, exhibition production, education, publishing, building maintenance and internal management."

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Manuscripts and Drawings in the Ornithology and Rothschild Libraries of the Natural History Museum at Tring

Frances E. Warr

British Ornithologists' Club in association with the Natural History Museum

1997

"The Ornithology and Rothschild Libraries of the Natural History Museum at Tring hold a unique collection of manuscripts and drawings, dating from the late 17th Century. The collection includes manuscripts of published and unpublished books and papers, field notes of travel in many parts of the world, notes on egg collections, drawings, watercolours and photographs. Published in association with the Museum, the catalogue will be of value to ornithologists, historians of natural history, and all those interested in the collections held at Tring."

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Extinct And Endangered Birds In The Collections Of The Natural History Museum

Alan Knox & Michael Walters

Occasional Publications Series No. 1

British Ornithologists' Club

1994

"This detailed catalogue gives the factual data for over 3000 specimens of extinct and endangered species from the collections of the Natural History Museum at Tring UK, including full label and register data for each specimen."

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The Natural History Museum at South Kensington

William T. Stearn

William Heinemann

1981

"A history of the origins and growth of The Natural History Museum from the 1750s to 1980. This text covers the development of the original natural history collection, its acquisition by the British Museum, the establishment of the museum at South Kensington, and the maturing of that site."

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Last updated March 2014