The Gilded Canopy Botanical Ceiling Panels of the Natural History Museum [Book Review]

2006·0.54 MB·English

by  Eve Almond

BookReviews
ing and carefully researched information. basedonthese sounds. Totheuntrained ear
With a keen eye for detail, Sarah paints a the music may seem strange at first, but
vividpicture ofthe scenery, vegetation and appreciation grows with repeated listening.
wildlife, as well as the history ofsettle- Six musicians, including Ron, perform the
ments in the area, such as Balfour and compositions on various instruments.
Guildford. Injustafewwordsshebringsto Wilderness areas such as the Tarkine,
life some ofthe early explorers - Henry where, to quote Bob Brown, ‘oneis imbued
HellyerandJames ‘Philosopher’ Smith, for with the awe ofbeing part ofnature’s con-
example. The text is enhanced by colour tinuum’, are always a source ofinspiration,
images ofanimals, plants and fungi con- whether for photographers, writers, artists,
tributed by several photographers, includ- musicians, botanists, zoologists or anyone
ing Sarah, and also by Nicholas Sheehy’s who just enjoys the experience ofbeing
monochromedrawingsofbirdsandinsects. there. Oneofmy favouritetracksontheCD
The main text is followed by details ofthe is the recording ofthe exquisite ascending
99 CD tracks, a table offauna sightings, call ofthe Ground Parrot, accompanied by
and an index offlora and fauna with the the distant roar ofthe mighty Southern
scientific names printed next to the com- Ocean.Atmosphericindeed.
mon names. Tracks on the CD are num- This publication should appeal to anyone
beredandhighlightedthroughoutthetext. with an interestinnatural history.Needless
The CD features 89 tracks ofhigh quality to say, a visit to the Tarkine is now at the
recordings ofanimal sounds-mainly bird- topofmy ‘mustdo’ list.
song, butalso callsofinsects, frogsand the
Tasmanian Devil-interspersed with ten of VirgilHubregtse
Ron’s innovative musical compositions NottingHill,6VSiacntiokriyaS3tr1e6e8t
The Gilded Canopy
Botanical Ceiling Panels ofthe Natural History Museum
by Sandra Knapp and Bob Press
Publisher: NaturalHistoryMuseum, London 2005. 168pages, hardback;
,
colourphotographs. ISBN0565091980. RRP$49.95
This attractive little book documents the
decorative botanical panels that adorn the
ceilings of the Central Hall, Landing
and North Hall of Natural History
Museum,London.
The founding Director, Richard Owen,
conceived the Museum as being a ‘cathe-
dral to nature’ where learning and discov-
ery about the natural world were para-
mount and where national pride in the
British Empire could be celebrated. His
vision is reflected in the Museum’s neo-
Romanesque design by architect Alfred
Waterhouse.
Waterhouse envisaged a grand central
hall, or ‘nave’, where Owen’s directive for
an ‘Index Museum’, a comprehensive
introduction to the order ofnature, could
be realised. Smaller, more specialised
Vol. 123 (5) 2006 345
BookReviews
galleries radiated from the hall. A grand Possibly inspired by Nathaniel Wallich’s
staircase led from the hall to the smaller Plantae Asiaticae Rariores published
North Hall where thenatural history ofthe between 1830-32, these pla,nts arc not
British Isles was to bedisplayed. The gild- named, and despite painstaking research
ed decorative ceilings featuring plants the authors were not able to conclusively
from around the world were to unify the identify all ofthem. By contrast, the plants
separate halls while introducing visitors to on the ceiling panels above the staircaseat
themarvelsoftheplantkingdom. the southern end of the Great Hall are
Knapp and Press were unable to find any more accurately depicted and have their
of Waterhouse’s original drawings on scientific names. All had some influence
which the ceilings decorations arc based, on human civilisation or trade and most
so it is notclearhowthe initial selectionof were those upon which Britain built up
plants was made. As the panels are remi- trade, empire and industrial might, e.g.
niscentofherbarium specimens, itispossi- tobacco, cotton, coffee. Knapp and Press
ble that the Museum’s Keeper of Botany, provide some interesting notes and stories
William Carruthers, was involved. It is on the introduction and exploitation of
believed that the final selection ofplants some of these species, including sugar
was made by the artist James Lea ofthe caneandopium poppy.
Manchester firm Best and Lea, and were The 18 plants from throughout the British
probably painted in situ from scaffolding. Islesportrayed in the Northern Hall are also
Despite budget constraints, the gilded ceil- botanically accurate and shown with their
ingdecorationsarequite extraordinary. scientific names. Theyrepresenta variety of
There are 12 plants depicted and named habitats,andagainthe authorsprovide inter-
in the Central Hall, each consisting ofsix estingnotesonaselectionofthem.
panels combining to make one major pic- The book does not provide a detailed
ture. Generallythey are European inorigin analysis ofthe style ofthe artwork and
orare introduced plants ofeconomic bene- techniques, and frustratingly there is only
fit, for example the Tasmanian Blue Gum one passing reference to Victorian interior
Eucalyptusglobulus, which wasbeingcul- design. However, it does provide the first
tivated in Southern Spain for the produc- comprehensive listing of the plants so
tion ofeucalyptus oil. The Showy Banksia beautifully represented in the ceiling pan-
Banksiaspeciosa seems a surprising inclu- els ofthe Natural History Museum, and
sion on these criteria but, as the authors may be ofgreat interest to the botanically
point out, it is perhaps a tribute to Sir inclinedvisitor.
Joseph Banks who bequeathed to the
Museum his herbarium from his various Eve Almond
voyagesofdiscovery. MuseumVictoria
The apex ofthe ceiling is decorated by CarltonGardens
simpler, more styliseddepictions ofplants, Melbourne
Victoria3000
almost like photographic negatives.
One Hundred Years Ago
EXHIBITIONOFWILDFLOWERS
Following the custom oflate years the October meeting ofthe Field Naturalists' Club consisted
chieflyofanexhibitionofwildflowers. Thesehadbeensentbymembersandfriends from many
distant parts ofthe State, such as Casterton, Dimboola, Echuca, Benalla. Sale, Castlemaine,
Bendigo,&c, and,thankstothecool weather,arrivedinverygoodcondition,sothatthedisplay
was one ofthe best yet held. An additional feature was a fine series offlowers ofAustralian
plantsbloomingin theMelbourneBotanicGardens,showingthat,contrarytotheprevailingidea,
manyofourindigenousflowersarecapableofcultivation.
FromThe VictorianNaturalistXXIII p 132,November8, 1906
346 The Victorian Naturalist