Natural history museums are truly awesome and astonishing places, but did you know that they’re home to even more specimens than what they have out on display? The Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History (NMNH) in Washington, D.C. maintains a vast collection of specimens that’s over 90% larger than what’s on public display.
“These collections serve as primary reference materials for exploring and understanding the solid Earth and planet, biological and cultural diversity, evolutionary relationships, biological conservation, and global change. They help us to interpret our biological origins, our cultural heritage, and what the future may hold.”
Messy Nessy recently shared a fascinating series of photos of some of the Smithsonian NMNH’s backstage collections, enormous rooms full of seemingly endless drawers, shelves, racks, and cabinets all full of carefully cataloged and organized specimens from many different branches of natural history. The photos were all taken by the late Chip Clark, photographer for the Smithsonian Institution.
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