Wednesday, 9 September 2026

#683: Hintze Hall's Hidden Art

One of the most likely places for teachers (particularly in London) to take students for the GCSE Natural History course will be the Natural History Museum. 

I've blogged about it before and will do again numerous times I imagine.

Google has an Arts and Culture section. It is well worth exploring.


The main room in the museum is the Hintze Hall. This was previously home to 'Dippy the dinosaur' between 1905 and 2017 (if you want to see him, he's currently - at the time of blogging - in Coventry).

It is currently home to Hope, the Blue Whale.

Beyond the whale though is the amazing ceiling. The site explains its depiction of natural history and there is a hugely detailed photo that can be explored.

The soaring vault is a golden cover for a spectacular natural treasure trove, adorned with 162 illustrated panels showing plants from across the world.
A gleaming canopy has been created with paintings set against wood, glass and metal, fashioning a roof that complements t
he splendour of the specimens below.

Each panel tells a story - of emerging and fallen empires, prosperity and slavery, and explorers pushing the boundaries of the known world.

Alfred Waterhouse, who designed the Museum, almost certainly dreamt up the ceiling's concept and probably sketched the original designs.

Scroll down to find out a lot more about the ceiling.


Here's a picture of mine from 2014.

Image: Alan Parkinson, shared on Flickr under CC license.

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#683: Hintze Hall's Hidden Art

One of the most likely places for teachers (particularly in London) to take students for the GCSE Natural History course will be the Natural...