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

Having only been able to make one short visit to this wonderful museum I was extremely happy to get a guided tour in book form, one that takes me through both the current museum and its past as well. Fortey's text has made certain I will block out an entire day when next in London just to visit this museum. Terry

Richard Fortey is also the author of Trilobite: Eyewitness to Evolution. This has some bearing on this wonderful book because of passages like this: *** It might seem an odd ambition to try to get everyone to pronounce a word correctly. But mine has always been to get the world to say "trilobite" without fudging, and with a certain measure of understanding. My own mother was wont to say "troglodyte," which at least has a certain prehistoric dimension, even if it refers to human cave dwellers rather than extinct arthropods several hundred million years older than humans. "Did you have a nice week with the troglodytes, dear?" was one of her regular enquiries. *** As this (hopefully) illustrates, Fortey is a capable and humorous guide, one who can impart information without the reader minding it a bit. And this book isn't just about hidden exhibits and research. Some of its most fascinating specimens are the humans who work behind the scenes. One of Fortey's particular strengths is what I call the "Doug Henning Superpower." Older readers may remember Doug Henning as a tie-dyed magician with big hair. Although he should have been aggravating, Henning was able to look as amazed as his audiences at the wonders he wrought onstage. Fortey has this ability as well; he is a guide who takes us behind the scenes of the Natural History Museum with a convincing demeanor of excitement and wonder. And it's contagious!

"Dry Storeroom No. 1" is a lively, gossipy memoir of the author's lifetime working at the British Museum. I was intrigued by the resemblance of the characters to some of those I have myself experienced in working at a very different kind of museum. The author has managed to capture the humanity of his fellow-workers while sharing also their contributions to human understanding of the earth.

I noticed this book at our local library and decided to research it. After reading the first chapter online, I decided the book was perfect for my Paleontologist daughter. I could identify with the author on a personal level as I read of his obtaining, at a minimum, a PhD. in his field of Geology, to get his foot in the door. Fortey writes on a level for all to understand. As he himself writes in the book's forward, this is not a book to be read as a novel but to read portions as one's interest perks. As a professional, my daughter describes the book as fascinating and recommends it to all interested in the earth's sciences.

About a month ago, (September 2008) I had a chance to hear Richard Fortey himself lecturing about this book. The lecture, very fittingly, was happening in a natural history museum. As his lecture unfolded, I found myself with many of the most interesting characters that have ever contributed to natural history, both famous and obscure. I also learned about what goes on behind the scenes of the museum, and of some of the many interesting and strange specimens which are not on display, such as an "accursed amethyst" and the famous rock from Mars which is said by some to contain fossils. After the lecture was over, I went home and started reading the book, and found the written account of these things and people to be just as engaging as it was to hear Richard Fortey speaking. It is like recieving your own guided tour through the Natural History Museum of London, and even through the history of natural history. Richard Fortey shows that scientists can be very eccentric and unusual characters, in spite of their stereotype of being very dry and boring. All in all, this is an excellent book which chronicles the history of the museum, the people who make it go, and the specimens which are stored inside it. I recommend this book to anyone who has wondered what goes on inside the hearts of museums, and also to people who are interested in natural history. You will finish this book knowing much about the "behind the scenes" of museums.