Natural Histories

Illustration of an aye-aye lemur crawling across a branch and looking startled
Explore the integral role illustration has played in scientific discovery through large-format reproductions of stunning works spanning five centuries. 

In the days before photography, original art was the only way to capture the likeness of organisms, people, and places and share this information with others. 

Created in the pursuit of scientific knowledge, the beautiful illustrations in Natural Histories accompanied important scientific publications in disciplines ranging from astronomy to zoology. 

Entrance graphic of the Natural Histories exhibition featuring a large vinyl cutout of an octopus illustration
Natural Histories features scientific illustrations spanning five centuries from the Rare Book collection of the American Museum of Natural History's Library.
© AMNH/D. Finnin
Two women and two children look at illustrations of a colorful flying gunard fish and a puffer fish.
Marcus Elieser Bloch (1723-1799) described all fish species then known to science (and 267 previously unknown) including this colorful flying gurnard (Trigla volitans), which seems to be captured mid-swim.  
© AMNH/R. Mickens
A hallway is decorated with illustrations of ocean life; in the immediate foreground is an image of colorful fish
Louis Renard’s artists embellished their work to satisfy a thirst for the unusual. Some illustrations, like this one, include fish with imaginative colors and patterns and unexpected expressions.
© AMNH/D. Finnin
A woman looks at a series of three scientific illustrations of mollusks, including a female paper nautilus and a pen shell
In his landmark work Testacea utriusque Siciliae..., Italian naturalist Giuseppe Saverio Poli (1746-1825) first categorized mollusks by their internal structure and not just their shells, as seen in his detailed illustration of female paper nautilus (Argonauta argo). 
© AMNH/R. Mickens

Specifications

Our 2D panel exhibitions are delivered digitally and are designed to be flexible for display in spaces of various sizes and layouts.

  • Flexible size (260 linear feet)
  • Digital delivery
  • Package includes 50 large-format images and captions, 26 group captions, 3 educational panels, and 2 introduction vinyl graphics

 

Request More Information

The American Museum of Natural History's 2D panel exhibitions are ideal for displaying in museums, science centers, libraries, and other public or private spaces. 

Contact us to learn more about renting this exhibition for your venue. 

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