Capturing Nature | Early scientific photography at the Australian Museum 1857-1893 diplodocus Geology enthusiasts studying copper-bearing minerals

Geology enthusiasts studying copper-bearing minerals

central and northern Western Australia and Central Northern Territory

Curious about the Laughing Kookaburra (Dacelo novaeguineae)

180x120x100mm

Capturing Nature | Early scientific photography at the Australian Museum 1857-1893 diplodocus Geology enthusiasts studying copper-bearing mineralsIn the mid 19th century, scientists around the world were quick to see photography's huge potential for capturing fleeting moments of life, death and discovery. At the Australian Museum, curator Gerard Krefft and taxidermist Henry Barnes began to experiment with the revolutionary new art form, preparing and staging their specimens from whales and giant sunfish to lifelike lyre bird scenes and fossils and documenting them in thousands of arresting