Dippy is world-famous as the first skeleton of a diplodocus to be exhibited after its donation to the Natural History Museum in 1905. For over 100 years it greeted visitors to the museum in London before going on a national tour in 2017. GNM: Hancock was one of the eight chosen venues, and it was seen as an opportunity for a supplementary exhibition on the subject of climate change to run alongside Dippy’s stay.
Around the building, a series of interventions and panels linking into both the visit and the displayed items of the museum’s extensive collection were created to illustrate the impact of climate change, and encourage learning about wildlife and the impact humans have on habitats. This trail encouraged the 310,000 visitors to Dippy in the main hall to explore the rest of the museum and make this the most popular temporary exhibition in the museum’s history.
I designed every part of the exhibition’s trail, from large-scale vinyls, panels, built stands and interventions to promotional materials and a paper guide. I also created illustrated animal characters for children to inform and guide them through the space. In addition, I sourced the vast majority of photographic imagery that was part of the exhibition’s design.
This was a big undertaking, and I was pleased this was seen by the sheer number of visitors that attended (an increase of over 50% compared to normal) the museum. Some of the panels have been kept permanently as they were so popular.
