Event 3: Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County

One of the most fascinating museums in Los Angeles, the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County has always been one of my favorites. Perhaps the most time-honored and cherished parts of the museum are the Dioramas. These incredibly life-like, picturesque scenes include gorgeous painted backdrops, sculpted rocks, trees, and other scenery, and of course, taxidermic animal specimen. The Museum has housed a full-time diorama program and display since the 1920s, and audiences of all ages continue to enjoy their beauty. Successful in providing viewers with a close up experience with animals in recreations of the natural habitats in which they were found, these dioramas proved essential in promoting species conservation, as many large mammals had become highly endangered beginning in the 1920s and onward.

The African savannah, complete with a painted backdrop, 3D natural features, and taxidermic animals.

The Dioramas feature a variety of animals and habitats from across the globe. The Natural History museum describes taxidermy as an art, stating that it is a commonly misunderstood medium. Simply put, the taxidermic process includes sculpting clay over an animal’s skeleton, and then stretching the skin over this lightweight mannequin. This process requires great artistic skill, as it is necessary to have an in-depth knowledge of the animal specimen’s anatomy combines with the ability to sculpt well. 

Dad enjoying the buffalo diorama.

Artistic design and technological use play a large role in creating these dioramas. Artistic placement of specimens, recreating habitat scenes, and developing ways in which to make the dioramas seem realistic require a degree of technological innovation. Plaster molds, texture patterns, and heat-pressed plastic combine to make a single leaf; clay, paint, and liquefied plaster create a large boulder. In viewing these dioramas, I was able to observe how art and technology are both vital parts to creating an artwork that transports the viewer to an entirely different world and time. 

What struck me the most about these dioramas was their ability to convey such a strong message about biodiversity and the importance of habitat and species conservation. For the first time, I was able to appreciate the way in which art combines with scientific knowledge in order to strongly express the necessity for both in order to better understand our changing world. These dioramas managed to reinforce one of my favorite concepts of DESMA 9: that the combination of art and science makes both areas infinitely more powerful when unified as a single culture. The dioramas at the Natural History Museum were for me a reminder or the beauty of the natural world, and how we must work to protect the life and biodiversity that is present in all habitats across the Earth.

This image depicts the edge of the African savannah diorama, with the walls of the museum visible behind it, effectively making the diorama seem accessible to the museum visitors.

The author and family enjoying a day at the Natural History Museum (taken in front of the entrance path). 

For fascinating words from diorama artists and historians from the Natural History museum and the process of creating these works of art, check out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f3WYnNV8Yic&list=SP37FA960FC8DA9259&index=11