Dry Store Room No 1 by Richard Fortey is a book about the history of the Natural History Museum in London. It’s a place I have been to several times but, like all visitors, I will not have seen what goes on behind the scenes or understood the scientific research which is the whole point of the institution.
The museum collects specimens of natural history from all over the world – animals, insects, fossils, rocks, plants, fungi, and much more. The scientists who work there describe these items, classify them and try to understand them. They each work on a subject and most of them spend all of their lives in the impressive building – some even seem to carry on working there after they are officially retired and are no longer paid.
The author talks about the history of the building and the collection of items. He describes how classifications work and what distinguishes one specimen from another. If he had only included these items I might have found this book a trifle dull, but the author also talks about the people of the museum and those who have studied there over the past couple of centuries. These people, mostly men at the beginning but more women now, are a group of eccentric and devoted scientists that seem to have thrived in an environment that encouraged solitary study and individualism. The author tells their stories with kindness and understanding as well as a considerable amount of humour.
This is a captivating book. I had no idea what the scientists at the museum did, even if I had ever known that they existed. I now have a much better understanding of scientific research at the museum and the importance of the work that is carried out there. This is an unusual book but one worth reading even if, like me, you don’t have a great enthusiasm for reading about science and the natural world.
Anne Is Reading 