Most curators have those niggling objects at the back of their stores. Models and illustrations previously used for teaching or display in the dim and distant past, but kept for a rainy day. Not quite real objects and not the kind of thing you would necessarily want to accession.

Well, we’ve embraced these wonderful objects in our new exhibition: Object Lessons.

Brendel Models, George Loudon Collection

Object Lessons celebrates the scientific model and illustration collection of George Loudon. Each of these finely crafted objects was created for the purpose of understanding the natural world through education, demonstration and display.

The object-rich exhibition will look at this incredible collection through themes such as Craftsmanship, the Teaching Museum and the Microscopic.

George’s collection will be displayed alongside stunning models from Manchester Museum and World Museum, Liverpool.

Here’s a selection of some of my favorites in the exhibition:

Octopus, Leopold and Rudolph Blaschka, Manchester Museum

Papier-mache wild turkey, George Loudon collection, (image courtesy of Rosamond Purcell)

Victorian Plesiosaur model, Manchester Museum

Cactus teaching poster, Manchester Museum

There are loads more amazing things in the exhibition never been on display before. Can’t wait!

Written by David Gelsthorpe, Curator of Earth Science Collections, Manchester Museum, and NatSCA Committee Member.