One of my favourite places on Earth is the Natural History Museum in London. I’ve been visiting for over 20 years now and I’m currently completing one of my Master’s projects there. It is a magical place that is the home to millions of priceless specimens which have allowed us to unlock the secrets of the natural world. With this in mind, I read Dry Store Room No. 1: The Secret Life of the Natural History Museum by Richard Fortey not too long ago. Again this was another book that I started to read as soon as I bought it, excited to glean all the information I could from it’s printed cellulose sheets.

In his book Fortey not only divulges some both interesting and scandalous information about the Natural History Museum, but also tells the tales of a number of it’s eccentric academics that have had the pleasure to work there over the years.  The role of natural history museums and their importance for the future is the real theme of Fortey’s book. This is a story he tells very well based on his own experiences after joining the museum in the 1970’s and watching advancements in technology help to answer more questions about the museum’s collection than ever thought possible. If you have a deep connection to the museum like I do, or you’re just curious as to how things have changed over the past 50 years then this is certainly a book for you to read!