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Marvels of dinosaurs, ancient corpses
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WALKING into the British-style Natural History Gallery, the predecessor of the Shanghai Natural History Museum, was like entering a time tunnel.
Founded in 1956, the museum was the oldest of its kind in China. It was planned to cover astronomy, geology, anthropology, zoology and botany. The zoology part was completed first while the anthropology section was finished in the 1970s. The other sections were realized when the Shanghai Science and Technology Museum opened in 2001.
Most of its original 2,000 items are from two early museums in Shanghai — Musee Heude founded by the French in 1868 and Shanghai Museum of the Royal Asiatic Society founded by the British in 1874. Its collection gradually expanded to about 270,000 items. Considering its limited exhibition space, only about 2,700 pieces were on display at any given time. Everything else is kept in storage.
Traditional specimen displays and scene boxes were dominant. But these old-fashioned boxes won’t be used in the new museum and the specimens will be replaced.
The dinosaur skeleton models and ancient corpses were often referred to as the gallery’s highlights.
The gallery used to be one of the city’s most popular science education spots, especially in the 1970s and 80s.
Housed in the former Shanghai Cotton Exchange, the gallery’s 6-story building became a major obstacle over the years. Problems like aging wires and limited space have hampered its development.
Fire hazards, theft dangers and lack of parking led to complaints. And the establishment of other entertainment venues has made the museum less attractive.
Annual attendance slipped early this millennium to around 75,000, although the figures have been rising since 2009, when it was announced the museum would be moved.
The gallery, managed by the Shanghai Science and Technology Museum since 2001, officially closed on May 12.
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