Sperm whale skeleton photographed in the Museum's Hintze Hall in 1901 — A sperm whale skeleton greets visitors to the Museum in 1901

A history in pictures: the Museum’s Hintze Hall

By Lisa Hendry and Hayley Dunning

A vast blue whale skeleton now hangs in Hintze Hall. Take a look at specimens that have taken centre stage over the years.

The Museum opened to the public in 1881 and in its early days the cathedral-like central hall looked distinctly empty. But it didn’t remain that way for long.

Black and white photograph of Hintze Hall, taken in 1882 — Hintze Hall in 1882, looking north

First to fill the large central space was the skeleton of a sperm whale, shown here surrounded by birds and other small exhibits. It could be seen in this spot in the 1890s and 1900s.

Black and white photograph of Hintze Hall, taken in 1895 — Hintze Hall in 1895, looking south

The next star of Hintze Hall was an African elephant specimen (nicknamed George) that arrived in 1907.

Black and white photograph of Hintze Hall, taken in 1910 — Hintze Hall in 1910

Elephants continued to make the hall their home for around 70 years, accompanied by changing displays of other animals.

This 1924 photograph shows the hall at its fullest. Four elephants dominate the scene.

The Diplodocus cast that greeted visitors in Hintze Hall until 2017 was presented to the Museum in 1905. Initially displayed elsewhere, it made its first appearance in the hall in 1979, alongside Triceratops.

Diplodocus and Triceratops in 1979 — *Diplodocus* and *Triceratops* in Hintze Hall in 1979

In the early 1990s, Triceratops moved out of Hintze Hall and the tail of our replica Diplodocus was repositioned to reflect a new scientific understanding of how these dinosaurs held their tails.

Changing the tail from a drooping position where it trailed along the ground to one where it was elevated took several months. It had to be dismantled and re-cast in a lighter material.