Crystal Palace Dinosaurs Experience New Addition: A Victorian-Era Sculpture of an Enigmatic Horse-Like Creature
In an exciting endeavor, the Crystal Palace Dinosaurs, already acclaimed as one of London’s premier attractions, have gained another compelling reason to draw tourists. Scientists from the esteemed Natural History Museum have reconstructed a Victorian-era sculpture of the fascinating Palaeotherium magnum, a horse-like creature that inhabited Britain approximately 44 million years ago.
Originally created during that era, this sculpture had vanished from Crystal Palace Park during the 1960s. However, this weekend, it will triumphantly return to its former home to stand alongside the iconic Crystal Palace Dinosaurs, much to the delight of visitors. Professor Adrian Lister, a renowned expert in palaeo mammals at The Natural History Museum, shared, “The size of a small, chunky pony, [Palaeotherium magnum] was a browsing mammal some 2 meters long and 1.3 meters high. It is incredibly exciting that visitors to the park will once again be able to see this animal restored to its former glory.”
The Crystal Palace Dinosaurs ensemble comprises around 30 palaeontological sculptures, although only four represent dinosaurs. The rest encompass plesiosaurs, icthyosaurs, pterodactyls, crocodilians, amphibians, and mammals. Crafted by the renowned artist Benjamin Waterhouse Hawkins between 1853 and 1855, these sculptures were the world’s first endeavor to create life-size models of extinct animals. Although many of the sculptures have since been deemed inaccurate, their charm persists, and they continue to captivate thousands of tourists who annually flock to South London to witness them.
Ellinor Michel, an evolutionary biologist at the Natural History Museum and Chair of the Friends of Crystal Palace Dinosaurs, underlined the significant historical and scientific value of these sculptures. She expressed, “The display first opened 28 years before the Natural History Museum and was the first-time models of extinct creatures had been used to engage people with science and the natural world in an accessible, entertaining way. It was also the first ‘walk through geological time,’ and for many visitors, this was their first introduction to the idea of lost worlds of animals and environments that no longer exist.”
Palaeotherium magnum, which thrived in Britain between 44.5 million and 33.5 million years ago, stood at a height similar to that of a small horse. Benjamin Waterhouse sculpted the creature in the 1850s, but strangely, it had gone missing for over half a century. The current effort to reconstruct it has been led by talented palaeo artist Bob Nicholls. The Friends of Crystal Palace Dinosaurs lamented the sculpture’s disappearance, admitting, “Its whereabouts are entirely unknown, especially as the sculptures have been moved around more than once in the twentieth century, but its absence is now a sad missing element of the park.”
The grand unveiling of the new Palaeotherium magnum sculpture is scheduled for 2 pm on Sunday, July 2nd. This is an event that dinosaur enthusiasts and history enthusiasts alike won’t want to miss.
What are the Crystal Palace Dinosaurs?
The Crystal Palace Dinosaurs consist of nearly 30 exquisite palaeontological statues, although only four of them represent dinosaurs. The rest feature plesiosaurs, icthyosaurs, pterodactyls, crocodilians, amphibians, and mammals. Born from the vision and talent of the esteemed natural history artist Benjamin Waterhouse Hawkins between 1853 and 1855, these sculptures marked the world’s maiden attempt at life-size replica models of extinct creatures. While the accuracy of many of these sculptures may have come into question over time, their whimsy and intrigue continue to draw thousands of tourists to South London each year.
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