About this Event
In the halls of natural history museums all over the world, you can peer through the glass and come face-to-face with the ghosts of extinction. Extinction has been going on as long as there has been biological life—in fact over 99% of all species that have ever existed on Earth are extinct—but extinction usually happen at a slow place. We are now, however, living through the Sixth Mass Extinction, with species rapidly going extinct because of human actions. These are the ghosts of extinction in the museum.
In this talk based on her new book Ghosts Behind Glass, Dolly Jørgensen takes visitors with her to encounter the extinct. Journeying through the halls of over 80 museums worldwide, she identified trends, similarities, and differences in display techniques and storytelling with remains of the extinct. In conversation with natural history displays in the UCL Grant Museum of Zoology, Jørgensen will discuss the challenges of encountering extinction and the potential to raise awareness of the connections between humans and nonhumans over time.
The talk will be followed by a chance to meet Dolly, view some of the iconic, now extinct species on display in the museum and buy signed copies of her latest book (Ghosts Behind Glass: Encountering Extinction in Museums, 2025).
Free event, booking is essential.
Doors open from 17:30
Talk begins at 18:00
The museum will close at 19:30
The UCL Grant Museum of Zoology is completely accessible to wheelchair users and those with limited mobility from street level via the museum's main entrance.
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Grant Museum of Zoology, 21 University Street, London, United Kingdom
GBP 0.00
