Bones come down to earth for 100-year service (From thisisoxfordshire)

Bones come down to earth for 100-year service

7:00pm Saturday 19th January 2013 in News

THIS whale skeleton is one of five taken down at the Oxford University Museum of Natural History for the first time in 100 years.

The skeletons – a dolphin, lesser fin whale, killer whale, beluga whale and a bottle-nosed whale – have been lowered to the ground floor of the museum in Parks Road during renovation work on the glass roof.

A team of specialist riggers took two days to lower four of the skeletons – which were hung from the roof – and the final one came down on Thursday.

Bethany Palumbo, conservator of life sciences, said: “It has actually gone much smoother than I thought it might. Everybody has been very professional and made a lot of effort to not knock or bump the specimens throughout the lowering process.”

The skeletons – which were installed when the museum opened more than 150 years ago – are now at a height where conservators can start cleaning and treating them. It is not known how old they are.

The £2.1m project to restore the glass roof will continue next month when scaffolding is due to be put up.

The museum is expected to reopen to the public early next year.