For a while now, I’ve been part of a group of museum professionals from across Berlin, who meet on a regular basis, sometimes for talks and presentations, sometimes just for fun or to visit each other’s museums. Yesterday, we were meeting at the Natural History Museum for an after hours tour. When we arrived, there was a brilliant surprise waiting for us. It wasn’t just a regular tour, it was a torchlight tour!
Started the day with Botticelli – ending with surprise torch light tour @MfNBerlin. May spontaneously combust with excitement. #museogeek
— Jenni Fuchs (@jennifuchs) October 13, 2015
I’ve actually been on one of these before, but it’s my favourite Berlin museum so I was thrilled to go on another one. And some of the parts we visited were different from last time. I thought I’d just collate my tweets from the night here for you – the photo quality is not great (think iPhone in the dark), but hopefully it will give you a good impression of what it was like. And maybe even whet your appetite – because the best bit is, that they offer these tours for the public too. So if you find yourself in Berlin, you could go on one too!
Record breaker Oskar the Brachiosaurus grew 1.5m when posture was adjusted due to new research! #ITweetMuseums pic.twitter.com/VJvMLziun4
— Jenni Fuchs (@jennifuchs) October 13, 2015
Quite a heavy weight – one of Oskar's foreleg bones weighs over 200kg alone!! #ITweetMuseums #emptyMfNBerlin pic.twitter.com/ZtVzOLa54c
— Jenni Fuchs (@jennifuchs) October 13, 2015
No repatriation requests from Tanzania where the dino bones were found, but they would love a 3D print out :D #ITweetMuseums #emptyMfNBerlin
— Jenni Fuchs (@jennifuchs) October 13, 2015
Bavarian star Archaeopteryx – his dainty sternum shows he was not a great flier. #ITweetMuseums #emptyMfNBerlin pic.twitter.com/8QFd9xAL1W
— Jenni Fuchs (@jennifuchs) October 13, 2015
We get to go through this door now!! #ITweetMuseums #emptyMfNBerlin pic.twitter.com/Bg2tVbcXL8
— Jenni Fuchs (@jennifuchs) October 13, 2015
Greetings from Mr Hitchcock… #ITweetMuseums #emptyMfNBerlin pic.twitter.com/e76WhAORBU
— Jenni Fuchs (@jennifuchs) October 13, 2015
Little bird skeleton army. #ITweetMuseums #emptyMfNBerlin pic.twitter.com/4xG7BcKWvV
— Jenni Fuchs (@jennifuchs) October 13, 2015
And this is what it looks like in the bird archive when the torches are off… #ITweetMuseums #emptyMfNBerlin pic.twitter.com/5ex0g8O8UD
— Jenni Fuchs (@jennifuchs) October 13, 2015
Btw, for non British English speakers, torch = flashlight. No need to worry we may accidentally burn down @MfNBerlin ;) #ITweetMuseums
— Jenni Fuchs (@jennifuchs) October 13, 2015
Btw, for anyone wanting to go on an @MfNBerlin torchlight tour themselves, here are the dates up until December >> http://t.co/bEQh8Nohcu
— Jenni Fuchs (@jennifuchs) October 13, 2015
The new wet collection storage opened 2010. It's kept a balmy 15 C to prevent solvents igniting. #emptyMfNBerlin pic.twitter.com/Hb9JNZyCGm
— Jenni Fuchs (@jennifuchs) October 13, 2015
My fave exhibit in the wet collection: someone's eyes were bigger than their belly. Or jaw. #ITweetMuseums pic.twitter.com/Q0hILZngYp
— Jenni Fuchs (@jennifuchs) October 13, 2015
Ending @MfNBerlin torchlight tour by learning about sexual exploits of angler fish! #ITweetMuseums #emptyMfNBerlin pic.twitter.com/jex43stail
— Jenni Fuchs (@jennifuchs) October 13, 2015
The 'tadpole' @ the back is the male – only 3 samples like this collected worldwide! #ITweetMuseums #emptyMfNBerlin pic.twitter.com/Qq10ckpApZ
— Jenni Fuchs (@jennifuchs) October 13, 2015
Male angler fish apparently discard their brains upon mating but retain their sexual organs… #ITweetMuseums #emptyMfNBerlin
— Jenni Fuchs (@jennifuchs) October 13, 2015
@jennifuchs Some might argue it's not the only species!
— Lois A Wolffe (@bigbadwolffe) October 13, 2015
@jennifuchs @ElinorRC iv met a few men like that!! #next
— The Real Anne O'Hare (@RealAnneOHare) October 13, 2015
On the way out: old exhibition poster showing Oskar the Brachiosaurus' former pose! #ITweetMuseums #emptyMfNBerlin pic.twitter.com/P3VOIVWVkQ
— Jenni Fuchs (@jennifuchs) October 13, 2015
Have you ever visited a museum in the dark? What was it like?
October 14, 2015
Germany