Reawakening Durham's Bioscience Collection

Reawakening Durham’s Bioscience Collection is the first dedicated online exhibition highlighting Durham University's Bioscience Collection. 

Previously part of the teaching and learning resources within the former Botany and Zoology departments, which later merged to form the current Bioscience Department, this collection holds a vast array of natural history specimens. These range from the local landscapes of County Durham to some of the most remote corners of the world, representing the study of science at Durham University over the past 80 years

The collections hold fascinating and unique objects, from Arctic-dried plants in the herbarium to fossilised remains of a now-extinct Giant Irish Elk. The collections tells unique stories, featuring specimens donated by Captain Kenneth Whitehead, a mid-20th-century expert on British deer, and collections from leading researchers such as Dr Margaret Bradshaw, a renowned botanist and advocate.

This exhibition has been made possible through the curation, research, and collections management work carried out over the last 18 months by the Archaeology and Bioscience Collection team, with support from the Bioscience Department. This behind-the-scenes work has brought the collection to life, allowing it to be explored online for the first time.

• Visit the exhibition