Exhibits at the American Museum of Natural History sometimes
tell their story through specimens, artifacts, and other
material from the scientific collections. More often, though,
lifelike models, dioramas, and other replicas are used. In
addition, photographs, videotapes, and computer interactive and
multimedia displays provide information and interest. A large
group of people, most of them specialists in different media and
techniques, work behind the scenes to make the exhibits that are
seen by the public. We asked Barrett Klein, a preparator and
display maker in the Museum's Exhibition Department, why so many
of the displays use replicas. "Many people have asked me why we
make the fake things. Is it a game, a test, a challenge to
viewers? Why not use the actual specimens? "There are a number
of reasons. First, if we put a real specimen in a display,
whether in a glass-enclosed case or a diorama, dermestid beetles
will chomp away at it. They go for any organic material. They
slip into the tiniest crevices