Tail of the whale

In the grand Hintze Hall of the Natural History Museum in London, UK, a skeleton named Hope soars overhead—a blue whale caught mid-dive above the heads of awestruck visitors. Museums offer us a space where the past converses with the present. The Natural History Museum, the one housing Hope, was established in 1881. This museum boasts 80 million specimens, including fossils, minerals and taxidermy exhibits. Hope's above 25-metre-long frame is the entrance hall's centerpiece. Let Hope inspire a visit to your local museum and reignite curiosity and spark wonder in your heart.
© Bailey-Cooper Photography/Alamy