Dioramas as reality

By Richard B. Primack

“When was it that men agreed to respect the appearance and not the reality?”

 Henry David Thoreau 

Museum dioramas can depict dramatic natural scenes that would be difficult or impossible to see in the wild. Dioramas at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History in Pittsburgh, for example, allow visitors to see a range of species and biological communities—all in one place in the middle of winter.

A mother bear and her cubs feeding along a stream. (In the wild, most people would avoid coming this close to bears.)

Zebras, wildebeest, warthogs, and other wildlife on the African plain. (This diversity of large mammals would be hard to find in a single place—and it would be a long way from Pittsburgh.) 

Wildflowers in a mountain meadow. (Visitors get the beauty without having to climb a mountain.)

The four seasons in Pennsylvania. (Spring, summer, fall, and winter in one day—and one scene.)

Dioramas clearly provide an exciting way to experience nature. On the other hand, these striking icicles hanging off of exposed shale along the Trillium Trail Nature reserve outside of Pittsburgh provide an unexpected surprise for those who keep their eyes open for unfiltered reality. 

Museum dioramas provide dramatic scenes and learning opportunities that are tough to get otherwise, but don't forget there are dramatic scenes and learning opportunities just outside, too, even in the cold of winter.