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| © CSG CIC Glasgow
Museums Collection |
Dippy, a replica of a diplodocus, has arrived in
Kelvingrove. The skeleton of Dippy was dug up in Wyoming, USA in 1899. The
original skeleton is in Andrew Carnegie’s Museum in Pittsburgh USA because the
excavation was funded by Andrew Carnegie. In his honour, the dinosaur is named
I diplodocuscarnegii. Dippy is 70
feet long and has 292 bones.
King Edward VII
visited Carnegie at Skibo Castle and saw a drawing of the reconstructed
skeleton. He asked Carnegie if he could make a cast for the British Museum.
Carnegie obliged and donated a plaster cast which was unveiled in 1905. It has
remained in the Natural History Museum since then. A decision was made to put
another exhibit in the central hall of the museum and to send Dippy on a tour
of the United Kingdom. Glasgow is its fourth stop. It has to travel with a team
of dedicated technicians to ensure that it is properly installed. It will be
here until May 2019.
Already there have been crowds of people eager to see
him/her on the only visit to Scotland- 50,000 visitors in the first fortnight.
