"Through the words and photographs, we try to capture the complex process by which a natural history museum built a totally unique exhibit hall devoted to a critical juncture in the history of life, the Triassic."
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Triassic Hall:
Building the Triassic Exhibit from the Ground Up by Jaenet Guggenheim and Dr. Spencer G. Lucas Azro Press
reviewed by K.R. Mecom
Triassic Hall is the engaging, insightful narrative of how the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science created its exhibit "Dawn of the Dinosaurs." When the New Mexico of Natural History Museum was first built, they conceived an idea called "Time Tracks" that would guide visitors through two billion years of geological time, told by the fossil found in New Mexico, yet it was never fully completed. Over twenty years later, this dream was furthered as work began on "Dawn of the Dinosaurs." Triassic Hall begins, as it must, with the past. The first chapter is devoted to explaining the process of how paleontologists dig for fossils, how they date them, and how they classify them as the recovery of fossils was the first step in constructing the exhibit. The next chapters touch on the actual physical construction of the exhibit, how they built model dinosaurs such as a phytosaur and staged the battle between him and a Placerias, and how they built a new tank for Kirby, the Lungfish, which paleontologists call a living fossil as it has its origins in the Triassic Period.
However, the book isn't just about telling the story of how the exhibit was built; it is equally focused on telling the story of the Triassic period and the many creatures that lived and died during that time. For example, one chapter touches on the difference between mammal and dinosaur skulls, while another posits theories about the Permian Extinction. Triassic Hall is aimed at children from 8 to 15 (yet even adults will thoroughly enjoy the journey). The prose is easily understandable for that younger reader, while not shying away from scientific terms and it is incredibly informative. Each chapter is filled with comprehensive photographs and illustrations that work to highlight each step in the process of building the exhibit. The greatest thing about Triassic Hall is that it makes one feel as if they have stepped into the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and have been taken behind the scenes to experience the wonders of “Dawn of the Dinosaurs” with their own eyes.
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