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Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History
blue background with vibrant colored plants: green leaves with red, yellow, and blue flowers
Second Floor | Exhibit

Beauty Rich and Rare

Past exhibit JULY 5, 2020
Location map

Illuminating the natural beauty of Australia.

Beauty Rich and Rare follows Captain James Cook’s 1768 voyage to Tahiti, New Zealand, and Australia. On board was English naturalist Sir Joseph Banks to record Australia's flora and fauna in meticulous detail.  To mark the 250th anniversary of the voyage, the National Library of Australia commissioned Sydney-based AGB Events to create and produce Beauty Rich and Rare – an immersive sound and light display featuring original illustrations, charts, and Banks’ journals.

an illustrated plant with several green leaves and 6 flower buds at top
Did you know?

In 1992, the US Space Shuttle Endeavour carried with it a piece of wood from Captain Cook’s original 1768 ship

Look For

a large possum cloak at an up right angle in a large glass case
A rare possum skin cloak worn by indigenous people of South Eastern Australia, collected during the Wilkes Expedition in 1839. (Find this in Objects of Wonder, down the hall)
aboriginal art of people on the cloak
Historic aboriginal art that shows how people wore possum cloaks
case with pressed plants and illustrations of the plants
Plant specimens collected on that journey by Joseph Banks and illustrated by Daniel Solander
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Things To Do

  • Compare the herbarium sheets (dried botanical collections) with the illustrations that were created during the expedition.  
  • Learn how South Pacific peoples navigated the vast Pacific Ocean by following the stars.
  • Watch as historic illustrations come to life through the use of modern digital techniques.
  • Donate to the victims of the devastating bushfires that impacted Australia.

Experience More

cheetah on branch with other animal
First Floor | Exhibit
Kenneth E. Behring Family Hall of Mammals
a large piece of blue lapis lazuli
Second Floor | Exhibit
Objects of Wonder