Today saw HRH the Princess Royal visit our #MonstersoftheDeep exhibition, years in the making, at @TheNMMC #Falmouth. I'm guest curator & worked with the museum's Stuart Slade, @tammy_horton of the National Oceanography Centre - and others - in bringing it all together. Thread...

#MonstersoftheDeep weaves together medieval beliefs about sea monsters, the scientific discovery of deep-sea life, the cryptozoological movement, and modern exploration and discovery. We have LOADS of stuff on display, much of it for the first time...

We open with a section on medieval maps... did people of those times believe in the sea monsters shown on maps like the Carta Marina, or were other forces at play? Jenny hanivers, mermaids, sea monks, sea bishops, sea unicorns and more occupy this part of the exhibition...

Next, we explore #cryptozoology. The beliefs of the middle ages never went away, as people right up to today have argued that sea monsters might be real, including krakens and stupendous octopuses. These researchers have endorsed the existence of a list of surreal creatures...

We showcase the 'prehistoric survivor paradigm' and - major coup - have a big #coelacanth on show! Coelacanths have often been used by cryptozoologists as support for the idea that creatures known only as fossils might persist to the present...

In parallel to this #cryptozoology section, we explore how scientific discoveries of the late 1800s - in particular the Challenger expeditions - revolutionised knowledge of the sea. Loads more exhibits, including a replica Challenger cabin...

All of which leads up to a section on the amazing real animals which have been discovered in the deep ocean. We have a spectacular selection on display, some amazing showpieces!

We also have sections on the technology of deep-sea exploration, on sea monsters in pop culture and loads more...

I'll finish by saying that the shop is phenomenally good, loads of maritime stuff relevant to the exhibition! #MonstersoftheDeep is on show at @TheNMMC until January 2022, it's a must-see :) More info... https://nmmc.co.uk/monsters-of-the-deep/ #Falmouth #Cornwall #museums