Behind the scenes at the Nationaal Natuurhistorisch Museum, Leiden, and the Teyler Museum, Haarlem, The Netherlands: report of a visit by the Geologistsʹ Association, 30 November and 1 December, 2002

The Nationaal Natuurhistorisch Museum, Leiden (NNM), and the Teyler Museum, Haarlem, are contrasting museums separated more by their building style and history than the geographical distance. The NNM includes a collection of over two million minerals, rocks and fossils housed in a new, purpose-built exhibition building and associated 20-storey collections tower. Collections are diverse, but include significant holdings from The Netherlands and former Dutch colonies. Highlights of the collection and research facilities that were demonstrated included The Netherlands Gemmological Laboratory, palaeobotany collections, brachiopods, Cenozoic benthic molluscs, mammals, benthic foraminifera and echinoderms. In contrast, the Teyler Museum building has evolved since the eighteenth century, and the public displays of rocks and fossils still retain much of their original form. Certain specimens of extreme historical importance are on display, such as Homo diluvi testis, early mosasaur finds and an Archaeopteryx.