Giant Toad, Angry Shark, Hungry Bear: Behind The Curtain At A World-Class Museum

Klaus Pichler was walking home late one night when he noticed light on in the basement of Vienna’s Natural History Museum. What he saw inside inspired a project called Skeletons in the Closet. Vienna’s Natural History Museum is one of the oldest, largest, and most important collections in the world. With 25 million specimens, 60 staff scientists, and a massive 125-year-old building, it’s somehow antithetical to call it a museum--it’s more like a city. Which makes Klaus Pichler something like a street photographer. Pichler’s series, Skeletons in the Closet, captures the museum à poil, as few ever see it. In one image, a shark blocks the path to the exit in a cold concrete hallway. A pterodactyl perches next to a pile of ladders in what looks like a garage, while in a storage closet, a bevy of cobra snakes wait patiently for their moment.Read Full...