In January, the Dorset Museum & Art Gallery will open a major exhibition commemorating the life and work of Mary Anning, the 19th-century fossil hunter from Lyme Regis. The display, which runs from January 30 to May 2, 2027, coincides with the 180th anniversary of Anning’s death and aims to highlight her significant yet often overlooked contributions to the field of paleontology.
Anning’s story came to renewed public attention through the efforts of author Tracy Chevalier, who first encountered Anning’s legacy in 2006 during a visit to the Dinosaur Museum in Dorchester. Chevalier was struck by Anning's remarkable achievements at a time when the field was dominated by university-educated men and socioeconomically privileged individuals. Notably, Anning, a working-class woman, made groundbreaking fossil discoveries that helped lay the foundation for paleontology as a scientific discipline.
Chevalier’s 2010 novel *Remarkable Creatures* draws on Anning’s life, beginning with the dramatic incident of her survival after being struck by lightning as an infant—a metaphor for both her resilience and the illuminating nature of her fossil finds. Chevalier continues to champion Anning’s story, both as a board member of the Dorset Museum and curator of the upcoming exhibition.
The exhibition will showcase a broad array of approximately 20,500 geological specimens from the Dorset Museum’s extensive collections, which include nearly 20,000 fossils. Key items on loan from institutions such as the Natural History Museum in London, the Wellcome Collection, Oxford University Museum of Natural History, and Lyme Regis Museum will be featured. Among the highlights are Anning’s discoveries of coprolites, brittle stars, and pterosaurs, as well as a cast of the first ichthyosaur skull she found at age 12.
In addition to original fossils, archival materials and interactive exhibits are planned to engage visitors of all ages. Children will be able to explore a recreated version of Anning’s fossil shop, handle casts of her finds, and participate in fossil “digging” activities. A rare sketch by Anning, loaned by a private collector, will be displayed alongside a geology and mineralogy book bearing her signature, illuminating her scientific process.
Despite her contributions, Anning’s legacy was long overshadowed by prevailing gender and class biases. She was never formally recognized by scientific societies during her lifetime, and many of her discoveries were credited to male collectors and patrons, such as Henry Hoste Henley, a local lord who purchased some of her most important fossils. Anning died in poverty in 1847, with much of her work unacknowledged.
Since the late 20th century, interest in Anning has steadily grown. She was included in England’s revised primary school history curriculum in 2013 alongside figures like Charles Darwin and Alfred Wallace. Local campaigns have also called for statues and memorials in her honor.
The renewed attention to Anning’s story parallels broader conversations about fossil collection today, where commercial interest and amateur fossil hunting raise ethical and scientific questions. High-profile fossil auctions and acquisitions—such as the sale of a mounted Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton for over $50 million at Sotheby’s New York in July, and a large British Jurassic fossil collection purchased by the Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi—highlight the ongoing value and contested ownership of paleontological finds.
The Dorset Museum hopes that the upcoming exhibition will draw visitors to Dorchester and Lyme Regis, fostering appreciation for Anning’s legacy and the geological richness of the region’s Jurassic Coast. Chevalier emphasizes the appeal of fossil hunting as a way to connect with the past and the natural world: “People stop looking at their phones and start looking, just looking,” she said.
*Mary Anning: Fossil Hunter* will be open from January 30 through May 2, 2027. More information is available at dorsetmuseum.org.