The famous Steenhuizen Diorama at Artis Zoo was opened in 1926 and was immediately popular with the public. It is truly a breathtaking work of art: a piece of the Texel dunes, transported into a round tower in the aquarium building. Most notable is the painting that surrounds the diorama, 30meters long and 9meters high. It is a truly stunning background for this special diorama which transports the viewer to a Texel in the spring: sweeping dunes populated with plants, nesting shorebirds, and young rabbits peering out from beneath the brambles. Unfortunately, the asbestos used to insulate the building has now contaminated the whole diorama. The aquarium building is now under renovation and the decision has been made to clean and restore the painting, but at this point, there is no funding to clean and restore the diorama itself. Tanager Services assisted with the task of documenting this diorama with the hope that one day it can be rebuilt.

How we documented this piece:

• The diorama as well as the area below it was measured from every angle
• A grid was made and overlaid on the diorama as well as on the underside relief of the diorama. Every square in the grid was documented with photos, drawings, a description of what specimens were in it, and a 3D scan
• A list of specimens was compiled, both original from 1926 and later replacements and additions
• We investigated how this was built and included this in the report
• Samples were taken of specimens from both 1926 and from later restorations.