Earlier this week, team members at Everything Dinosaur attended an event at the Bristol Museum and Art Gallery and whilst we were there, we took the opportunity to take some pictures of “Deadly Doris” the nickname given to the life-size Pliosaurus replica which is suspended from the Museum’s ceiling.

Everything Dinosaur attended a special evening opening of the Museum to celebrate the life and works of Anthony Beeson, who sadly passed away earlier this year. Fans of dinosaur models will know of Anthony through his work with CollectA helping to design the prehistoric animal figures in the award-winning “Prehistoric World” model range.

However, Anthony was a true polymath with a huge range of interests and a very wide circle of friends. He was an expert on Greek and Roman art and architecture, a skilled painter, an archivist of the Association for Roman Archaeology, an author and the former art librarian at Bristol City Libraries.

He often talked about the fossils and other exhibits on display at the Bristol Museum and Art Gallery and although the museum was officially closed, we were able to take some photographs of the life-size replica of the “Westbury pliosaur” that is suspended from the ceiling in the Museum’s main atrium.

We were given the opportunity to say a few words to the audience who had gathered to show their appreciation for Anthony, as the pliosaur replica nicknamed “Deadly Doris” looked on.

CollectA with the assistance of Anthony Beeson have made some spectacular scale models of marine reptiles including a Pliosaurus: CollectA Deluxe Prehistoric Life/World Models.

“Deadly Doris”

The partial remains of an eight-metre-long pliosaur were discovered in Lower Kimmeridge clay sediments at Westbury (Wiltshire) in 1994. The fossils representing a single animal, included a skull and jaws that were nearly two metres in length. The pliosaur was formally named and described in 2013 (Benson et al) as Pliosaurus carpenteri. The fossils are on display at the Bristol Museum and Art Gallery and artist Tony Hitchcock was commissioned to produce a life-size replica as part of the marine reptile exhibit.

As we gave our speech about Anthony and his contribution to the CollectA range, “Deadly Doris” looked down on proceedings. We are sure Anthony would have approved and been delighted with a pliosaur in attendance.

To view the CollectA not-to-scale Prehistoric Life range: CollectA Prehistoric Life/World Models.