Heathrow Airport welcomes 13 metre skeleton of a 155 million year old dinosaur at Terminal 5
LONDON, UK, 2019-Apr-04 — /Travel PR News/ — A 13 metre skeleton of a 155 million year old diplodocus will be exhibited from the first week of April, before being sold by the French auction house Aguttes for an expected £2 million.
Heathrow will see over 4.5 million passengers travelling through the airport over Easter and Terminal 5 passengers will have the chance to step back in time to experience this historical figure.
The completely unique skeleton shows significant impressions of the skin of the dinosaur, never before discovered on this dinosaur type, with a new scientific study indicating the skeleton is from a new species and is a cousin of the diplodocus.
Ross Baker, Chief Commercial Officer at Heathrow said, “What a sizeable welcome for families travelling this Easter! We’re excited to see the ‘roar-some’ reaction from our passengers, as they encounter this completely unique specimen before heading on their travels with loved ones.”
Archaeologist and special advisor to Aguttes Auction house, Eric Mickeler says, “This original skeleton is remarkable. It is currently the only diplodocus in the world with the imprint of its skin and therefore a world first.
“The sheer size of dinosaurs awes people, they are immense, and that is part of their fasciation for collectors. Buyers look for big impressive aesthetically attractive and well-preserved examples. It is also a case of supply and demand. There are very few found and so prices grow because there is a strong demand for them.”
About Heathrow
Heathrow is Europe’s largest airport and one of the world’s top international aviation hubs. As the UK’s global gateway, Heathrow welcomes more than 80 million passengers every year. The airport is home to more than 80 airlines and is Britain’s largest cargo port, helping to drive British trade growth by connecting the nation to more than 200 destinations around the world. Heathrow is currently ranked by passengers as the “Best Airport in Western Europe” for the fifth year running and the “Best Airport for Shopping” for 10 years in a row. Terminal 5 holds the title of the “World’s Best Airport Terminal” and Terminal 2 is the airport’s most sustainable, now powered by 100% renewable gas and electricity.
About the dinosaur
For more information on the dinosaur exhibited at Heathrow, which will be auctioned in France in June 2019, please contact the dinosaur expert, Mr. Eric Mickeler, well-known consultant of international sales of dinosaurs on 0033 6 72 74 71 42 or via erics@wanadoo.fr. Press enquiries to Julian Roup on 0044 (0)7970563958 or 01892 669200 email at info@bendigopr.co.uk
About the Paleomoove Process
Paleomoove Laboratory is a French company established in Marseille which specializes in the restoration of fossils. This company is headed by Nicolas Tourment, a French expert in the presentation of archaeological items. He has done work for Christie’s and Sotheby’s and has worked on many skeletons of dinosaurs and mammoths. Supporting structures for dinosaur skeletons have long been made from iron and steel despite their significant lack of resistance to rust. Paleomoove decided to use stainless steel for its durability and aesthetics.
This particular means of construction has led to finally being able to design structures that can be transformed into different shapes, giving a dynamic visual presentation that can accommodate itself to different settings.
About Aguttes Auction House
AGUTTES is the first independant auction house in France (without external shareholders) and was ranked as the fourth largest auction house in the French market in 2018. Founded by Claude Aguttes in 1974, the company holds 80 auctions per year with a team of 40. AGUTTES is also a major actor at Drouot in Paris, where it achieved the highest sale records in 2015, 2017 and 2018. In 2017, the auction house was chosen by the French Commercial Court to organize the sale of the tremendous Aristophil Collections of Rare Books and Manuscripts. In June 2018, AGUTTES reached a world record by selling a new carnivorous dinosaur species for more than 2 million euros at the Eiffel Tower. In 2019, the company opened a new sales representative office in Brussels and completed significant renovations in its saleroom in Lyon – the former train station of Brotteaux – which will allow new events to be created.
Contact:
Press Office
0208 745 7224
Source: Heathrow Airport
###