Skeletons and models of whales are common in natural history museums exhibitions. From a set of European and American cases this type of display became an analysis tool for scientific and curatorial practices. We advocate for the idea of exhibit design as a space for exchange of meanings and circulation of knowledge, practices and professionals. The fat of whale bodies poses challenges when it comes to the display of these giants’ collections and to the conservation of their skeletons. Natural history museums have accepted these challenges as a proof of scientific authority and technical capacity.

About the book:
The International Multidisciplinary Congress – Web of Knowledge: A look into the Past, embracing the Future was held by IHC-CEHFCi, HERCULES Laboratory and CIDEHUS, University of Évora and took place in Évora, Portugal, from 17 to 19 May 2018.1 The Congress brought together researchers and scientists from different backgrounds intersecting the Exact Sciences with the Social Sciences revealing the visible and invisible networks. By fostering the exchange of knowledge and experiences in the study of the past, the Congress laid the framework for the present day science on which to map the future Web of Knowledge. A high-quality scientific programme was prepared, joining together experts from different fields covering a wide range of topics from Social Sciences, Arts and Humanities to Science and Technology. As a result of the quality of the panels and debates, the Organizing Committee decided to publish a digital and open access volume with blind peer-reviewed papers. This volume publishes a total of thirty-five contributions which reflect the innovative and multidisciplinary research occurring at the moment in different fields of knowledge, promoting visibility and networks of knowledge.

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