Pickled dragon
Encyclopedia
In December 2003, David Hart claimed to have found a pickled
dragon or, more precisely, what appeared to be the fetus
of a winged reptile-type creature preserved in a 30 inches (76.2 cm) tall jar of formaldehyde
in his garage in Sutton Courtenay
, Oxfordshire
; he then showed it to a friend, Allistair Mitchell, who runs a marketing company in Oxford.
The pair had told the press that the dragon
was found with documents suggesting it had been offered to the Natural History Museum
in the late nineteenth century by German
scientists. Mitchell suggested it was an attempt by the Germans to discredit their British colleagues.
According to their story, David Hart's grandfather, said to have been a porter at the museum, saved the specimen from being destroyed; it had then been left in a crate in his garage by Hart's father and had remained there for twenty years before being "rediscovered".
In reality the dragon was made by the model-makers behind the BBC
TV series Walking with Dinosaurs
, and the jar was made by a specialist glass blowing studio. The hoax was a publicity stunt
to publicise Mitchell's forthcoming novel, and won him a publishing contract with Waterstone's
, a major British bookselling chain.
Pickling
Pickling, also known as brining or corning is the process of preserving food by anaerobic fermentation in brine to produce lactic acid, or marinating and storing it in an acid solution, usually vinegar . The resulting food is called a pickle. This procedure gives the food a salty or sour taste...
dragon or, more precisely, what appeared to be the fetus
Fetus
A fetus is a developing mammal or other viviparous vertebrate after the embryonic stage and before birth.In humans, the fetal stage of prenatal development starts at the beginning of the 11th week in gestational age, which is the 9th week after fertilization.-Etymology and spelling variations:The...
of a winged reptile-type creature preserved in a 30 inches (76.2 cm) tall jar of formaldehyde
Formaldehyde
Formaldehyde is an organic compound with the formula CH2O. It is the simplest aldehyde, hence its systematic name methanal.Formaldehyde is a colorless gas with a characteristic pungent odor. It is an important precursor to many other chemical compounds, especially for polymers...
in his garage in Sutton Courtenay
Sutton Courtenay
Sutton Courtenay is a village and civil parish on the River Thames south of Abingdon and northwest of Didcot. It was part of Berkshire until the 1974 boundary changes transferred it to Oxfordshire.-Today:...
, Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ....
; he then showed it to a friend, Allistair Mitchell, who runs a marketing company in Oxford.
The pair had told the press that the dragon
European dragon
European dragons are legendary creatures in folklore and mythology among the overlapping cultures of Europe.In European folklore, a dragon is a serpentine legendary creature. The Latin word draco, as in constellation Draco, comes directly from Greek δράκων,...
was found with documents suggesting it had been offered to the Natural History Museum
Natural History Museum
The Natural History Museum is one of three large museums on Exhibition Road, South Kensington, London, England . Its main frontage is on Cromwell Road...
in the late nineteenth century by German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
scientists. Mitchell suggested it was an attempt by the Germans to discredit their British colleagues.
According to their story, David Hart's grandfather, said to have been a porter at the museum, saved the specimen from being destroyed; it had then been left in a crate in his garage by Hart's father and had remained there for twenty years before being "rediscovered".
In reality the dragon was made by the model-makers behind the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
TV series Walking with Dinosaurs
Walking with Dinosaurs
Walking with Dinosaurs is a six-part documentary television miniseries that was produced by BBC, narrated by Kenneth Branagh, and first aired in the United Kingdom, in 1999. The series was subsequently aired in North America on the Discovery Channel in 2000, with Branagh's voice replaced with that...
, and the jar was made by a specialist glass blowing studio. The hoax was a publicity stunt
Publicity stunt
A publicity stunt is a planned event designed to attract the public's attention to the event's organizers or their cause. Publicity stunts can be professionally organized or set up by amateurs...
to publicise Mitchell's forthcoming novel, and won him a publishing contract with Waterstone's
Waterstone's
Waterstone's is a British book specialist established in 1982 by Tim Waterstone that employs around 4,500 staff throughout the United Kingdom and Europe....
, a major British bookselling chain.