The work of MBA Scientist Walter Garstang (1868-1949) is at the centre of a new exhibition called “Forms Most Beautiful” at the Plymouth City Museum and Art Gallery. Garstang was famous for disagreeing with Ernst Haeckel’s theory of recapitulation which stated that embryos went through all stages of evolution in the womb. Garstang used his studies of larval forms in his Easter Classes held at the MBA to attempt to disprove this. He was never able to successfully do so, but he was shown to be right in 1996 after an extensive study by Professor Mark Richardson, now at the University of Leiden.

The exhibition is also displaying drawings and watercolours by Marie V. Lebour (1876-1971), another MBA Scientist who studied larval forms and plankton.

For more information, please visit the Plymouth City Council’s website.

The exhibition runs until 21 April 2012.

Plymouth City Museum and Art Gallery is open Tuesdays to Fridays from 10.00 to 17.30, and Saturdays from 10.00 to 17.00. Admission is free.