Dolly the Sheep sculpture comes to the Central Library

Twenty years after the birth of Dolly the sheep, Dolly sculpture arrives at Imperial's Library

A sculpture of Dolly the Sheep has arrived in Imperial's Central Library, to commemorate the twenty years since Dolly was cloned from mammary cells.

A sculpture of Dolly the Sheep has been placed in Imperial’s Central Library, to commemorate the twenty years since Dolly the sheep was cloned from mammary cells. The sculpture, which was made by students on Imperial’s MSc Science Communication, invites viewers to reflect on what Dolly has meant to the world and to them.

Dolly (5 July 1996 – 14 February 2003) was a female domestic sheep, and the first mammal cloned from an adult cell. She was cloned by Ian Wilmut, Keith Campbell and colleagues at the Roslin Institute, part of the University of Edinburgh, Scotland.  She has been called "the world's most famous sheep" by sources including BBC News and Scientific American.

The sculpture was made by Ellyw Evans, Zoe Ohman, and Joanna Wolstenholme as coursework for the MSc Science Communication. Made on a papier mâché base, the sculpture is finished with a collage of media responses to Dolly. On her legs are found copies of the original research papers, while on her body are news pieces, comments and cartoons that appeared throughout her life.

The sculpture can be found near the main entrance of the Central Library.

Ellyw Evans, Zoe Ohman, and Joanna Wolstenholme, the students who made the sculpture, said: ‘Creating a model of Dolly took us on quite a journey. From sourcing newspaper articles at the British Library, to visiting her taxidermy remains at the National Museum of Scotland, to spending hours perfecting our papier mâché technique at Imperial’s art studio. We hope our results invite people to share their memories of Dolly’s legacy 20 years on.’

Roberto Trotta, Director of the Centre for Languages, Culture and Communication, said: ‘This piece is a great example of how contextualising ground-breaking, important science in its broader social and scientific setting helps in understanding its meaning and impact. "Dolly the Sheep" takes a major advance in biotechnology and invites the public to ask questions about its relevance and the way it connects with their own experience. And it demonstrates science communication at its best: engaging, provocative, and fun’

Stephen Webster, Director of the Science Communication Unit, said:  ‘We’re delighted that Dolly is having a second life, safe and content in the fine pastures of the College library. Students using the library can see for themselves the creative instincts of Imperial’s science communicators, as well as finding out about the life and times of Dolly the sheep’