Frederick John Horniman (1835-1906) was a man interested in the world. In fact, he was so interested that each time he went on an overseas trip during his work as a tea trader, he brought back with him all kinds of curios he'd come across along the way.
Over the years, his collection grew, and eventually he decided to open a museum to share these enchanting specimens and artefacts with others and give people an insight into lands beyond our own.
The
Horniman Museum, which opened in 1901, is a fascinating collection of natural history specimens, anthropological items, musical instruments, costumes, documents and more. Spread over three main floors, the whole place houses a staggering 350,000 items.
The main parts of the museum include:
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natural history: more than 250,000 specimens added to the collection over more than a hundred years, from taxidermy mounts to skeletons and bones; and pinned insects to freeze-dried specimens. Plenty here to fascinate the whole family for months!
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musical instruments: more than 7,000 sound-making objects from around the world, with a pair of 3500-year-old 'bone clappers' among the collection. The museum allows you to get hands-on with some of the instruments, though of course many older and delicate ones can not be touched. Audio recordings, however, are available so you can understand and enjoy the sounds they make.
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anthropology: more than 80,000 objects, these exhibits give meaning and context to how people lived in different cultures around the world.
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aquarium: the latest addition to the museum, the aquarium features 15 displays which include such attractions as a Fijian reef and and an exquisite rock pool display.
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library: popular with researchers, it holds around 30,000 titles on anthropology and musical instruments.
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gardens: 16 acres of carefully maintained gardens that include a Grade II listed conservatory, a 1912 bandstand, a small animal enclosure and a nature trail.
The museum also holds
special events and exhibitions throughout the year.
The Horniman Museum is rather out of the way, which means it may not get the visitor numbers it really deserves. It does mean, however, that unlike its counterparts back in central London, you can enjoy the exhibits in relative peace and rarely have to battle with the crowds to see a display or wait long to have a go on one of its many
interactive exhibits, such as the musical instruments.
Venture along to the Horniman Museum and enjoy a stunning collection brought together by one man with a passion for the diversity of the world we live in.
