The
Horniman Museum is a
museumA museum is a building or institution which houses a collection of artifacts.Museums collect and care for objects of scientific, artistic, or historical importance and make them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary...
in
Forest HillForest Hill is a suburb and electoral ward in the London Borough of Lewisham, situated between Dulwich and Sydenham in southeast London, England. The area has enjoyed extensive investment since plans to extend the East London Line to Forest Hill were unveiled in 2004.- History :Like many London...
, South
London[]London is the capital of England and the United Kingdom. It has been a major settlement for two millennia, and the history of London goes back to its founding by the Romans, when it was named Londinium. London's core, the ancient City of London, the 'square mile', retains its medieval boundaries...
,
EnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the North Sea to the east, with the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. Commissioned in 1898, it opened in 1901 and was designed by
Charles Harrison TownsendCharles Harrison Townsend was an English architect. He was born in Birkenhead, educated at Birkenhead School and articled to the Liverpool architect Walter Scott in 1870. He moved to London with his family in 1880 and entered partnership with the London architect Thomas Lewis Banks in 1884...
in the
Arts and CraftsThe Arts and Crafts Movement was a British, Canadian, Australian, and American aesthetic movement occurring in the last years of the 19th century and the early years of the 20th century...
style.
The Horniman Museum is a
non-departmental public bodyIn the United Kingdom, a non-departmental public body is a classification applied by the Cabinet Office, Treasury, Scottish Government and Northern Ireland Executive to certain types of public bodies...
of the
Department for Culture, Media and SportThe Department for Culture, Media and Sport is a department of the United Kingdom government, with responsibility for culture and sport in England, and some aspects of the media throughout the whole UK, for example broadcasting...
and is constituted as a company and
registered charityA charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization . The term is relatively general and can technically refer to a public charity or a private foundation. It differs from other types of NPOs in that its focus is centered around goals of a general philanthropic nature A charitable...
under English law.
History
The museum was founded by Victorian tea trader
Frederick John HornimanFrederick John Horniman was an English tea trader, collector and public benefactor.He was the son of John Horniman, who established a tea business using mechanical packaging. In 1891, it was said to be the biggest tea company in the world.He founded the Horniman Museum in Forest Hill, south London...
and contained his collection of
natural historyNatural history is the scientific research of plants or animals, leaning more towards the observational than experimental methods of study, and encompasses more research that is published in magazines than in academic journals. Grouped among the natural sciences, Natural history is the systematic...
, cultural artefacts and musical instruments.
In 1911 an additional building to the west of the main building, originally containing a lecture hall and library, was donated by Frederick Horniman's son Emslie Horniman. This was also designed by Townsend. In 1999 the museum was closed for redevelopment, and it re-opened on 14 June 2002.
CUE building
The Horniman Museum contains the CUE (Centre for Understanding the Environment) building. This opened in 1996 and was designed by local architects Archetype. The building has a grass roof and was constructed from sustainable materials. It also incorporates passive ventilation.
Collections
The Horniman specialises in anthropology, natural history and musical instruments and has a collection of 350,000 objects. The ethnography and music collections have Designated status. One of its most famous exhibits is the large collection of stuffed animals. It also has an
aquariumAn aquarium is a vivarium consisting of at least one transparent side in which water-dwelling plants or animals are kept. Fishkeepers use aquaria to keep fish, invertebrates, amphibians, marine mammals, turtles, and aquatic plants...
noted for its unique layout.
On four floors, the museum has a wide range of themed galleries and "highlit" objects:
- First floor
- Ground floor
- Main entrance, shop & cafe
- "Hands on base"
- Textile display
- Balcony gallery
- Natural history gallery
- Conservatory
- CUE building with library
- Lower ground floor
- Music gallery
- French horn, England
- Carlton drum kit, England
- Centenary gallery
- Temporary exhibition gallery
- African worlds gallery
- Benin plaques, Nigeria
- Ijele mask, Nigeria
- Coffin lid, Egypt
- Basement floor
Gardens
The museum is set in 16 acres (65,000 m²) of gardens which include the following features:
- A Grade II listed conservatory
A conservatory is a glass and metal structure traditionally found in the garden of a large house or public park. Modern conservatories are smaller, can be made of PVC, and are often added to houses for home improvement purposes....
- A bandstand
A bandstand is a circular or semicircular structure set in a park, garden, or pier, designed to accommodate musical bands performing outdoor concerts...
from 1912
- A small animal enclosure
- A nature trail
- An ornamental garden
Internet Filter Problems
In 2004 the museum encountered problems receiving emails due to the
modern connotations of its nameHorny is an adjective that can describe any one of the following conditions* An animal that possesses a horn* A slang term for sexual arousal and/or desiring sexual gratification* Having a rough, knobbly surface — e.g., a horny skin, found in some lizards...
confusing
pornography filtersInternet censorship is control or suppression of the publishing or accessing of information on the Internet. The legal issues are similar to offline censorship....
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/10/08/horniman_museum_filtered/.
Photo galleries
External links