Impressive new gallery opens at the Horniman Museum and Gardens

Escape favourite, Horniman Museum and Gardens, London, has launched a brand-new space that boldly sets out to explore what it means to be human, with weird and wonderful artefacts from each of the inhabited continent.

What’s it all about?

Late last month, Horniman Museum and Gardens opened the much-anticipated World Gallery. Its aim is to explore what it means to be human and includes objects from around the world and throughout the ages.

The 3,000 objects (selected from the museum’s 350,000-item collection) that make up the new exhibition forms part of the museum’s larger anthropological display, and is a refreshing look at what makes us human, focussing on common virtues found among people from around the world, including love and compassion, trust and friendship, dignity and courage.

What can I see there?

Among the 3,000 objects, you can explore the prow of a Libyan refugee boat, headdresses and masks from Papua New Guinea, poisoned arrows from the South American rainforest, a full-sized model camel complete with Tuareg saddle and equipment, and much more besides.

Museum of good intentions

The museum’s collection was begun by Victorian tea trader and philanthropist Frederick Horniman and first opened in 1901. Horniman set out to ‘bring the world to Forest Hill’, making it a local museum with a broad outlook. The new gallery continues this trend, and the museum staff collaborated with people from the local community and beyond to bring together the new exhibition.

The Horniman Museum is open daily 10.00am-5.30pm, except 24 – 26 December. The Gardens open at 7.15am Monday to Saturday and 8.00am on Sunday and Bank Holidays, and close at sunset. Entry to the Museum and Gardens is free but charges apply for the Aquarium, Butterfly House and some special exhibitions and events. Horniman Members and Benefactors go free
horniman.ac.uk