South London’s most-loved museum has a new attraction: the World Gallery.
The Horniman Museum, home to the funniest walrus in town, have opened their brand spanking new gallery today. They’ve kept it pretty restrained too: this gallery sets the modest ambition of telling the story of the whole world. You know, no biggie. From today, you’ll be able to see the whole world in roughly half an hour, by wandering around the aptly-named World Gallery.
The World Gallery is home to some 3000 objects, each one revealing something different about the various cultures around the world. It’s a mix of old and new, with some objects having been acquired for the opening, and some having been sitting in storage for a generation. Amongst the collection, you’ll find the prow of a Libyan refugee boat, a Native American tomahawk, and a sword made of sharks teeth (which is, in a word, bitchin’) from Kiribati. Amazing what you find in your attic, isn’t it?
The exhibition is composed of artworks, objects, and interactive exhibits, all geared around exploring what it means to be human. You’ll see how people from diverse cultures and places live common experiences on your visit here. The Horniman Museum got a £3.3m Heritage Lottery Fund grant, plus a little help from the public, to create this place and restore some of the museum’s older features. It’s a case of mo’ money, mo’ priceless historical objects showing us the true value of humankind.
Even the opening date, June 29th, is significant. That’s the Horniman’s 117th birthday, so today is also the chance to celebrate this magnificent slice of Forest Hill in all its glory. As birthday presents go, a sword made of shark’s teeth is definitely what I would have asked for… Head on down to the Horniman today to check it out, and stop by their lovely butterfly house and animal trail in the process – the whole place is free!
Find the Horniman Museum at