Natural Sciences - Horniman Museum and Gardens

Natural Sciences - Horniman Museum and Gardens
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Our Natural Sciences collection contains over 250,000 specimens of local, national and worldwide origin. They were assembled from the mid-19th to the early 21st centuries for public display, education, reference and research.
The collection contains biological and geological material of national and international significance and includes taxidermy, skeletal material, pinned insects, fossils, minerals, rocks, models, dried pressed plants, fungi, shells, and birds’ eggs.
Having recently declared an ecological and climate emergency we increasingly use our collections to connect people with nature and encourage a deeper appreciation, love and respect for the natural world. Our collections and research – combined with the public programmes – help to raise awareness of the global environmental challenges we all face.  We seek to empower and encourage people to take action to protect the planet and its ecosystems for future generations.
Zoology
The zoology collections include a number of scientifically important and historically notable collections including:
Frederick Horniman’s Insect Collection. It c
ontains around 4,700 butterflies, over 2,000 beetles and almost 500 specimens from other orders of insects from around the world. The collection includes type material of Horniman’s Swallowtail, Horniman Beetle, and specimens associated with British naturalist and evolutionary pioneer, Alfred Russel Wallace.
J P Brock’s Collection
of Parasitic Wasps and other Hymneoptera. It comprises over 14,000 specimens collected between 1992 and 2006. This includes type material published in the taxonomic revision to the 138 British species of Banchine wasps published by the Royal Entomological Society in 2017.
J. Platt Barrett Collection.
Late 19
th
and early 20
th
century collection of mainly British butterflies and moths, the majority collected in south east England. It includes the much figured specimen of the Marbled White,
Melanargia galathea
.
Moore Collection.
Late 19
th
century to early 1950s collection of tropical butterflies and other insect orders of worldwide origin.
J J Collins Collection.
13,600 specimens of British beetles assembled by the Coleopterist, Joseph (Jos) Joynson Collins from the late 1890s to the mid 1940s.
Edward Hart Collection
.
254 taxidermy habitat-cased British Birds assembled by taxidermist and naturalist Edward Hart (1847-1928), from Christchurch, Hampshire (now in Dorset).
John Cooper
Osteology Collection. 350 specimens of British mammals.
William Colbeck Antarctic collection.
Adéle Penguin and Antarctic Skua eggs obtained by Captain Colbeck in 1903 during the British Antarctic Relief Expedition.
Geology
The geology collections include fossils, minerals, and rocks from over 35 countries across the world. The British fossil record is particularly well represented, with specimens of vertebrate and invertebrate faunas ranging from dinosaurs and marine reptiles, to trilobites and ammonites.
The most significant geology collections in terms of magnitude and scientific interest are:
Walter H. Bennett
Collection. Over 175,000 individual fossil specimens, includes material collected from Solnhofen Limestone, Hunsrück Slate and the Burgess Shale.
Arthur Wyatt
Collection. Around 1,700 specimens (including some fossils), photographic slides and field notes.
Botany
The collection contains approximately 3,000 specimens of mainly British pressed flowering plants, ferns, mosses and seaweeds. These are mounted onto herbarium sheets or arranged into bound volumes. It includes specimens from the former herbarium of the
Botanical Society of London
, founded in 1836.
Featured
Packing a penguin
Find out more
Specimens caught between the pages
Find out more
Fossil Folklore
Find out more
Gender-switching fish and beyond
Find out more
Fantastic Fossils
Find out more
British Birds Back from the Brink
Find out more
Browse the collection:
Natural Sciences
Showing 50 of 2007 items
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Natural History
Brown rat
object | NH.0.448
Natural History
Fallow deer
object | NH.0.375
Natural History
Fallow deer
object | NH.0.398
Natural History
Harvest mouse
object | NH.0.498
Natural History
Bank vole
object | NH.0.453
Natural History
Harbour seal; red sheep
object | NH.0.404
Natural History
Fallow deer
object | NH.0.374
Natural History
European rabbit
object | NH.0.329
Natural History
European rabbit
object | NH.0.379
Natural History
Red fox
object | NH.0.405
Natural History
American mink
object | NH.0.441
Natural History
American mink
object | NH.0.439
Natural History
American mink
object | NH.0.436
Natural History
American mink
object | NH.0.433
Natural History
Eurasian water vole
object | NH.0.432
Natural History
Harbour seal
object | NH.0.423
Natural History
Fallow deer
object | NH.0.420
Natural History
Red sheep
object | NH.0.108
Natural History
Brown rat
object | NH.0.138
Natural History
Brown rat
object | NH.0.135
Natural History
Brown rat
object | NH.0.136
Natural History
Gaur
object | NH.0.110
Natural History
Grey squirrel
object | NH.0.473
Natural History
House mouse
object | NH.0.449
Natural History
European rabbit
object | NH.0.446
Natural History
Brown rat
object | NH.0.533
Natural History
Grey squirrel
object | NH.0.499
Natural History
Grey squirrel
object | NH.0.603
Natural History
Domestic dog
object | NH.0.60
Natural History
European rabbit
object | NH.0.526
Natural History
Domestic dog
object | NH.0.59
Natural History
Domestic cat
object | NH.0.525
Natural History
Red fox
object | NH.0.569
Natural History
Brown rat
object | NH.0.554
Natural History
Fallow deer
object | NH.0.523
Natural History
Red fox
object | NH.0.540
Natural History
Brown rat
object | NH.0.536
Natural History
Red sheep
object | NH.0.5
Natural History
Bank vole
object | NH.0.97
Natural History
Brown rat
object | NH.0.95
Natural History
Bank vole
object | NH.0.87
Natural History
Short-tailed vole
object | NH.0.88
Natural History
Brown rat
object | NH.0.179
Natural History
Domestic cat
object | NH.0.180
Natural History
Brown rat
object | NH.0.175
Natural History
Red sheep
object | NH.0.173
Natural History
Brown rat
object | NH.0.169
Natural History
Domestic cat
object | NH.0.191
Natural History
Brown rat
object | NH.0.170
Natural History
Guinea pig
object | NH.0.187
Showing 50 of 2007 items
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Collection Information
These objects are only a part of our collections, of which there are more than 350,000 objects. This information comes from our collections database. Some of this is incomplete and there may be errors. This part of the website is also still under construction, so there may be some fields repeated or incorrectly formatted information.
The database retains language taken from historical documents to help research. Please note that some records may feature language and reflect systems of thinking that are outdated and offensive. The database also includes information on objects that are considered secret or sacred by some communities.
If you have any further information about objects in our collections, can suggest corrections to our information or if you see content requiring immediate action, please contact us:
enquiry@horniman.ac.uk
About the Horniman
The Horniman connects us all with global cultures and the natural environment, encouraging us to shape a positive future for the world we all share.
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