Southeast London has quickly misplaced one in every of its most well-known residents: A large taxidermy walrus that has been on show for greater than a century.
For a lot of the previous 120 years, the walrus has sat in the midst of the Pure Historical past Gallery on the Horniman Museum and Gardens. The museum shows the gathering of Frederick Horniman, a rich tea dealer who lived in Victorian England.
The gallery, which along with the walrus holds different taxidermy animals, skeletons and bugs, is being shuttered whereas the museum redevelops the house, with a give attention to “environmental sustainability and a dedication to combating the local weather emergency,” based on the museum’s web site. (The remainder of the museum, which additionally contains a big assortment of musical devices and an aquarium, will stay open.)
When the gallery reopens, in 2026, guests will be capable of see the walrus in the identical spot the place they left him — sitting prominently in the midst of the room atop a pretend iceberg, stated Louis Buckley, a senior curator on the museum. The gathering will embrace extra context about how Mr. Horniman got here to personal the walrus. The museum’s web site notes that Mr. Horniman’s wealth was “reliant on the exploitation of individuals residing within the British Empire.”
“It’s an expression in some ways of the British Empire and its relationship with the colonies and Canada particularly,” Mr. Buckley stated.
Throughout his lifetime, Mr. Horniman amassed a group of ethnographic objects, pure historical past specimens and musical devices. When his assortment grew too massive to slot in his residence, he commissioned architects to construct a museum, which opened in 1901.
Within the renovated gallery, the walrus will “encapsulate loads of completely different themes we’re exploring,” Mr. Buckley stated. Apart from a more in-depth have a look at how Mr. Horniman’s objects arrived within the museum, local weather change and people’ relationship to nature may also be explored.
The walrus is the plain showstopper of the gathering. It’s the one merchandise within the gallery that’s not in a glass case.
Taking a look at it, nonetheless, would possibly make a customer really feel a bit odd — as if one thing’s off.
“Individuals describe it as a bit too massive,” Mr. Buckley stated.
Dwell walruses have pores and skin folds and wrinkles. The one on the museum doesn’t, although the marks of the place these pores and skin folds could be are seen. The walrus, Mr. Buckley stated, “is totally plumped up, fairly a bit bigger than it will have been in life.”
Whoever initially stuffed the animal most likely had by no means seen a walrus, Mr. Buckley stated. In any case, he added, “they’re troublesome animals to watch up shut.”
Mr. Horniman purchased the walrus round 1886 from an exhibition in London. The walrus itself might be from the Hudson Bay space of Canada, Mr. Buckley stated, though it’s unknown who hunted and killed it.
On Sunday, the overriding temper on the museum was one in every of enthusiasm and walrus appreciation. In opposition to the sounds of squealing — and generally crying — kids on a uncommon sunny March day, a number of guests stated they’d made a pilgrimage that day particularly to say goodbye.
“We got here to greet the walrus,” stated Julia King, one of many guests. It was her first time seeing the walrus in particular person. “He’s magnificent,” she stated.
Ms. King stated she loved trying on the absurd issues in life, and the walrus lived as much as her expectations.
“He’s clearly the star of Southeast London,” stated Sian Thomas, one other customer, who stated she discovered the overstuffed animal necessary as a technique to perceive how we have a look at the world in a different way than folks did in Victorian occasions, and the way our scientific understanding has developed.
As guests handed by the walrus on Sunday, a lot of them took images, defined the animal to their kids and marveled at its measurement. The walrus’s whole weight is unknown, but it surely takes at the very least 5 folks to maneuver him, Mr. Buckley stated.
“I didn’t anticipate it to be so huge,” stated Kasia Kaniuka, a Londoner who was visiting the museum together with her boyfriend as a result of they’d heard the gallery was closing. “It’s fairly overwhelming.”
For Josh Alford, the gallery’s closure was additionally the principle motive to go to on Sunday. He got here to see the walrus from East London. “I anticipated it to be like a seal measurement,” Mr. Alford stated. “That appears like a horse, to be sincere.” (He was fast so as to add that the animal did look “cute sufficient to hug.”)
Some stated they had been unhappy the walrus could be going away for some time, a lot of them citing it as a household favourite. Others, who had no thought of the upcoming closure, had been happy with their serendipitous timing.
“I’m gutted,” stated Kara Tritton, who grew up within the space and nonetheless lives there. She stated she remembered when she noticed the walrus for the primary time as a toddler, and the impression it made on her. Via the museum, she stated, she additionally felt linked to her great-grandparents, who had been native residents and who had most definitely visited the walrus as effectively.
“I completely needed to come right this moment,” she stated. “I’ll miss him. Two years will probably be a very long time.”
