One of south-east London’s most famous residents, a giant stuffed walrus that had been on display for more than a century, has been temporarily lost.
For most of the past 120 years, the walrus has sat in the middle of the Natural History Gallery at the Horniman Museum and Gardens. This museum houses the collection of Frederick Horniman, a wealthy tea trader who lived in Victorian England.
The gallery, which also features walruses as well as other taxidermied animals, skeletons and insects, is part of the museum’s focus on “environmental sustainability and efforts to combat the climate emergency,” according to the museum’s website. It is said to be closed while the space is redeveloped. . (The rest of the museum, including the large musical instrument collection and aquarium, will remain open.)
When the gallery reopens in 2026, visitors will be able to see the walrus in the same place they left it, sitting prominently in the center of the room on top of a fake iceberg, the museum said. said Lewis Buckley, senior curator. The collection will include detailed background on how Mr. Horniman came to own Walrus. The museum’s website says Mr Horniman’s wealth “depended on the exploitation of people living in the British Empire”.
“It’s a lot of representations of the British Empire’s relationship with the colonies and Canada in particular,” Buckley said.
Throughout his life, Mr. Horniman collected collections of ethnographic materials, natural history specimens, and musical instruments. When his collection became too large to fit in his home, he commissioned an architect to build a museum, which opened in 1901.
In the renovated gallery, the walrus “condenses the various themes we’re exploring,” Buckley said. In addition to a detailed look at how Horniman’s work arrived at the museum, climate change and humanity’s relationship with nature will also be explored.
The walrus is definitely the centerpiece of the collection. This is the only work in the gallery that is not in a glass case.
However, when looking at it, visitors may feel a little strange and feel like something is wrong.
“People say it’s a little too big,” Buckley says.
A living walrus has wrinkles and wrinkles on its skin. The one in the museum does not, but you can see traces of skin folds. Buckley said the walrus is “completely curled up and much larger than it was when it was alive.”
Buckley said the person who first made the stuffed animal likely had never seen a walrus. After all, “they are difficult animals to observe up close,” he added.
Mr. Horniman purchased the walrus at an exhibition in London around 1886. Buckley said the walrus itself probably came from Canada’s Hudson Bay region, but it’s unclear who hunted and killed it.
On Sunday, the best atmosphere at the museum was one of enthusiasm and walrus viewing. On a rare sunny March day, amidst the sounds of children’s shrieking and sometimes crying, several visitors said they made the pilgrimage that day specifically to say goodbye.
“We came to say hello to the walruses,” said Julia King, one of the visitors. It was her first time seeing a walrus in person. “He’s a wonderful person,” she said.
King said she loved seeing the absurdities of life, and the walrus lived up to her expectations.
Another visitor, Sian Thomas, said: “He’s clearly a star in south-east London,” and how we see the world differently to Victorians, and our scientific understanding. He said he felt this plethora of stuffed animals was important as a way to understand how things have changed. Evolved.
As visitors passed by the walrus on Sunday, many took photos, explained the animal to children and marveled at its size. Buckley said the total weight of the walrus is unknown, but it would take at least five people to move it.
“We didn’t expect it to be this big,” said Londoner Kasia Kaniuka, who was visiting the museum with her boyfriend when she heard the gallery would be closed. “It’s pretty overwhelming.”
For Josh Alford, the gallery’s closure was also a major reason for his visit Sunday. He came from East London to see the walruses. “We expected it to be about the size of a seal,” Alford said. “To be honest, it looks like a horse.” (He quickly added that the animal looked “cuddly cute.”)
Some said they were sad the walrus would be gone for a while, and many said the walrus was a family favorite. Even those who didn’t know about the impending closure were pleased with the fortuitous timing.
“My heart is broken,” said Kara Tritton, who grew up in the area and still lives there. She said she remembered the first time she saw a walrus in her childhood and the impression it made on her. Through her museum, she said, she also felt a connection to her great-grandparents, who were local residents and likely visited the walruses as well.
“I really had to come today,” she said. “He’ll be missed when he’s gone. Two years is going to be a long time.”