Haslemere Collection of Victorian / Edwardian Taxidermy

Haslemere museum, taxidermy.

Victorian Antique Taxidermy

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The Haslemere Museum, taxidermy collection

About Haslemere Museum

The History of the Museum Sir Jonathan Hutchinson was a famous Quaker surgeon. In the 1860s he came to Haslemere and fell in love with the town. In 1888 Hutchinson formed a private museum in his garden barn based around botany, geology and social history. He established a revolutionary new role for museums by emphasising the importance of education for everyone. Haslemere Museum was one of the very first museums to include children. Hutchinson encouraged the open display of artefacts. He believed that people could learn as much through their hands as their eyes. This was in great contrast to other museums with their sealed cases and "do not touch" signs. Hutchinson gave regular lessons and practical demonstrations. His Sunday lectures were so popular that in 1895 the museum moved to larger premises in Haslemere on Museum Hill. A Museum Examination was established for local children in 1899. It was hoped that this would encourage observation, reading and discussion.
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Stone Curlew by FE Gunn.
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Data label by FE Gunn.
In 1926 the museum moved to its current location at the end of the High Street. The museum was flooded with visitors during both the World Wars. A high percentage of these visitors were soldiers. Mr E.W. Swanton was curator of Haslemere museum from 1897 to 1948 and he is responsible for much of the museum´s character. Living specimens were welcomed into the museum´s collection and a great deal of scientific research took place. Arthur Jewell first came to Haslemere Museum in 1949 as Assistant Curator to John Clegg. He went on to become curator and he continued a tradition of pioneering educational work. A series of residential field courses were held at Haslemere for adult students. The museum became an important centre for adult education. A School Loan Service started in 1951 enabling schools to borrow duplicate items from the museum. This practice is continued today. Today Haslemere Educational Museum is one of the largest Natural History Museums in central southern England with over 240,000 specimens, along with over 140,000 Human History artefacts from around the World. There are three large permanent galleries for Geology, Natural History and Human History artefacts, also with three temporary exhibition rooms, a library and a dedicated education room for people of all ages.

Historical taxidermy by FE Gunn, Rowland Ward, Peter Spicer by example

The Colonel John French

The Colonel John French (Newdigate) collection has 183 bird species mainly from Surrey, England, with a few from Galway, Ireland and other location across the UK. They were collected between 1924 and 1929. They were prepared by taxidermists F.E Gunn, and preserved in Edwardian style cases, as his father would have recently passed away. Other taxidermist featured in this museum are Rowland Ward, Peter Spicer and Pratt of Brighton to name but a few.

Frederick Ernest Gunn (FE Gunn)

Here below are mostly images of the work of F.E.Gunn, son of the much aclaimed T.E.Gunn. Here we see a move away from the more traditional "Norfolk" style of cases, which were principly box cases with flat fronts. The interiors were also repetitve, duck egg blue backgrounds and instantly recognisable groundwork. It appears that F.E.Gunn may have been working to the exact brief of the client as they have not been constructed in this manner. They are not like any typical norfolk style case previously encountered. In truth there is more resemblance to the work of Rowland Ward and Charles Kirk of Glasgow than even his own father's work (Thomas Edward Gunn).

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Garden Warbler by FE Gunn.
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Data label by FE Gunn.
This collection has to be rank as one of the best in the UK for the work of F.E.Gunn solely, as to date we have not encountered another extensive set of cases by this maker for a single client. Each case contains data noting the date and place of capture of each species. Some even contain the names of the people who acquired them, demonstrating the lenghts to which collectors would go to acuire the "British List".
The views and expressions contained within this web-page are those of the websites creators. We have no formal link with Haslemere musuem but we kindly thank Kate and Robert for providing access to the collection and associated data held by the museum. These images are also copywrite protected, and reproduced courtesy of Haslemere Educational Museum.
This is not the complete collection, so we urge those interested in taxidermy to pay a visit to the musuem and view the exhibits. Haslemere is located south west of London and is accessible easily by both road and rail. We intially felt that a book on this subject may have been appropriate but given the self-serving nature of a book, we decided that this website was better placed to bring this fantastic collection to as many interested people as possible. As a museum Haslemere do not engage in the 'trading of taxidermy' and our information is provided for research purposes only.

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Great Crested Grebes by FE Gunn.
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Great Crested Grebes by FE Gunn. Data for the above case.
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Great Crested Grebes by FE Gunn. Above case in close up.

Ringed Plover.
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Shorelarks by FE Gunn.
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Data label by FE Gunn.
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Pallas's Sandgrouse by FE Gunn.
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Data label by FE Gunn.

White-tailed Sea Eagle by FE Gunn.

Golden Eagle by FE Gunn.

Peregrine Falcons by FE Gunn.
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Ring Plover by FE Gunn.

Data label by FE Gunn.
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Golden Orioles by FE Gunn.
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Woodlarks by FE Gunn.

Barnacle Goose by FE Gunn.
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Red Necked Grebe by FE Gunn.

Shelduck by FE Gunn.
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Razorbill by FE Gunn.

Mallards by FE Gunn.
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Ruffs by FE Gunn.

Common Buzzard by FE Gunn.

European Wigeon by FE Gunn.

Dunnock by FE Gunn.

Swallow Tailed Kite by FE Gunn.
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Roughed Legged Buzzard by FE Gunn.
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Data label by FE Gunn.

Black Necked Grebe by FE Gunn.
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Merlins by FE Gunn.

House Sparrows by FE Gunn.
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Kentish PLover with chick by FE Gunn.

Kentish PLover with chick by FE Gunn, in close up.
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Black Redstarts by FE Gunn.

Bitterns by FE Gunn.

Data label by FE Gunn.
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Pied Wagtails by FE Gunn.
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Tufted Ducks by FE Gunn.
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Black Terns by FE Gunn.
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Bee-Eater by FE Gunn.
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Pratincole by FE Gunn.

Spotted Flycatcher by FE Gunn.

Fieldfare by FE Gunn.

Firecrests by FE Gunn.

Great Grey Shrikes by FE Gunn.
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Ortolan Bunting by FE Gunn.
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Waxwings by FE Gunn.
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Waxwings by FE Gunn.
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Waxwings by FE Gunn.
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Data label by FE Gunn.
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Grasshopper Warblers by FE Gunn.
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Little Grebe by FE Gunn.
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Dipper by FE Gunn.

Alpine Swift by FE Gunn.

Kittiwake by FE Gunn.

Data label by FE Gunn.
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Ptarmigan by FE Gunn.
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Data label by FE Gunn.
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Hen Tuffted Duck in close up by FE Gunn.
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Data label by FE Gunn.
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Petrel by FE Gunn.
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Manx Shearwater by FE Gunn.
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Data label by FE Gunn.

Robin by FE Gunn.

Great Tits by FE Gunn.

Meadow Pippits by FE Gunn.

Wheatears by FE Gunn.

Marsh Tits by FE Gunn.

Dunnock by FE Gunn.

Scottish Crossbills by FE Gunn.

Ferruginous Duck by FE Gunn.

Dartford Warblers by FE Gunn.

Black Redstarts by FE Gunn.

Black Necked Grebe by FE Gunn.

Wood Pigeon by FE Gunn.

Tawny Owls by FE Gunn.

Rowland Ward

Much has been written on this site about Rowland Ward (Taxidermist) and we have the largest pictoral history of him and his work anywhere. That said the Haslemere museum has a significant number of cases by Rowland Ward and here are a few examples of those cases. We hope you enjoy the selection offered.

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Pheasant by Rowland Ward.

Kestrel by Rowland Ward.
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Short Eared Owls by Rowland Ward.
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Water Rail by Rowland Ward.
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Magpie by Rowland Ward.
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Hawfinch by Rowland Ward.
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Willow Tit by Rowland Ward.
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Lions by Rowland Ward.
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Golden Plover by Rowland Ward.

Pratt of Brighton

Barn Owls by Pratt of Brighton.

Walter Lowne of Great Yarmouth

Wrens, nest and eggs by Lowne of Great Yarmouth.
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Red Backed Shrikes and chicks by Lowne of Great Yarmouth.
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Otter's head by Lowne of Great Yarmouth.
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Little Grebes with chicks by unknown taxidermist.

Little Grebes with chicks by unknown taxidermist in close up.
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