Anthropology redisplay

In a major three-year development of its gallery spaces, the Horniman's world-renowned Anthropology collection was redisplayed.

Anthropology Redisplay

Our World Gallery opened in June 2018, offering an exciting redisplay of our Anthropology collections.

Over the preceding few years the Horniman Museum and Gardens had been considering the question: What does it mean to be human?

Celebrating the wonder and complexity of what it means to be human, the World Gallery gives visitors the opportunity to encounter different ways of seeing the world through the displays of exciting and inspiring objects from across the continents. The spaces allow visitors to see their own place among the variety and beauty of the world’s many cultures, providing opportunity to reflect upon their own lives.

Redisplayed gallery spaces

The central gallery space has been transformed, re-introducing daylight and recapturing the spirit of the original building. The gallery houses thousands of objects, many not seen by the public for many years.

The gallery also tells the story of Frederick Horniman’s inspirational founding vision, his early collections and his gift of the Museum and Gardens.

These transformed displays of our existing collection are complemented by The Studio which opened in Autumn 2018. Artists, scientists and creative thinkers work with visitors and communities, responding to both the collection and global issues to create exhibitions and events in The Studio.

The novelty, ambition and scope of the project aimed to attract visitors from a great diversity of backgrounds and offer exciting opportunities for everyone to learn and share new ideas.

Your donation makes the world of difference

The World Gallery is now open and most of the £4.6m has already been raised thanks to the support of the Heritage Lottery Fund and other generous donors. However we now need your help to complete the project.

We couldn’t have created the World Gallery without these very special people who backed the World Gallery on Crowdfunder – thank you:

  • Aapo Markkanen
  • Abbie Hayes
  • Adam Krug
  • Adrian Murphy
  • Alasdair Smith
  • Alexis Roxburgh
  • Alfie Blagg
  • Alice Bayly
  • Alicia McBride
  • Alison and Dan Patton
  • Alison and Allan House
  • Alison Farrow
  • Alison Gibbs
  • Alison McKay
  • Alison Sakai
  • Alysia Watson
  • Amanda Jackson
  • Amy Wareham
  • Anahita Harding
  • Andrew Scott
  • Andy Bridge
  • Angela McFarlane
  • Anna Townsend
  • Anne Roache
  • Anne Thomas
  • Antony Jones
  • Ben Velmans
  • Bernard Keeffe
  • Beth Coates
  • Bill Guest
  • Brad Owen
  • Brendan Cuddihy
  • Brett Callacher
  • Bridget McGing
  • Brita Hallett
  • Carole Souter
  • Carolina Fox
  • Caroline Trevor
  • Cate Priestman
  • Catherine Evans
  • Catherine Jones
  • Cathy Pitt
  • Cauvery Shelat
  • Charlotte Rooney
  • Charlotte Stanley
  • Choi Yuei Tang
  • Chris Dyke
  • Chris Jordan
  • Chris Lintott
  • Chris Reading
  • Christina Hildrey
  • Christine Green
  • Christopher Jarvis
  • Christopher O’Connell
  • Claire and Chris Wilson
  • Claire Braybrook
  • Claire D’Ambrosio
  • Claire Hewitt
  • Claire Hill
  • Claire Pullen
  • Clare Thomson
  • Claudia Fioravanti
  • Connie Churcher
  • Connie McKeand
  • Craig Newell
  • Dan Peters
  • Daniel Capstick
  • Dave Worthington
  • David and Simon Ehrlich
  • David Edwards
  • David Goyder
  • Dawn Hill
  • Debbie Smith
  • Debra Squires
  • Dereck Zornes
  • Dominique Melaragni
  • Duncan Grimes
  • Eleanor Chiari
  • Eleanor Leahy
  • Elisabeth da Silva
  • Elise Maile
  • Elizabeth Kalinauckas
  • Eloise Boon
  • Emily Farrington
  • Emily-Louise Allen
  • Emma Catlow
  • Emma Dain
  • Eriko Oliveira Ito
  • Erin Robinson
  • Estelle MacDermott
  • Eva Aldea
  • Eve Salomon
  • Fabiana Pires Sciarotta
  • Fedacou
  • Felicity Crowe
  • Fergus Ryan
  • Fiona Macleod
  • Frances Carey
  • Frances Downey
  • Fred Sharrock
  • Gareth Thomas
  • Gemma
  • Geoffrey Crossick
  • Gilly Fraser
  • Gordon Middleton
  • Graham Dock
  • Granny Sue
  • Hanna Grindall
  • Hannah Battershell
  • Hannah Bishop
  • Hannah Toms
  • Harriet Anscombe
  • Hazel and Charlie Cutler
  • Heather Ross
  • Heather Sullivan
  • Heather Taylor
  • Heidi Sternberg
  • Helen Arney
  • Helen Careswell
  • Helen Cordy
  • Helen Hardy
  • Helen Jones
  • Helen Rainey
  • Henrietta Collier
  • Hilary Carty
  • Hilary Satchwell
  • Holly Trubshawe
  • Ian Kulka
  • Ian White
  • Jaanika Vider
  • Jack Jordan
  • Jacqueline Bird
  • Jacqueline Lamont
  • Jacqueline Roche
  • Jake Fraser
  • James Curry
  • James Gardner
  • Jane Gardiner
  • Jane Martin
  • Janet Holmshaw
  • Janet Vitmayer
  • Jason Maclaren
  • Jennifer and Giovanni Verlini
  • Jessica Millar
  • Jessica Silva
  • Jim and Carole Oliver
  • Jo Bagshaw
  • Jo McDiarmid
  • Joanne Eldridge
  • Jodi DeWitt
  • Joe Sparks
  • Joel Eytle
  • Johanna Morley
  • John Firmin
  • Jonathan Gray
  • Joseph Nhan-O’Reilly
  • Judy Manners
  • Justin Craib-Cox
  • Kara Bargmann
  • Karen Rose
  • Kate Clough
  • Kate Hayler
  • Katherine Stevens
  • Katy Flynn
  • Katy Heald
  • Katy Lake
  • Kay Hall
  • Kerry Christopher
  • Kerry Lee
  • Kerry Moore
  • Kirsty Connell-Skinner
  • Kirsty Telford
  • Klara Brunnhuber
  • Kraig Donald
  • Laura Payne
  • Laura Sweetman
  • Lella & James Hesketh
  • Lewisham Council
  • Lianne Vogel
  • Linda Sandino
  • Lindsay Crowe
  • Lindsey Hobbs
  • Linsey Brookman
  • Lottie Leedham
  • Louise Bascombe
  • Louise Whittle
  • Lucy Ashdown and Dylan Armbrust
  • Lucy Burkitt-Gray
  • Lucy Ross
  • Lucy Stephen
  • Lynne Marsh
  • M Grealy
  • Madeleine Armstrong
  • Maher Anjum
  • Margaret Tongue
  • Maria Low
  • Marian Baldwin
  • Mark Hildrey
  • Mark O’Neill
  • Mary Ward
  • Matt White
  • Matthew Boyington
  • Melanie Worthington
  • Michael Abrahams
  • Michael Carruthers
  • Michelle Flynn
  • Molly Jackson
  • Monica Schofield
  • Mrs B Southby
  • Mrs Jennifer Johnson
  • Ms K R Moon
  • Myra Soeharjono
  • Natalie and Abigail Edwards
  • Nathan Mills
  • Neil Taylor
  • Ngan Tran
  • Nick Budden
  • Nick Richards
  • Nicki Reddington
  • Nico Iacuzzi
  • Nicola Rooney
  • Nigel Baker
  • Nina Davies
  • Olivia Knight
  • Olivia Syla
  • Pascale Spall
  • Patrick Dubeck
    Paul Clifford
  • Paul Hastings
  • Paula Thomas
  • Penelope Jarrett
  • Peter Bromley
  • Peter McCourt
  • Philippa Cooper
  • Polly Mee
  • Rachel Coldicutt
  • Rachel Lewis
  • Rebecca Hall
  • Rebecca Wilkinson
  • Rebekah Orban
  • Richard Collett
  • Rita Martins
  • Rob Jordan
  • Rob Tolfts
  • Robbie Bain
  • Robert Crawford
  • Robert Harris
  • Robert Hugill
  • Roberta Welham
  • Roger Smither
  • Roy Hill
  • Rupert Shepherd
  • Russell Dornan
  • Ruth Eyres
  • Ruth MacLeod
  • Ruth Shiels
  • Ruth Siwinski
  • Saam Das
  • Sabine Kindel
  • Sachi Kayaba and Kiyoshi Kayaba
  • Sadie Westwood
  • Samir Madani
  • Sandra Iskander
  • Sara Kandasamy
  • Sara Pevsner
  • Sarah Atkinson
  • Sarah Carlin
  • Sarah Cook
  • Sarah Rose
  • Sarah Thomas
  • Sarah Wright
  • Sargen Family
  • Scott Keir
  • Sean Meyers
  • Sean Ryan
  • See Wah Cheng
  • Shani Khan
  • Sharon & Michael
  • Sheila Ann Hearsum
  • Sheila Carson
  • Shelagh Doonan
  • Shuk Kwan Liu
  • Sian Richards
  • Simon C Watts
  • Simon English
  • Simon Glassock
  • Simone Angel
  • Sneha Wharton
  • Solveig Lightly
  • Sonya Rees
  • Sophie Holland
  • Sophie Lipton
  • Steallport
  • Stephanie Hay
  • Stephen Morris
  • Susanna Kalitowski
  • Susie Collcutt
  • Suzanne White
  • Suzie Jackman
  • Terence Gibbin Brown
  • Teresa Queiros
  • Terry Hurley
  • The Butchery Ltd
  • The Fry Family
  • Tim and Lucy
  • Tom Pickard
  • Toren and Arthur Edwards
  • Truda Spruyt
  • Una McEwen
  • Vicky Lowton
  • Victoria Millington
  • Victoria Pinnington

Discover what they backed and visit the World Gallery.

Heritage Fund
Arts Council England
Foyle Foundation
The Pilgrim Trust
Garfield Weston
The Wolfson Foundation
Viridor Credits
Charles Hayward Foundation
Sasakawa foundation