One newspaper article giving a detailed account of Surrey House Museum at Forest Hill. The Museum is private and belongs to Mr. Horniman, of tea fame. Exotic wonders surprise and enchant the visitor from the first steps inside: Chinese iron-wood chairs, Japanese embroidery, Buddhist wood carvings, grotesque Japanese heads, and innumerable other oddities. While admiring these Oriental artefacts, the orchestral organ suddenly booms out a prelude: this piece had been rescued from the 1862 Exhibition. Of special interest prove to be two dark adjoining chambers decorated in medieval style, with one comb that belonged to Queen Elisabeth resting on a central table. The Bibles section amazes with its rare and valuable displays, such as a Venice illuminated folio Bible, one of the rarest books in existence. The visitor is then further marvelled by an array of Greek mortuary urns, mummies, Buddhist deities, Japanese embroidery, and Chinese paintings on rice paper. The following porcelain section houses a various selection of Sevres, Dresden and old English ware. In order to properly enjoy all that this Museum has to offer, the visitor has to pay more than one visit. And although during the Bank Holidays thousands of people come to see the Museum, the arrangements respecting the order of previously made applications are such that everybody can enjoy at their leisure.
