The plans to extend the museum conceived by David Boston but never realised were documented in two major schemes. The Surrey Mount scheme was a project designed to develop a building on the Surrey Mount site devoted to the Natural History Collections and allowing for the possibility of a top floor to provide a refreshment room or new library facility. It was also proposed that the new building could be link to the North Hall Gallery by a glazed corridor providing views of the gardens that passed through or alongside a proposed aviary and small zoo that would be administered by the Parks Department.
In July 1971 the Museum Advisory Committee decided that the best site for expansion would be in the Eastern corner of the gardens with views to the east in the direction of the North Downs. With regards to the building the committee reported that the park and museum should be integrated and the height of any proposed new building was of critical importance. A two storey building providing an underground aquarium plant room, with upper floors terraced and set into the hillside accomodating the natural history, botanical and biological exhibits was therefore suggested. This scheme became known as Horniman's Dream. Survey of the natural history of London and the Thames Valley. Unification of the museum and park. January 1976 due to financial stringencies the council abandonned the extension plans.
Surrey Mount Scheme and Horniman's Dream: proposals to expand the museum
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Collection Information
These objects are only a part of our collections, of which there are more than 350,000 objects. This information comes from our collections database. Some of this is incomplete and there may be errors. This part of the website is also still under construction, so there may be some fields repeated or incorrectly formatted information.
The database sometimes uses language taken from historical documents to help research, which may now appear outdated and even offensive. The database also includes information on objects that are considered secret or sacred by some communities.
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