Natural History Collection

MUSĀ

NATURAL HISTORY COLLECTION

Hampshire birds now in Science School

In the last few episodes, we have explored the broad scheme for the Quingentenary Memorial Buildings and how we came by the building known today as Musā.  In this edition, we will lightly explore the Natural History Collection as intended and as provided.

Both the Natural History Society (Founded in 1870 under the eye of Headmaster George Ridding) and Frank Buckland* (the famed Zoophagist) were referenced in the plans for Musā’s Natural History Collection.  It is interesting to note that in 1897, The Wykehamist considered that the second of the Natural History Society’s aims (‘that a whale might no longer be considered a fish, or a bat as a bird’) had not ‘yet been attained’.

Its third aim was to create a Permanent Collection.  According to the 1909 History of the Natural History Society, Musā was the third museum to house its collection.  The first was a room in Commoners (later Class Room 11).  The second was ‘the small room at the East End of Moberly Library’, which is now the Mathmā library, previously known as the Durran Library) – Moberly Library then being at the North end of Flint Court.

Considerable column space was given by The Wykehamist to the proposals for the Natural History Section.  The most prominent part of the collection was not in the original proposal, which itemised Botany, Zoology and Geology as the three principal themes.  Buried as Item 6 under Zoological is ‘a few cases of Stuffed Birds, presented many years ago by F W Joy and other members of the Natural History Society.  These will eventually take their place in the wall cases.’

What actually transpired was the acquisition of a 153 specimen collection of Hampshire Birds, purchased for the school from William Chalkley, a taxidermist based in The Square, Winchester.  Other photographs showing: a Chalkley bill itemising one of the birds still in our collection; before and after photos of the bird (a Long-eared Owl); and a contemporary image of Chalkley’s shop can be viewed in the gallery below.

The section of petrified tree under the display table in the foreground is still on display in Musa, in the Musa Quiet Room. 

In 1965, a much-reduced bird collection was moved to a prefabricated building erected by the Northwest corner of Science School, which contained a Bio lab and a room for the Natural History Society. Over 30 cases of birds still remain - most are on display in Science School with others displayed elsewhere - our Little Bustard (captured on Salisbury Plain in 1845) is on permanent display in the NHS section upstairs in Treasury.

*Of both the Natural History Society and Frank Buckland you will hear more in later editions.