Horniman Museum

The Horniman Museum and Gardens is located in Forest Hill, South-East London. The building, which is Grade II* listed, was commissioned in 1898 and opened in 1901. It was designed by Charles Harrison Townsend (1851-1928) and now houses displays of anthropology, natural history, musical instruments, a fine collection of bronzes and some fine art. The instigator for the Museum was Frederick John Horniman (1835-1906), who had inherited his father's eponymous tea business.

In July 2022, the museum won Museum of the Year, an award of £100,000 made by the Art Fund and is the largest of its kind in the United Kingdom. In 1911, an additional building to the west of the main building, originally containing a lecture hall and library, was donated by Frederick Horniman's son, Emslie Horniman (1863-1932). This was again designed by Townsend. As recently as 2002, a further extension was added. In November of that year, the museum returned a collection of 72 items that were looted from the Kingdom of Benin, Nigeria, in 1897 by British troops. Included were important Benin Bronzes.