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V&A Collection to come to Horniman
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NewForester


Posts: 379
Joined: Feb 2008
Post: #1
01-02-2010 02:35 PM

It looks like the V&A's loss could be the Horniman's gain.

The Victoria and Albert Museum is to place its public display of musical instruments into storage this spring as part of a planned redesign of the institution?s fashion galleries. The V&A?s permanent exhibition of musical instruments, presently housed alongside fashion in its Room 40, will be removed to make way for the extensive renovation as part of the museum?s ongoing Future Plan initiative. The museum intends to display some of its musical instrument collection in the furniture gallery, set to open in 2012.

?The V&A and the Horniman Museum are discussing the long term loan of significant objects from the V&A's collection of musical instruments to the Horniman Museum,? the V&A?s spokesman added. ?In the interim, the musical instrument collection will be accessible by appointment as part of the Museum's Study Collections at Blythe House, Kensington Olympia.?


Background:
Classical Music article
Evening Standard article

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michael


Posts: 3,255
Joined: Mar 2005
Post: #2
01-02-2010 02:51 PM

On the walking tour yesterday I was told that most of the existing collection of musical instruments at the Horniman came from the Great Exhibition at the Crystal Palace, which had links to Horniman.

If only there were another empty listed building in Forest Hill that could house a nationally important collection of musical instruments to allow the Horniman to expand its facilities. It would need to be somewhere between the library and the new pool to get the best number of visitors.

Can anybody think of any possible buildings that could be renovated by English Heritage?

Too much joined up thinking required to ever make this work.

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shzl400


Posts: 729
Joined: Oct 2007
Post: #3
01-02-2010 09:43 PM

Hope they're not going to send us the squashed ones....Glare

http://www.flickr.com/photos/zx9/3475523435/

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stevegrindlay


Posts: 104
Joined: Oct 2006
Post: #4
01-02-2010 10:09 PM

Michael wrote:
?I was told that most of the existing collection of musical instruments at the Horniman came from the Great Exhibition at the Crystal Palace, which had links to Horniman.

Not sure about that, Michael. The Great Exhibition was in Hyde Park. When it closed many of the exhibits (perhaps including musical instruments) were actually acquired by what would become the V&A.

As I understand it, F J Horniman collected some 200 instruments, a few no doubt from exhibitors at the Crystal Palace at Sydenham. However, many of the rest of the museum?s thousands of instruments were from private collections (Adam Carse collection, acquired in 1947, Percy Bull collection, 1948, Arnold Dolmetsch collection, 1983, and the Boosey & Hawkes collection, 2003).

Still, you?re right. There must be a suitable building somewhere in Forest Hill despite our being, as the ES journalist has it, ?somewhat off the beaten track?.


For a random selection of items on local history visit my blog at:
http://sydenhamforesthillhistory.blogspot.com/
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