The Horniman Museum will always hold a special place in my heart. Straddling the border of Forest Hill and East Dulwich (where I grew up) I spent many a happy Sunday afternoon in its galleries during my childhood, back in the days when there really was bog all to do on the seventh day of the week.
Those who have never visited may have heard of its famous Walrus exhibit which has been in the museum for nearly 120 years. At the time that it was stuffed and preserved, very few people knew what a real live Walrus looked like and it was stuffed to bursting point with not an inch of its skin left slack.
The other week I retured to the Horniman; partly for a trip down memory lane and also to visit the recently opened Mummers, Maypoles and Milkmaids exhibition. If you thought that Wickermen were the stuff of movies (and terrible movie remakes) then think again; these Isles are full of bonkers people.
Of course we all know about Morris Dancers, but it turns out that the desire to wave sticks and attach bells to every inch of your clothing is frankly pretty ordinary when compared with what some folk get up to.
Mummers, Maypoles and Milkmaids is a photographic exhibition recording just some of the traditional past-times that take place up and down the country. Included are the fun-loving arsonists of Ottery St Mary in Devon who like to take to the streets carrying burning barrels of tar. You can also find out about the simply terrifying straw bear procession that takes place in Whittlesey, Cambridgeshire. Plus there are some great shots of Beltane Bash which kicks off on the streets of Bloomsbury in London.
As I wandered further round the exhibition, the traditions became increasingly bizarre and I became increasingly fascinated and proud of the rich culture and history on display. Rather than feeling that the people documented in the photographs were strange, I realised that I was probably the strange one for not taking part in any of these wonderful celebrations.
For more strange and interesting fun…
Find out about Derbyshire’s long tradition of Well Dressing.
Enjoy a spot of revelry with Mad Jack’s Morris Dancers.
For the record, there is nothing funny about the name Horniman Museum. Nothing at all.
malcranmer 