Plaque

The wealthy Frederic Horniman had built up a large collection of art, handcrafts & natural history at his home on this site. In 1888 he gave public access to the collection. The house was then demolished & replaced by this rare London piece of Art Nouveau, the Horniman Museum (1901), designed by Charles Harrison Townsend, who was also responsible for those other two stunners: the Bishopsgate Institute (1894) and the Whitechapel Art Gallery (1899). The museum and 27 acres of parkland were presented to London County Council as a gift to the people of London.