A domestic dog skull - interestingly lined up like any other specimen. To me this illustrates the essential contradictions of zoology. The need to care for an animal and forge a human bond to an animal that is kept at arms length within zoos and

A students notebook with a dissected frog and an elephants heart. This shows the educational value of the Grant museum. The elephant heart is dyed to clearly display its anatomy.

Here are some other photographs from my trip:

An orangutan head- It becomes clear why the Victorians described orangutans like humans, even before the revelation of evolution by Charles Darwin.

This orang-utan was donated to the Grant Museum in 1917 and taxidermied by Edward Gerrard & Sons. Edward Gerrard was an attendant at the British Museum, illustrating the broad network

Gerrard & Sons were based in Camden not far from London Zoo.

Interestingly, the Grant Museum has a dedicated London Zoo collection. Some specimens possibly being from the old ZSL museum office in Leicester Square. By 1855 the society had donated all of its collections across many institutions.

Even better his father is rumoured to have eaten the preserved / mummified heart of Louis XIV of France from a silver locket.

Buckland grew up in a household where eating exotic animals was the norm. Dr. William Buckland, his father and a theologian/geologist, actively encouraged his children to partake, serving bear and crocodile.

Highlight so far is the curious character of Francis Trevelyan Buckland, famous author, surgeon and zoologist. Buckland was secretary for the official British Acclimatisation Society that was founded in 1860. This Society had a desire to breed exotic animals and plants for the British environment.

ZSL itself had Kingston farm to breed such animals for decoration and food

This reminds me of the acclimatisation societies that popped up around mid century - Frank Buckland was head of the British branch - apparently dining on exotic animals from the colonies

Currently researching for an essay about the Art Treasures Exhibition of 1857 in Manchester and how the middle class perception of the working classes influenced the exhibition space.

I was reminded not long ago how much this elasticity still applies even today. When Kier Starmer and the labour government struggled to define what a 'proper' working family was. There is no physical object we can pick up and observe as the embodiment of class.

Transplant this onto the Victorian period, it becomes obvious why the highly-observed society of the period retains its 'stiff upper lip' stereotype. The Victorians knew they were being observed as they themselves were observing others, and so they behaved and remained in their stations.

In this design there is a tower in the middle of prison cells, all forming a circular shape. The tower is occupied by an unseen prison guard. The sheer possibility of this guard sparks the prisoners to behave in an orderly fashion - governing themselves in the process.