Powell-Cotton Museum

The Powell-Cotton Museum is situated in Quex Park, Birchington, Kent and houses the diverse personal collections of hunter and explorer, Percy Powell-Cotton. The museum also contains the collections of Powell-Cottons’ two daughters, Antoinette and Diana Powell-Cotton, who shared their father's passion for conservation. The museum, which links to the ground floor of Quex House, now comprises eight galleries (plus 1 passage gallery) dedicated not only to the extensive collection of large mammals, but to many artefacts representing the cultures and traditions of the locations Powell-Cotton visited.

Commencing as a single room collection in 1896, Powell-Cotton gave the go-ahead to have a pavilion erected in the gardens of Quex House, overseen by his brother, Gerald. Percy enlisted the help of Rowland Ward, renowned in the field of taxidermy at the time, to prepare the animals for display. The former Fusilier had attained thousands of artefacts through his hunting and conservation expeditions. Following Percy Powell-Cottons’ death in 1940, his son, Christopher, constructed more galleries to incorporate the family collections of archaeology (Antoinette Powell-Cotton), Anthropology (Diana Powell-Cotton), ceramics and weaponry.

Houses 3 natural history dioramas, most notably a collection of African Monkeys and Apes can be found directly opposite the entrance to the gallery. In reference to the primate diorama, it is yet to be equaled in Europe in regards to size and natural diversity. The total number of specimens nearly reaches 2000 in entirety.

The original pavilion, contains a vast collection of mounted big game heads from Africa and Asia. On the other side of the room, is another large diorama, which depicts the mammals of the Himalayas. To obtain the specific specimens in winter coats, Powell-Cotton had to brave the bitterest of the cold weather season in camp. This is known to be the oldest, unchanged, room-sized Natural History Diorama.

Dominated by the centre piece in the room depicting the fight between a Lion and a Buffalo. The lion is the actual animal that attacked and nearly killed Powell-Cotton in 1906, whereas, the Buffalo is a sub-species named after the hunter/explorer. Additionally in Gallery 3, is another large diorama, this time depicting a scene from Sub-Saharan Africa in which the animals appear to be venturing down to drink at a pool.

...
Wikipedia