Description: In our constant search for unusual things to do in London, we may have reached the all-time most unusual. The Huntertarian Museum is located at the Royal College of Surgeons of England and if I had to compare it to something, it would be the Mutter Museum in Philadelphia. According to my fascinated granddaughter Jeanna, that was the grossest museum ever and I have to agree. The Huntertarian is right up there when it comes to gross.
Having said that, the reason Joe wanted to go here was for the art. Yes, I know, he knows about every obscure piece of art in the world and the fact that the museum has a Holbein, was an irresistible attraction. The good news is, entrance is free. The bad news is that photography is not allowed so there are no gross pictures to show.
I did find myself irresistibly attracted to the fetuses in jars. There were babies of every size and it was so incredibly sad that I could not pull my eyes away. It is fascinating and at the same time seems so wrong to display examples of human life this way. There was a young artist sitting in front of the jars sketching what was a beautiful baby and it was heartbreaking.
There are shelves and shelves of jars displaying every type of animal, reptile and insect. There is a lot on display and for people interested in the unique and unusual; it is to be found here. There is the human skeleton of the tallest man in England and other oddities. Most of the art in their collection is in a small gallery in the rear of the museum but not the Holbein.
The Holbein is in a hallway near where the restrooms are. It was worth the visit and they have a small but interesting gift shop. The museum is also within walking distance of the Strand Palace Hotel and across the Square from the Sir John Sloan Museum.
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