Currently-Existing African Hunting Museums?

[karsten01]

Hello,

I was just wondering if anyone knows of any currently existing museums devoted to the tradition of African big-game hunting, particularly in the centuries prior to World War One (so Victorian, Edwardian, etc. etc.)?

In a travel guidebook of 1993, I read that Erbach Palace in the town of Erbach im Odenwald, Germany, once housed a "African Hunting Museum." I wanted to visit this for years. However, when I got to travel to Erbach this past July, I was told that the state government had made the closing of that museum a condition of its taking over the financing of the palace as a whole. This was, to say the least, quite disappointing.

I recently wrote to the Africa Museum in Belgium, which is (or was) well known as a museum of the European colonial experience in Africa, and they told me that, no, they have no real displays anymore relating to African big-game hunting, other than a cautionary display about illegal present-day poaching in Africa.

I also recently wrote to the Powel-Cotton museum in Quex Park, Kent, England, and they told me that while they do have impressive taxidermy holdings, their weapons collection is no longer on public display and likely won't ever be again.

The Museo de caza Albarrán in Mexico is currently closed "for renovation" (that sounds worrying), according to their web site.

Does anyone know if any museums still exist relating to big-game hunting in Africa? The only one I know of at the moment is the Colby Hunting Room in Boston. Any others?

 

[Bullhunter]

In Germany we have some.
Some good ones.
The most are "in private hands".

Your infos about Erbach in the Odenwald in Hessen / Deutschland are nor correct.
Yes, an old museum is closed, but:
a.)
There is an ivory museum, with many artefacts of that old museum.
b.)
There is an hunting museum in Erbach also.
An big one, not only africa, mostly Germany, but impressive.
Also: Some little parts are about Africa and India also. And: Cultural thinks of this part of the world.

I was several times there, write reports about it, make prof. pictures (have them in my archive) and was there in this summer with clients.

 

[karsten01]

Thank you very much for your response, Bullhunter. If you like, please feel free to respond to me in German. I don't write very well in German, as I continue to find it difficult to master the grammar and such,, but I read German very easily.

I did see the Elfenbeinmuseum when I was in Erbach in July, which is also housed in the Erbacher Schloss. Beautiful exhibits. And I was certainly impressed by the Schoss itself, with its Waffenkammer, its antler collection, and that stupendous Jagdsaal on the second floor.

But I was not aware of any other hunting museum in Erbach or Michestadt, outside of the specific Erbacher Schloss complex. Do you have a link to its Web site?

Thank you again for responding, and Gruß aus Kanada.

 

[Bullhunter]

http://wasserschloss-neuenheerse.com/?s=Afrika&search=suchen

This is an very big museum, from one of the biggest hunter in Germany.
Now over 90 years old.
He hunted für millions of dollars all over the world, for decades and has an private museum.
Inkl. hunts in India, Tigers and co.

 

[AfricaHunting.com]

The Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History has a phenomenal wildlife exhibit from all over the world. Some of which is from Teddy Roosevelt's African Expedition, see Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smithsonian–Roosevelt_African_Expedition.

Not exactly a museum per se but an incredible personal collection and private galley by appointment: Warren Wildlife Gallery: https://www.africahunting.com/threads/warren-wildlife-gallery.40511/.

 

[AfricaHunting.com]

The Biggest Elephant Ever Killed By Man
March 6, 1959 A male rogue African bush elephant, a gift from Jose J. Fenykovi, Hungarian-born engineer and big game hunter, and prepared by the museum's taxidermy staff, is unveiled in the place of honor in the center rotunda of the National Museum of Natural History. At the time of its unveiling, it is the largest land mammal on display in a museum. Fenykovi tracked down and shot the elephant in the Cuando River region of southeastern Angola on November 13, 1955. On view in the Smithsonian, the largest elephant on record was an adult male African elephant hunted by Jose Fenykovi in Angola in 1955. World-record-setting elephant, taken from Records of Big Game (Rowland Ward, London, 10th Edition, 1935). Height From ground to withers, 13 feet 2 inches. (Thaw's elephant: 12 feet 2 inches.) Length From trunk tip to tail tip in straight line, 27 feet 6 inches; whole skin from trunk tip to tail tip, 33 feet 2 inches. Length of feet Front, 2 feet; rear, 2 feet 1 inches. (Thaw's elephant: one foot 9 inches, which foot not specified.) Circumference of feet Front, 5 feet 7 inches; rear 5 feet 2 inches. Circumference of body At widest point, 19 feet 8 inches.

 

[AfricaHunting.com]

Smithsonian Museum of Natural History Video Tour | Washington DC, USA

 

[Mort Hill]

Great info Jerome. Still one of my most memorable experiences as a child was spending a day there. So many displays, artifacts and species.

 

[karsten01]

Thank you for your response about the Wasserschloß Neuenheerse, Bullhunter. That private museum does indeed sound fascinating, and I have added it to my list of things to see during my next trip to Europe. Easily reachable from Paderborn, it would seem.

The Smithsonian and Warren collections are most intriguing! I knew of Roosevelt's expedition to Africa but didn't know that there was any museal record of it. I have seen the African-Elephant displays in the American Museum of Natural History in New York, but the Smithsonian presentation seems every bit its equal and then some. What a fitting architectural backdrop for that magnificent specimen. Also a must-see.

In the meantime, I have come across something quite special. I'm not sure if anyone has ever been to the Royal Armouries Museum in Leeds, U.K., but going by the images that I'm seeing online, it would appear to have one of the better hunting sections I've yet encountered in any currently existing museum, complete with life-size displays of tiger hunting from the back of an elephant (okay, that's hunting in India rather than Africa, but it still illustrates the "exotic hunting" theme that I'm hoping to track down in any currently existing museums).

At any rate, it strikes me that, per what Bullhunter mentioned earlier, the best remaining collections will now be in private hands, with a few public exceptions. Pity, because I expect that if one could go back in time a half century, one could still have experienced many public-museum displays devoted to African hunting.

 

[Wheels]

I struck out looking for it but @Foxi has a thread about a small German museum here on AH. Hopefully he or Jerome can pull it up for you.

Here is the Osa Johnson Museum in Kansas. It is small and deals more with movies the couple made than hunting. Much deals with the area around Mt. Marsibit.

https://www.africahunting.com/threads/martin-osa-johnson-safari-museum.24556/

The British Museum of Natural History has some information. Right next door is the Victoria and Albert Museum. Between the two you have quite a bit of information. Taxidermy is in poor shape and old. It is worth going to see the largest ivory from the Kilimanjaro bull.

The Powell Cotton Museum near Canterbury England would be a good place. You mentioned they have pulled the gun collection. It has one of the top 5 largest sets of ivory.

http://www.quexpark.co.uk/museum/

 

[Wheels]

The Biggest Elephant Ever Killed By Man
March 6, 1959 A male rogue African bush elephant, a gift from Jose J. Fenykovi, Hungarian-born engineer and big game hunter, and prepared by the museum's taxidermy staff, is unveiled in the place of honor in the center rotunda of the National Museum of Natural History. At the time of its unveiling, it is the largest land mammal on display in a museum. Fenykovi tracked down and shot the elephant in the Cuando River region of southeastern Angola on November 13, 1955. On view in the Smithsonian, the largest elephant on record was an adult male African elephant hunted by Jose Fenykovi in Angola in 1955. World-record-setting elephant, taken from Records of Big Game (Rowland Ward, London, 10th Edition, 1935). Height From ground to withers, 13 feet 2 inches. (Thaw's elephant: 12 feet 2 inches.) Length From trunk tip to tail tip in straight line, 27 feet 6 inches; whole skin from trunk tip to tail tip, 33 feet 2 inches. Length of feet Front, 2 feet; rear, 2 feet 1 inches. (Thaw's elephant: one foot 9 inches, which foot not specified.) Circumference of feet Front, 5 feet 7 inches; rear 5 feet 2 inches. Circumference of body At widest point, 19 feet 8 inches.

Don't miss the Hope Diamond and other gems if you go here.

 

[One Day...]

The Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History has a phenomenal wildlife exhibit from all over the world.

Maybe Jerome we should add the American Museum of Natural History in New York City, likely the best in the US.

I was at the Washington DC Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History about 6 months ago, and yes they have this extraordinary elephant in the central rotunda, but the African collection was quite a disappointment after visiting the Mammal Halls of the American Museum of Natural History in New York City, and specifically the Akeley Hall of African Mammals that include 28 different habitat dioramas, each with a number of species. I found both the number of animals, quality of animals, and presentation of animals in Washington DC to be really not comparable to the number and quality of the dioramas in New York City.

Each diorama features a number of life size animals (taxidermy) presented in the foreground in a recreation of their natural ecosystem, in an alcove painted to represent their natural habitat in the back ground.

+24 other dioramas !!!

If I had to take a guess, I would say that there are at least 100 to 120 mammal species presented with life-size taxidermy, plus birds, snakes, etc. I spent days there when I used to live in Connecticut, to learn to recognize the various species, appreciate their actual size, etc...

And they have an entire herd of elephant, including males, females, adults and young.

Also of interest is the Field Museum in Chicago, world famous for hosting two of the infamous man-eating lions of Tsavo. The Chicago museum comes distant second to the richness of the New York City museum, and the Washington DC museum is a distant third to both of those, in my view.

I would recommend to folks going to Africa for the first time and flying through New York to build an extra day in the schedule to spend the day at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. It is that good...

Just my $0.02...

 

[Wheels]

Maybe Jerome we should add the American Museum of Natural History in New York City.

I was at the Washington DC Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History about 6 months ago, and yes they have this extraordinary elephant in the central rotunda, but the African collection was quite a disappointment after visiting the Mammal Halls of the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. I found both the number of animals, quality of animals, and presentation of animals in Washington DC to be really not comparable to the number and quality of the dioramas in New York City.

Also of interest is the Field Museum in Chicago, world famous for hosting two of the infamous man-eating lions of Tsavo. The Chicago museum comes distant second to the richness of the New York City museum, and the Washington DC museum is a distant third to both of those in my view.

I would almost recommend to folks going to Africa for the first time and flying through New York to build an extra day in the schedule to spend the day at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. It is that good...

Just my $0.02...

Good call. I was forgettting the American Museum. The elephant diorama by Carl Aekley in the American Museum of Natural History is top notch. Especially considering how old it is. The Giant Sable is worth going to the museum, in and of itself. It may be the world record. There were a number of good exhibits there.

 

[Bullhunter]

There are many more...

...an last tipp (then im out of this thread):
The "Trophy Collection - inkl. of the Princes / Kings / pp. - in the Kairo Zoo" in Ägypt.

 

[Jason Miller]

Years ago in Paris I visited the Musee De la Chasse in France. well worth the visit and after some research I am surprised its still open..
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Musée_de_la_Chasse_et_de_la_Nature

 

[Frog Morton]

It’s been a few years since I’ve visited, but the SCI’s International Hunting Museum in Tucson, Arizona is enjoyable as well.

https://safariclubfoundation.org/international-wildlife-museum/

 

[karsten01]

Years ago in Paris I visited the Musee De la Chasse in France. well worth the visit and after some research I am surprised its still open..
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Musée_de_la_Chasse_et_de_la_Nature

Sort of. As it turns out, it IS closed at the moment -- yes, yet another one that's closed. Fortunately, the closure is supposed to be only temporary, and it's set to reopen Fall 2020 after "renovation."

These "renovations" are invariably for the worse, it seems. But given that it's a private museum, let's hope that the collection comes off more or less intact.

From the pictures I've seen of it before it was closed, it looks fantastic, both in terms of its collections and in its overall 19th-century aesthetic, which seems to be getting harder and harder to find.

Thank you for mentioning it.

 

[mark-hunter]

Croatia is not big country, is not big hunting country, but it is on touristic map, especially for Europeans.

In town of Brod na Kupi, near Slovenian border to the west, a hunting museum have permanent exhibition of local, but also african trophies.

A visiting traveler going from capital (Zagreb) to the coast for summer hollidays, can easily make a small detour to see the trophies.
River Kupa is also famous for rafting!

Museuum has modest collection of plains game of Africa, plus dangerous game.

Adress of museum:
Kralja Tomislava 1, 51301 Brod na Kupi
Croatia
Europe

Museum is situated in old Zrinski Castle.