Our Origins exhibition now features a female Gharial alongside other animal taxidermy, including a West European Hedgehog and a Natterjack Toad. These specimens, drawn from the museum’s natural sciences collection, are displayed to encourage reflection on the ethics and history of taxidermy in museums, and the evolving way we think about our relationship with nature.
Objects in Origins act as catalysts for connection, between people, histories and ideas. From ancient artefacts to everyday items, artworks to animal specimens, each piece offers a route into Swindon’s story. Our newly conserved gharial, originally donated in 1931 and long mistaken for a Nile crocodile, has become a focal point for community-led interpretation, raising vital questions about colonial histories, conservation and human impact on the natural world.
By bringing together the museum’s varied collections and inviting participation from our audiences, we explore how museums can be shaped by the people they serve and how stories, both old and new, can be told through the objects we choose to keep.
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