Evolution – it’s behind you!

January 6, 2016 by Southend Borough Council

Evolution – it’s behind you!

Wednesday 6th January 2016

As panto season draws to a close, another unique show is soon to open in Southend.

This is a special exhibition at Southend Central Museum which mingles original art with fascinating natural history specimens.

The works on display at the Museum in Victoria Avenue, Southend, from Saturday 16th January until Saturday 12th March are by acclaimed local artist, Martin Huxter and will explore Darwin’s theory of evolution.

Alongside his captivating paintings will be exhibits from the Museum’s own natural history collection – such as examples of stuffed birds and skulls.

These illustrate how the awe-inspiring natural world has sparked off the artist’s imagination.

Executive Councillor for Enterprise, Tourism and Economic Development, Councillor Mary Betson said: “Our museum has a very well established natural history collection, and this unusual exhibition offers an innovative way for people to view selected pieces.

“We hope as many people as possible come along to see Martin Huxter’s original works of art, side-by-side with works of nature.

“Natural History tends to be a very popular attraction. We are also staging an open session/behind the scenes event at the Museum’s Natural History store on Thursday 14th January and tickets for this have sold out so quickly, that we will be looking at arranging other similar activities in future.”

The museum showing the ‘Evolution – it’s behind you’ exhibition from Saturday 16th January until Saturday 12th March, is open daily from 10am until 5pm apart from Sundays and Mondays.

Some of the natural history exhibits on show have been picked from the extensive collection of 19th century naturalist, John Davey Hoy.

In keeping with the scientific practices of his day, he shot and preserved samples of a wide variety of birds found in Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex, so they could be studied in detail.

The 260 specimens ranging from a flamingo to a robin were stuffed, stored in wooden cases and then presented to Southend Museum by a Major Weber as a gift in the 1920s.

During the 1950s, they were on view in outbuildings at the then Priory Museum in Priory Park where they enthralled visitors.