A scientific plain type case (glazed just to the front) Three plaques within the case read ‘Little Owl “Athene noctua”, Surrey’ with each specimen labelled ‘Adult’ and ‘Immature’. Circa 1910.

Originally from the remarkable collection of Charles Stonham (1839-1916) author of “The Birds of the British Islands” published from 1906 – 1911. A Victorian taxidermy collector who was interested in the scientific side of taxidermy and whom owned a vast collection (now dispersed) of stuffed birds often depicting both adult and immature specimens.

The few cases I have seen from the Stonham collection have all been painted white, contain a small camphor bag to protect from insect damage, and have been painted bright blue internally. This case was thus, now fully restored by ourselves, the scruffy old white paint removed, the case relined, glass cleaned, and re taped, ready for another 100 plus years.

Charles Stonham: His obituary tells us ‘He was a surgeon of high and well merited reputation who later went on to form an extensive collection of British Birds, of which he bequeathed to his old school ‘Kings school’ in Canterbury’.

P Morris in his remarkably well researched book ‘Taxidermy and the Country House’ published in 2023, tells us that in 1976 the school sold the collection in Sotherby’s, thirty lots being purchased by museums the rest becoming widely scattered.

35 x 15cm, 40cm high.

Ref: 26763