Wild & Tame: Animals in History

19 July 2024 - 9 May 2025

‘Wild & Tame’ explored the history of animals, real and imagined, and their impact on human lives and culture.  From unicorns and the first Renaissance animal encyclopaedia to Charles Darwin, our exhibition showed how humans exploited animals and how they cared for them, creating our shared history.

The exhibition had three themes - it began by exploring the beginnings of medical care for animals as well as the role animals played in the development of modern medicine for humans.

The second theme showed the changing ways we depicted animals and studied them, finally unlocking the mysteries of evolution and our place in the natural world.

The third theme explored the vital role animals played in our cultural history, from myths and monsters to modern pets and companions.