Written by Patricia Francis, Natural History Curator, Gallery Oldham. 

So, what’s a fish cast? Fish are particularly difficult creatures to preserve. Fish taxidermy is tricky as even a freshly dead specimen rapidly loses it colour and can quickly start to decay. Fish skin is thin and tears easily and obtaining the work of an experienced fish taxidermist is very expensive while fluid preservation involves the use of chemicals which alter the skin colouration.

Dace (1932-54 )

Modelling or casting is often chosen as an alternative way to represent the animal rather than using the actual fish skin as taxidermy does. A cast now might be made using a resin but historically plaster has been used. Then comes the clever bit, accurate painting of the cast to appear like the living animal.

Oldham has a large collection of beautifully painted plaster fish casts, mostly in good condition considering their extreme fragility. Interestingly many of the casts are enhanced by the dried fish fins and tails of the original fish. They are numbered variously either with ‘1932’ as the year of acquisition followed by a running number; prefixed ‘NHT’, standing for ‘natural history temporary’ with a running number and some are prefixed with ‘Q’ with a running number. I have no idea what the ‘Q ‘stands for! 

Crucian Carp (1932-93)

I always presumed these were all one collection as they all appear similar, the different numbered specimens are mixed up across 40 large same sized boxes.  They are also mixed in terms of fish classification, freshwater and marine species and were arranged like this before I joined the Museum. I was also aware there was a correspondence file connected with the fish casts.

Whiting (NHT522)

In May 2025 I saw a message on the NatSCA JISCMAIL list sent from Mike Rutherford at the Hunterian Museum at the University of Glasgow. He was researching the fish casts in their collection attributed to Alfred Joseph Gear and was asking other curators about their holdings. I’d seem the name Gear on some of the database records so responded positively to the message and at the same time started my own research by delving into the historical correspondence.

It seems Gallery Oldham has two separate acquisitions of plaster cast fish. Those with NHT numbers were probably acquired in 1912 (31 specimens) and made by Percy Horn, 330, Central Park Road, East Ham, London. For some reason these were not given an accession number. It was also this group that at some time had been given the ‘Q’ prefix.

Rudd (1932-56)

Those with 1932 numbers (correspondence indicates 62 objects and that tallies with the database) were the personal collection Alfred Joseph Gear (1850 – 1932) of ‘Roselands’, Cossington Road, Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex. They were purchased for the Oldham Museum using monies from the Dr James Yates Bequest, a generous Oldham benefactor, from E. Gerrard & Sons after Gear’s death. Interestingly the initial message from Gerrards auctioneers was steered to Oldham Museum by Percy Horn. Knowing what species were already represented at Oldham, those that he had made himself and sold to them in 1912, Percy Horn made helpful suggestions of missing species made by Gear that Oldham should purchase. 

Alfred Joseph Gear

A colleague of Mike’s located a photograph and researched some biographical details of Gear. It appears he was a dentist by trade and made the models in his spare time. He was considered a skilful modeller during his lifetime with glowing comments such as this made by the British Sea Anglers Society in 1906 on the presentation of a fine cast of the head of the large male angler fish (Lophius piscatorius), the fourth model in a series:

“They are valuable additions to the fast-growing museum, being necessarily true to the form of the fish, and by very skilful colouring give a far better idea of what the fish was in life than any preserved specimen.”

So, the Oldham collection has the specimens which were not only made but Gear but the ones he had kept for himself. Oldham was in good company as the other museums who responded to Mike’s request in May 2025 were National Museum Wales and the University of Cambridge. 

Cod (NHT517)

Some of these casts, those representing species of locally found freshwater fish, will feature in a new gallery: ‘Our Beautiful Oldham’ opening at Gallery Oldham in June 2026.

Bream (NHT519)