Henry Syer Cuming

Henry Syer Cuming (1817 – 7 October 1902) was a British collector of objects, art and antiquities, notable for exposing the Shadwell forgeries, and who bequeathed his collection to what is now the Cuming Museum, in Southwark, South London.

Cuming spent his life building on the work of his father Richard Cuming (1777–1870), Neither Henry nor Ann married, and all four lived together amicably until their various deaths. Cuming's elder brother, Richard Howton Cuming (died 1887) was disinherited by his father for marrying a Catholic; thus Cuming inherited his father's collection.

The Cumings enjoyed a comfortable existence and had sufficient funds and leisure for at least three generations of gentlemanly (and ladylike) pursuits.

Shadwell forgeries During Cuming's lifetime the growing antiques market trade was flooded with fakes which Cuming enjoyed collecting and exposing. In 1858, Cuming exposed what became known as the Shadwell forgeries, or the Billy and Charley fraud, at a meeting of the British Archaeological Association. This fraud, perpetuated by two Londoners, William (Billy) Smith and Charles (Charley) Eaton, involved the production of lead medallions, which the fraudsters then claimed to have found at Shadwell dock. Cuming's lecture was reported in The Athenaeum and The Gentleman's Magazine, causing a drastic reduction in sales of the medallions. Outraged, George Eastwood sued The Athenaeum for libel, but the judge found for the defendant; Cuming wrote "We gained a glorious victory". becoming secretary in 1856, and later, vice president.

Cuming wrote extensively, providing in detail observations of contemporary everyday objects with a wide range of interests. He also created drawings of his objects, although he was not as well regarded as his fine amateur artist uncle John Brompton Cuming.

When Cuming died on 7 October 1902, he left the family's collection of 100,000 objects to the then parish of St Mary Newington, An addition was built onto the Newington Library building, and the museum was opened on 10 October 1906 by Lord Rothschild. Due to the wide array of items displayed, the Cuming Museum was billed upon opening as the "British Museum in miniature".

Works Over a 58-year period, Cuming published nearly 200 articles in the Journal of the British Archaeological Association, including: