Over fifteen years in the making, Fringe Zoology: The Specimens of Thomas Merrylin is a 21 x 29 cm, cloth bound hardback book, with rich brown end pages and a dust jacket. Contained within are hundreds of photographs of specimens and artefacts, and the accompanying explanations of these items. Delve into the mythos of the collection -through esoteric maps, arcane items of the occult, species unseen in science and at its heart - the tale of a broken man.

As a wonderful addition to this exploration of a myth, the master of modern folk horror, and creator of Siren Head, The Mayfair Watchers Society podcast, and a menagerie of other curious and horrifying imaginings, Trevor Henderson, has kindly written a foreword for the book.

Mere folklore, legend or, perhaps something else, the Merrylin Cryptid Collection is wunderkammer of unclassified specimens. Discovered in a vast subterranean space beneath a London townhouse, hundreds of shipping crates dating from the early 19th century. Within, the preserved bodies of animals described as Lycanthrope, Fae and Vampyr; animals of fiction in all their shrivelled, decayed glory.

At its centre, the aforementioned Thomas Merrylin, a man born at the tail end of the 1700's, who supposedly lived until 1942, when he disappeared while fighting against fascism in mainland Europe. He would have been 160 years old.

But what is intriguing is, that, within his fastidiously written diaries, a different story is told - one that puts the collection in second place to a far more pressing issue. One of family, of righting grave wrongs, and of artefacts that defy our common understanding of physical laws.

Dear reader, welcome to Fringe Zoology: The Specimens of Thomas Merrylin.

For inquiries, email.

merrylinhouse@gmail.com

Follow The Merrylin Museum on instagram - @merrylinmuseum

The museum does not exist as a physical destination, although there were a few short lived exhibitions in the early 2000’s. The only resource is this website. Much of what you will read about the museum elsewhere is nonsense.

Below you will find some helpful information in regards to the collection.

Is there a physical museum I can visit?

No. Although we have had a number of exhibitions in the past, we have never had a permanent space, although an attempt was made a number of years ago. As it stands, the only resource for anything related to the museum is this website.

There are lots of videos on youtube and stories on debunking websites, do I need to read or watch these?

No. People are always looking for “content” - and sadly we got caught up in that too. There is no conspiracy to unpick, or hoax to unravel. Everything they have written and vlogged about was taken from this website. If you want to ask Alex any questions, you can do at merrylinhouse@gmail.com .

What is the museum for?

If you have to ask, then this museum is not for you.

Who is Alex CF?

Alex is an author, illustrator and sculptor, based in London, England. He writes fantasy and science fiction, sings in punk and metal bands, and created the Merrylin museum. You can check out his work outside the museum at alexcf.com.