'Repulsive' fatberg to be displayed at the Museum of London

Committed to giving a warts and all representation of the city, the Museum of London is to exhibit the only remaining piece of the enormous fatberg discovered under London’s streets.

Sucked from the Victorian sewers of Whitechapel, the fatberg that made headlines around the world will be on show in 2018.

It was taken from the colossal 130-ton congealed mass of fat, oil, grease, wet wipes and sanitary products, which stretched for over 250 metres in the sewer, the equivalent of 11 double-decker buses.

“The existence of this fatberg highlights the pressures fat and modern rubbish are putting on London’s historic infrastructures and is a comment on our increasingly disposable society,” the museum said in a press release.

Vyki Sparkes, curator of Social and Working History at the Museum of London, said: “The Whitechapel fatberg will be one of the most fascinating and disgusting objects we have ever had on display.

“Everything about fatberg is challenging, especially collecting and curating it, but as the Museum of London we cannot shy away from engaging with the challenges this city faces.

“Our thanks go to Thames Water for working with us and sharing our vision of highlighting these issues.”

Sharon Robinson-Calver, head of Conservation & Collection Care at the Museum of London, added: “It has been a remarkable process working on conserving a section of the fatberg. Obtaining the sample has required a huge amount of groundbreaking work by the museum, and we have learned a huge amount.

“We have worked diligently with industry experts, and are continuing our research with further scientific analysis to enable us to be able to display this unusual piece of London’s history.”

Artefact piece aside, Thames Water has converted the majority of the fatberg into greenhouse gas-reducing biodiesel.