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Cast made of Stanley's hand made in 1894, the same year that the cause of Malaria was discovered to be mosquitoes.People have always craved mementos of local heroes. The great adventurer Henry Morton Stanley was born in Denbigh, North Wales in 1841. Christened John Rowlands, Stanley adopted the name of his benefactor in New Orleans after he ran away to sea aged 17.

Although Stanley's most famous adventure - and, presumably, one of the most famous quotes in all exploration - is linked to Dr. David Livingstone, his significance in the history of Africa is greater than the meeting at Ujiji. Apart from his epic charting of the Congo River, Stanley was a pivotal figure in one of the darker episodes of the Victorian Age: the Scramble for Africa. His work in opening up the Congo - and in gaining the territory for King Leopold of the Belgians was a momentous step in colonialism, however inadvertant. The artefact, on display at Denbigh Library, shows the esteem in which the explorer was held and his links to his birthplace.

Cast made of Stanley's hand made in 1894, the same year that the cause of Malaria was discovered to be mosquitoes.