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British Museum, a Major Tourist Attraction in London
Today we shall visit - from the comfort of our computer - the British Museum, a major tourist attraction of London, the United Kingdom. The British Museum houses over 13 million items at its premises in Montagu House, Bloomsbury, in Central London, making it one of the biggest museums on human history and cultures in the world. The British Museum collection originated from all the continents of the world. It related human history from the earliest time to the present age.
The British Museum was founded in 1753, based on the collection of Sir Hans Sloane, a physician and scientist. It first opened to the public on 15 January 1759 in Montagu House, in Bloomsbury, where it still is, today. Expansion over the centuries resulted in the opening of branch institutions, including the British Museum (Natural History) in 1887 and the British Library in 1997. As with all national museums and art galleries in Britain, the British Museum does not charge an admission fee except for charges levied for temporary special exhibitions.
On 7 June, 1753, King George II gave his formal assent to establish the British Museum. The Sloane collection was joined by two other libraries, namely the Cottonian Library, assembled by Sir Robert Cotton, and the Harleian Library, assembled by the Earls of Oxford. The Royal Library, assembled by various British kings, were added in 1757. The Royal Library comes from King George II himself. With the Royal Library comes also the right to receive a copy of every book published in Great Britain, ensuring that the Museum's collection will grow indefinitely. Within these four "foundation collections" are some of the treasured books of the British Museum, now housed in the British Library. They include the Lindisfarne Gospels and the sole surviving copy of Beowulf.
Montagu House, a 17th century mansion, was the choice of the British Museum Board of Truestees. It was bought from the Montagu Family for 20,000 pounds. At that time, the Board of Trustees also considered another premise, Buckingham House, but rejected it as being too expensive. Today Buckingham House is known as Buckingham Palace, official residence of the Queen.
The British Museum opened its doors to the public on 15 January 1759, in Montagu House, Bloomsbury. It is still located there, although Montagu House has seen much changes since then. Over the centuries, the British Museum opened several branch institutions, including the British Museum (Natural History) in 1887, now called the Natural History Museum. The British Library also became a separate entity in 1997. Today both the Natural History Museum and the British Library are major London tourist attractions in their own right. As with all national museums and art galleries in Britain, the British Museum does not charge an admission fee except for charges levied for temporary special exhibitions.
At the time of its creation, British Museum was a pioneer of sorts. Being a national institution, it belongs neither to the church or the king. The British Museum opens itself freely to the public with the aim of collecting everything of value. Sir Hans Sloane's collection tended to reflect his scientific interest. Thus the introduction of the Cotton and Harley manuscripts added a literary and antiquarian element to the collection. With an extensive collection of books and manuscripts, the British Museum became both a national museum and a national library. Indeed, it functioned as the British Library for centuries before the library became a separate entity just a decade ago.
The first exhibition galleries and reading room for scholars opened on 15 January 1757. In 1772 the British Museum acquired its first antiquities of significance, a collection of Greek vases from Sir William Hamilton. The Thomason Library and David Garrick's Library were added to its collection. Visitors to the British Museum in the 18th century would not recognize it if they came today. That's because the British Museum has not yet acquired the monumental ancient relics that visitors see today.
The voyages of Captain James Cook yielded a whole batch of South Sea art objects for the British Museum collection. Unable to keep pace with the growth of its collection, by 1800, Montagu House was becoming very crowded and decrepit.
Another milestone was achieved at the beginning of the 19th century (1800-1825), when the antiquities of Greece, Rome and Egypt were added to the British Museum. The Rosetta Stone - key to deciphering hieroglyphs - was added in 1802. The Colossal bust of Ramesses II came in 1818, laying the foundation for the Egyptian Monumental Sculpture collection. The marble sculptures of the Parthenon, on the Acropolis in Athens, were moved to Britain in 1806, and in 1816 were acquired by The British Museum by Act of Parliament.
In 1802, a Buildings Committee was set up to plan for the expansion of the British Museum. The old Montagu House was demolished in 1823. In its place was a grand neoclassical building designed by Sir Robert Smirke. Part by part was completed, with the King's Library on the East Wind ready in 1827, but was only opened to the public in 1857. By then, the collection was growing faster than the building can be expanded. In 1852, the forecourt was opened, in accordance to Robert Smirke's 1923 design. Sydney Smirke's Round Reading Room, with space for one million books, was opened in 1857. Because the British Museum was still pressed for space, the natural history section was moved to a new building in South Kensington, and it became known later as the British Museum (Natural History), now the Natural History Museum. 1884 saw the completion of the White Wing, allowing space for more antiquities and ethnography.
The British Museum would once again outgrown its space by the last years of the 19th century. In 1895 the Board of Trustees purchased 69 houses surrounding the Museum, with the intention of demolishing them and building the West, North and East sections of the Museum. The first phase of construction of the north wing began in 1906.
In 1918, due to threat of wartime bombing from World War I, some of the objects were stored away at the Portal Tube Railway at Holborn, at the National Library of Wales, and at a country house near Malvern. Some of these objects were damaged in transition, necessitating the creation of a conservation laboratory to restore them. This took place in 1920, and became a permanent department in 1931.
In August 1939, with the Second World War looming, the most valuable and portable objects were evacuated. No wonder, for the museum was bombed in 1941. The years following was spent rebuilding the damaged building and returning the stored items.
The British Museum celebrated its bicentennial in 1953. In 1963 the Natural History Museum became a fully independent entity. The Coins and Medals collection, damaged during the war, reopened in 1959. Following that, the Parthenon Sculptures were back on display in 1962, with the restoration of the Duveen Gallery.
1972 saw 1,694,117 visitors coming to see the "Treasures of Tutankhamun", the most successful exhibition in the British Museum history. That same year saw another Act of Parliament separating the British Library's collection of manuscripts and printed books from the British Museum. The growing books collection required a new home, but that was not to happen until another 25 years have passed, when the British Library moves to its new home at St Pancras.
The departure of the British Library fees up the vacant space in the 19th century central quadrangle. It was redeveloped into the Queen Elizabeth II Great Court - the largest covered square in Europe, opened in 2000.
The British Museum was set up 250 years ago as an encyclopedia of nature and of art. Today, it no longer houses collections of natural history. Even the books and manuscripts that were its foundation collection now belongs to the independent British Library. Nevertheless the British Museum maintains its universality in its collection of artifacts representing the cultures of the world.
The British Museum was founded in 1753, based on the collection of Sir Hans Sloane, a physician and scientist. It first opened to the public on 15 January 1759 in Montagu House, in Bloomsbury, where it still is, today. Expansion over the centuries resulted in the opening of branch institutions, including the British Museum (Natural History) in 1887 and the British Library in 1997. As with all national museums and art galleries in Britain, the British Museum does not charge an admission fee except for charges levied for temporary special exhibitions.
On 7 June, 1753, King George II gave his formal assent to establish the British Museum. The Sloane collection was joined by two other libraries, namely the Cottonian Library, assembled by Sir Robert Cotton, and the Harleian Library, assembled by the Earls of Oxford. The Royal Library, assembled by various British kings, were added in 1757. The Royal Library comes from King George II himself. With the Royal Library comes also the right to receive a copy of every book published in Great Britain, ensuring that the Museum's collection will grow indefinitely. Within these four "foundation collections" are some of the treasured books of the British Museum, now housed in the British Library. They include the Lindisfarne Gospels and the sole surviving copy of Beowulf.
Montagu House, a 17th century mansion, was the choice of the British Museum Board of Truestees. It was bought from the Montagu Family for 20,000 pounds. At that time, the Board of Trustees also considered another premise, Buckingham House, but rejected it as being too expensive. Today Buckingham House is known as Buckingham Palace, official residence of the Queen.
The British Museum opened its doors to the public on 15 January 1759, in Montagu House, Bloomsbury. It is still located there, although Montagu House has seen much changes since then. Over the centuries, the British Museum opened several branch institutions, including the British Museum (Natural History) in 1887, now called the Natural History Museum. The British Library also became a separate entity in 1997. Today both the Natural History Museum and the British Library are major London tourist attractions in their own right. As with all national museums and art galleries in Britain, the British Museum does not charge an admission fee except for charges levied for temporary special exhibitions.
At the time of its creation, British Museum was a pioneer of sorts. Being a national institution, it belongs neither to the church or the king. The British Museum opens itself freely to the public with the aim of collecting everything of value. Sir Hans Sloane's collection tended to reflect his scientific interest. Thus the introduction of the Cotton and Harley manuscripts added a literary and antiquarian element to the collection. With an extensive collection of books and manuscripts, the British Museum became both a national museum and a national library. Indeed, it functioned as the British Library for centuries before the library became a separate entity just a decade ago.
The first exhibition galleries and reading room for scholars opened on 15 January 1757. In 1772 the British Museum acquired its first antiquities of significance, a collection of Greek vases from Sir William Hamilton. The Thomason Library and David Garrick's Library were added to its collection. Visitors to the British Museum in the 18th century would not recognize it if they came today. That's because the British Museum has not yet acquired the monumental ancient relics that visitors see today.
The voyages of Captain James Cook yielded a whole batch of South Sea art objects for the British Museum collection. Unable to keep pace with the growth of its collection, by 1800, Montagu House was becoming very crowded and decrepit.
Another milestone was achieved at the beginning of the 19th century (1800-1825), when the antiquities of Greece, Rome and Egypt were added to the British Museum. The Rosetta Stone - key to deciphering hieroglyphs - was added in 1802. The Colossal bust of Ramesses II came in 1818, laying the foundation for the Egyptian Monumental Sculpture collection. The marble sculptures of the Parthenon, on the Acropolis in Athens, were moved to Britain in 1806, and in 1816 were acquired by The British Museum by Act of Parliament.
In 1802, a Buildings Committee was set up to plan for the expansion of the British Museum. The old Montagu House was demolished in 1823. In its place was a grand neoclassical building designed by Sir Robert Smirke. Part by part was completed, with the King's Library on the East Wind ready in 1827, but was only opened to the public in 1857. By then, the collection was growing faster than the building can be expanded. In 1852, the forecourt was opened, in accordance to Robert Smirke's 1923 design. Sydney Smirke's Round Reading Room, with space for one million books, was opened in 1857. Because the British Museum was still pressed for space, the natural history section was moved to a new building in South Kensington, and it became known later as the British Museum (Natural History), now the Natural History Museum. 1884 saw the completion of the White Wing, allowing space for more antiquities and ethnography.
The British Museum would once again outgrown its space by the last years of the 19th century. In 1895 the Board of Trustees purchased 69 houses surrounding the Museum, with the intention of demolishing them and building the West, North and East sections of the Museum. The first phase of construction of the north wing began in 1906.
In 1918, due to threat of wartime bombing from World War I, some of the objects were stored away at the Portal Tube Railway at Holborn, at the National Library of Wales, and at a country house near Malvern. Some of these objects were damaged in transition, necessitating the creation of a conservation laboratory to restore them. This took place in 1920, and became a permanent department in 1931.
In August 1939, with the Second World War looming, the most valuable and portable objects were evacuated. No wonder, for the museum was bombed in 1941. The years following was spent rebuilding the damaged building and returning the stored items.
The British Museum celebrated its bicentennial in 1953. In 1963 the Natural History Museum became a fully independent entity. The Coins and Medals collection, damaged during the war, reopened in 1959. Following that, the Parthenon Sculptures were back on display in 1962, with the restoration of the Duveen Gallery.
1972 saw 1,694,117 visitors coming to see the "Treasures of Tutankhamun", the most successful exhibition in the British Museum history. That same year saw another Act of Parliament separating the British Library's collection of manuscripts and printed books from the British Museum. The growing books collection required a new home, but that was not to happen until another 25 years have passed, when the British Library moves to its new home at St Pancras.
The departure of the British Library fees up the vacant space in the 19th century central quadrangle. It was redeveloped into the Queen Elizabeth II Great Court - the largest covered square in Europe, opened in 2000.
The British Museum was set up 250 years ago as an encyclopedia of nature and of art. Today, it no longer houses collections of natural history. Even the books and manuscripts that were its foundation collection now belongs to the independent British Library. Nevertheless the British Museum maintains its universality in its collection of artifacts representing the cultures of the world.
About the Author
Timothy Tye explores and documents the tourist attractions of the world in EarthDocumentary. Go to EarthDocumentary to learn about the tourist attractions of London.
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