Museums can be fun
Taking a running leap into 2026 with a bold statement that some people will disagree with – Museums can be fun. Admittedly, you are unlikely to be reading a blog on museums if you think they are inherently boring. Yes, there are serious topics that museums often have to introduce and admittedly sometimes curators hands an tied in they way that they carry out interpretation. … Continue reading Museums can be fun
The Elephant in the Room: the roots and routes of the city’s collection, Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery
I wasn’t expecting the Elephant in the Room. I was on a weekend trip to Birmingham and it seemed rude not to pop in to Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery when I was so close. I did not think I would feel the need to write something, and include images for future me to have reference to, but then I came across an elephant. For … Continue reading The Elephant in the Room: the roots and routes of the city’s collection, Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery
V&A East Storehouse, London
Arguably one of the joys of working in museums is seeing behind the scenes. The V&A East gives an opportunity to see a beautifully curated store. Spoiler – museum stores are rarely beautifully curated. The space is cleverly designed, allowing the eye to bounce from object to object and you to move to whatever catches your attention. It has sections of glass floor that allows … Continue reading V&A East Storehouse, London
Burke Museum, Seattle, USA
Let’s face it, by this point I’ve been to a lot of museums. It does get harder to write about new and innovative things that I have seen. Which is why I was really impressed by the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture in Seattle. A not-so-secret bit of Seattle knowledge is that on the first Thursday of the month there are quite a … Continue reading Burke Museum, Seattle, USA
Museum of Anthropology, Vancouver, Canada
There are a few museums that have been on my list to visit for a long time. These tend to be museums that were discussed as case studies in lectures (as a Museum studies student over 10 years ago). They were discussed as being examples of best practice, or having innovative ideas or progressive public engagement programs. Vancouver Museum of Anthropology was one of these … Continue reading Museum of Anthropology, Vancouver, Canada
Museum of Homelessness, London
Did you know that earlier this year (2024) the office of national statistics planned to stop reporting the deaths of homeless people? I didn’t, and I find both that fact that this was proposed and the fact I did not hear about it pretty horrifying. It feels like a decision that was being made in order to pretend that homelessness is not a problem; if … Continue reading Museum of Homelessness, London
Sargent and Fashion, Tate Britain, London
Turn’s out it is difficult to juggle studying and keeping up with visiting exhibitions – who could have guessed! Sargent and Fashion, on at Tate Britain, has been on my list since it was advertised, regardless of its poor opening review from the Guardian, who summarised it, “tragicomic travesty is a frock horror”. They are wrong. It is not a “horrible exhibition”. The mistake made … Continue reading Sargent and Fashion, Tate Britain, London
Naples: a museum lover’s guide
Anywhere that is classed as the birthplace of the Margarita pizza would rank high in my estimations. Naples is a riot of colour and bustle. It’s a dreamy spot for museum lovers, especially the archaeologists. It’s the perfect place to stay to access the world renown sites of Pompeii and Herculaneum, known for being fatefully destroyed during an eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 CE … Continue reading Naples: a museum lover’s guide
Fashion City: How Jewish Londoners shaped global style, Museum of London Docklands
I’ve been lucky enough to have worked with the Museum of London’s dress and textile collection in a role where I assisted with the audit of the collection. At the time I remember being incredible impressed with the collection and thinking that they should try to get more of it on display, especially since there were so many examples with documentation that told personal stories … Continue reading Fashion City: How Jewish Londoners shaped global style, Museum of London Docklands
Blists Hill Victorian Town, Ironbridge
Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust has been on my radar since I did my Museum Studies Masters and learnt about Living History Museums. So when I was in the area and had time to visit one of their sites it had to be Blists Hill Victorian Town. Now I’m from the north, so I have been pretty spoilt with my experience of living history museums having … Continue reading Blists Hill Victorian Town, Ironbridge
Museum Mutterings 