Have you ever seen a jar of moles or a penis worm? What about some dodo bones, or the almost complete skeleton of a quagga? Well thanks to the Grant Museum I can tick those visions that have been missing from my life off the never ending list of bizarre and wonderful things to see at a museum.
Stonehenge is one of the most iconic manmade landmarks in Britain. Not only impressive in stature, but age as well. Continue reading “Stonehenge”
Covering 500,000 years of history in a small space is not an easy task, but unperturbed, that is what Salisbury Museum sets out to do; admittedly it focuses on some time periods more than others. But it does it well, incorporating archaeological finds of national importance alongside some truly local bizarre treasures . . . well at least one giant one anyway.
It’s 350 years since London was struck by an infamous disaster. A not so ‘great’ fire, burning over 4 days before being tamed, destroying a huge swathe of London in its wake. Starting on Sunday 2nd December, it went on until Wednesday 5th September. This excellent exhibition explores the fire, the aftermath and the rebuild of London, incorporating numerous different interactives alongside objects ranging from letters to an early fire fighting machine. Continue reading “Fire Fire, Museum of London”
Imagine being able to visit the birthplace of the modern public museum. Well you don’t really have to imagine it, because you can make that very pilgrimage with a trip to the Museum of the History of Science in Oxford. This is the oldest surviving purpose built public museum, which opened its doors to the public in 1683 displaying the collection of Elias Ashmole. Continue reading “Museum of the History of Science, Oxford”
[This blog was written in 2016 prior to the Hunterian Museum closing for 6 years while it was refurbished. The museum reopened to the public in May 2023. This blog therefore acts as a reference to the previous gallery space prior to its refurbishment. You can read about the reopened museum here]
Stepping into the glass case surrounded central alcove of the Hunterian Museum is spine tingling, and not just because you can actually see some articulated spines on display. Having heard that the museum will be closing for three years of redevelopment I felt the need for a pilgrimage. Continue reading “The Hunterian Museum, London”
In the past museum have been the beacon of ‘no touching’. If you consider MC Hammer harsh in his touching policy I don’t advise you to go to any traditional museums any time soon.
Continue reading “Oxford University Museum of Natural History”
There are a few museums that are just truly magical. Stepping through the stone ‘Pitt Rivers Museum’ archway from the brightly lit, open atrium of the Oxford Natural History Museum is like stepping into a very different world. The space is darker and noticeably cooler. A hush descends as you step in and I’m pretty sure it will catch most people’s breath, as its collection is certainly displayed in a manner that has probably not been seen in recent museum renovations.
Continue reading “Pitt Rivers Museum, Oxford”
In a grey concrete building on the University of Reading campus is a really colourful gem. The Cole Museum of Zoology. The collection demonstrates the diversity of the animal kingdom with some incredible specimens. Continue reading “The Cole Museum of Zoology, Reading”
This is a really short post for a little museum, only one room, but filled to the brim with Greek pottery and thoughtful displays. Established in 1922 by a husband and wife team who wanted to ‘give life and variety to the study of Greek history’, the objects must act as an incredible resource for students. Continue reading “Ure Museum of Greek Archaeology, Reading”
Museum Mutterings 