The British Museum is the central historical and archaeological museum of Great Britain and one of the largest museums in the world. It was founded in 1753 with the permission of the British Parliament. Its exposition occupies 94 galleries, the total length of which is 4 km. The basis includes collections of three famous people - Earl Robert Harley, doctor Hans Sloan and antiquary Robert Cotton. From the latter, the museum received a huge collection of books, which marked the beginning of the creation of the British Library.
The British Museum is a colonial history of the British Empire. On an excursion, for example, in the Cairo Museum, you will certainly be told what kind of relics they lack, because they are exhibited in London. What can we say about the Greeks, who are still carrying projects to restore the former greatness of the Athenian acropolis.
At first, the museum was located in the aristocratic mansion Montague House in the area of London called Bloomsberry. In 1759, it was open to visitors, and the collection was gradually replenished with new exhibits. Antique vases by William Hamilton, a collection of Grevil minerals, Townley marbles, and priceless masterpieces from the Athenian Parthenon, bought from Lord Elgin, were purchased. But not all the exhibits got to the museum in this way - some got into the country "from the back door". For example, Egypt and Greece are still demanding the return of some illegally exported ancient monuments.
A particularly turbulent period of development of the British Museum came in the 19th century, during this period it became necessary to divide the collection into departments. In the period from 1823 to 1847, Montague House was demolished, and in its place a modern museum building, designed by Robert Smyork in the classical style, was erected. On the first floor, right in the center, there was once an open courtyard, which received a lattice glass dome in our century. Now the museum will be recognized precisely by this “roof”: there are many massive buildings with columns in the world, and the light dome above the powerful stone walls has become another visiting card of London. Construction work was completed in 2000 by British architect Sir Norman Foster.
At the beginning of the 20th century, the museum increased the number of works of art in the Middle East thanks to the results of archaeological excavations in Mesopotamia.
A particularly turbulent period of development of the British Museum came in the 19th century, during this period it became necessary to divide the collection into departments. In the period from 1823 to 1847, Montague House was demolished, and in its place a modern museum building, designed by Robert Smyork in the classical style, was erected. On the first floor, right in the center, there was once an open courtyard, which received a lattice glass dome in our century. Now the museum will be recognized precisely by this “roof”: there are many massive buildings with columns in the world, and the light dome above the powerful stone walls has become another visiting card of London. Construction work was completed in 2000 by British architect Sir Norman Foster.
At the beginning of the 20th century, the museum increased the number of works of art in the Middle East thanks to the results of archaeological excavations in Mesopotamia.
Special features
The British Museum regularly hosts themed tours, starting at the Paul Hemlin Library. Every Sunday, there are meetings of the Young Friends of the British Museum Children's Club, whose members have free access to additional exhibits and places rarely visited by tourists. The “Nights in the Museum” has been very popular lately: children are in the museum 4 times a year, listening to interesting stories and playing games. Each night has a specific theme dedicated to one or another world culture, for example, “Japanese Night” or “Egyptian Night”. By the way, the Egyptian collection occupies the largest gallery with a length of 92 meters and several other small halls.
One of the largest in the world is the collection of Egyptian exhibits of the British Museum, including the sculpture of Pharaoh Ramses II, the granite head of Tutmes III, sculptures of gods and stone sarcophagi, as well as the most valuable copies of the Book of the Dead, decorated with drawings, miniatures and headpieces.
From the moment of the opening of the museum in 1759, several key divisions have “splintered” from it. Thus, the mineralogical, zoological, botanical and geological in the middle of the 19th century laid the foundation for another museum - the Museum of Natural History , one of the most visited in modern London. And the priceless library of the British Museum (ancient manuscripts and the first printed books) was combined with several more collections. So in 1973 the British Library was born, the funds of which are divided into several buildings at different addresses.
British Museum Expositions
Although the ancient Egyptian and Greco-Roman parts of the exposition are the most popular, the museum presents a unique section of culture from different parts of the Earth: India and China, Africa, Oceania, South America. This is the story of Britain itself - from the Roman period to the Middle Ages and beyond. Of no less interest is the numismatic collection (coins) from around the world, there is a separate collection of watches. The painting is exhibited, perhaps not so widely, but impressively: these are engravings of the Renaissance (Michelangelo, Raphael, da Vinci, Durer), works by Rembrandt and English artists. Let's run through the most important collections.
The collection of Egyptian exhibits of the British Museum is considered one of the largest in the world. The period from 3 millennium BC is especially widely represented. er 7th century AD er Among the exhibits are the sculpture of Pharaoh Ramses II, the granite head of Tutmes III, sculptures of gods and stone sarcophagi. Also in the Egyptian section is stored about 800 papyri with literary works, myths, religious hymns, records of historical events and other documents. In addition, the museum collection contains the most valuable copies of The Book of the Dead, decorated with drawings, miniatures and headbands.
The Greco-Roman collection occupies 12 rooms. It includes Phigalion Marbles (works of art from the temple of Apollo in Figalia), Elgin Marbles (exported from Greece by Lord Elgin), Lycian sculptures, remains of the famous temple of Diana in Ephesus, as well as luxury items from the times of the Roman emperors. In 1872, the Castellani Collection was acquired, making this museum the largest of its kind.
The Antiquities Department of the Front Asia of the British Museum contains collections of cylindrical seals of William Hamilton and C. Townley, collections of researchers of Persian and Mesopotamian monuments R. Kerr Porter and C. J. Rich. A lot of exhibits with famous Assyrian reliefs came from the excavations of the ancient capital of Assyria - Nineveh, also in the department presents antiquities of the Eastern Mediterranean and Hittite monuments.
The Department of Art of Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome has a magnificent collection of ancient sculpture (including several dozens of plates and 12 figures from the pediments of the ancient Parthenon, exported to England in the 19th century by British Ambassador Thomas Bruce — illegally), items of the Bronze Age from Egeida (2-3 thousand BC. E.) And numerous works of Roman art from Pompeii and Herculaneum.
The Department of the East is a collection of sculptures, ceramics, prints and paintings of the Far East, South and Southeast Asia. Here are collected Indian statues of Buddha from bronze, ancient Chinese ritual vessels, bronze ware, monuments of hieroglyphic writing of 2 millennium BC. er and many other treasures of the ancient East.
The department of prehistoric antiquities and monuments of Roman Britain contains monuments of the material culture of the people from the Celtic tribes, as well as monuments of medieval church art: details of temple decorations, utensils, jewelry.
The collection of Egyptian exhibits of the British Museum is considered one of the largest in the world. The period from 3 millennium BC is especially widely represented. er 7th century AD er Among the exhibits are the sculpture of Pharaoh Ramses II, the granite head of Tutmes III, sculptures of gods and stone sarcophagi. Also in the Egyptian section is stored about 800 papyri with literary works, myths, religious hymns, records of historical events and other documents. In addition, the museum collection contains the most valuable copies of The Book of the Dead, decorated with drawings, miniatures and headbands.
The Greco-Roman collection occupies 12 rooms. It includes Phigalion Marbles (works of art from the temple of Apollo in Figalia), Elgin Marbles (exported from Greece by Lord Elgin), Lycian sculptures, remains of the famous temple of Diana in Ephesus, as well as luxury items from the times of the Roman emperors. In 1872, the Castellani Collection was acquired, making this museum the largest of its kind.
The Antiquities Department of the Front Asia of the British Museum contains collections of cylindrical seals of William Hamilton and C. Townley, collections of researchers of Persian and Mesopotamian monuments R. Kerr Porter and C. J. Rich. A lot of exhibits with famous Assyrian reliefs came from the excavations of the ancient capital of Assyria - Nineveh, also in the department presents antiquities of the Eastern Mediterranean and Hittite monuments.
The Department of Art of Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome has a magnificent collection of ancient sculpture (including several dozens of plates and 12 figures from the pediments of the ancient Parthenon, exported to England in the 19th century by British Ambassador Thomas Bruce — illegally), items of the Bronze Age from Egeida (2-3 thousand BC. E.) And numerous works of Roman art from Pompeii and Herculaneum.
The Department of the East is a collection of sculptures, ceramics, prints and paintings of the Far East, South and Southeast Asia. Here are collected Indian statues of Buddha from bronze, ancient Chinese ritual vessels, bronze ware, monuments of hieroglyphic writing of 2 millennium BC. er and many other treasures of the ancient East.
The department of prehistoric antiquities and monuments of Roman Britain contains monuments of the material culture of the people from the Celtic tribes, as well as monuments of medieval church art: details of temple decorations, utensils, jewelry.
The exposition of the department of monuments of the Middle Ages and New Age has a lot of religious items, silverware, medieval weapons and knightly armor, church utensils, collections of ceramics and glass of 18-19 centuries and the world's largest collection of watches.
The Department of Monuments of the Middle Ages and the New Time contains the collections of works of decorative and applied art, starting from early Christianity - up to the 19th century. The exposition contains many religious items, silver items (including dishes, jewelry, horse harness), medieval weapons and knight armor, church utensils, collections of ceramics and glass of the 18th and 19th centuries. and the world's largest collection of watches.
Other, less extensive sections of the British Museum should not be deprived of attention:
Other, less extensive sections of the British Museum should not be deprived of attention:
- The department of coins and medals, represented by a collection of numismatics from the first coins of the 7th century. BC e., coins of precious metals to modern designs, plus a collection of medals from the very first (Byzantine) times to those devoted to the most important historical events of Great Britain. The number of coins and medals in the collection exceeds 200 thousand copies.
- A collection of engravings and drawings, the largest and artistic value standing in the same row with the collections of the Louvre: here are collected paintings by Michelangelo, Durer, Botticelli, Verrocchio, Raphael, van Dyck, Rubens, Gainsboro, Rembrandt, Van Gogh and many others.
- The department of ethnography with a collection of household items and culture of the tribes and peoples of Africa, Australia, Asia, Oceania and America, since the opening of the land by Captain Cook, Columbus and other famous navigators.
How to get there
Address: WC1B 3DG, London, Great Russell Street. You can get to the place by metro (station Tottenham Court Road, Russell Square, Holborn), on one of the many buses or by taxi. Travel by metro will cost 2.40 GBP on a smart card and about 4.90 GBP in cash, on the bus - 1.50 GBP on a smart card depending on the time of day and 5 GBP in cash. By taxi - from 5.60 GBP per mile.
Opening hours: daily: 10:00 - 17:30, Thursdays and Fridays, some departments work until 20:30.
Opening hours: daily: 10:00 - 17:30, Thursdays and Fridays, some departments work until 20:30.