The British Museum

bee_girl

British Museum 28th August 2008

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This place is absolutely massive, so I always find it is best to pick a particular section in time/theme you're interested in and focus there. The Egyptians would be a good bet if you've got children with you especially! The museum is free to enter, they have permanent exhibitions and temporary ones. The architecture of the building is also amazing from the outside and inside! It has different wings and galleries, a real masterpiece! It’s a great place to kill a few hours, however many times you’ve been. It’s even open late on Thursdays and Fridays. I thoroughly recommend it

glenburg1

another great british work of art 24th August 2008

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We do make great museum and this is another great.
Just the building it self is a work of art.
Inside there is plenty to keep anyone intrested,
the best of the lot is the romans, just to see there gold/jewels and the work that went into them is amazing,you cant help but ask your self how they could have possibaly made such wonderfull works of art and how long they most have took, its simply amazing.
this muesum is full of wonderfull exclusive art and its a most if your a visitor or a local ,
take a few ours out of crazy busy london and just chill

kgc

24th August 2008

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Whilst the collections are very impressive, even if at times stolen (prime example being the Elgin Marbles) I found the staff were rude and very unhelpful towards me. The galleries are confusingly laid out and where there are descriptions of artefacts they are generally most unhelpful. My advice would be that this place is worth a visit but don’t donate any money towards them. The British Library are much better. I went with an archaeology student, who had studied some of the collections and even she found some their descriptions hard to find and was confused by the layout. Related galleries tend to be on different floors I found.

deadleg21

british museum 21st August 2008

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Firstly the building is simply stunning and I would suggest taking a minute out to just appreciate it and its architecture.
Once you have made it inside the exhibits are extremely varied and interesting and feature over 7 million articles! Obviously this cannot all be fitted into one day, and once you have been you will be itching to return. My personal favourite is the roman Britain located in room 49.
The British museum also hosts travelling exhibits, which aren’t free like the actual museum but are well worth it. They are currently running "Babylon" which I can highly recommend. It will be running till mid march 2009.

shelo9

6th May 2007

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I didn't enter through the main entrance (i was being stubborn i guess) but went through a side door and went into the islamic section which was full of beautiful pieces. Didn't find those marbles either but found the mummies in between all the little kiddies. It was mind boggling seeing them in the glass cases even for a girl my age! I walked around a few other rooms and found a room with sketches on london from the Elizabethan times which i loved.

There is a huge amount to see so pace yourself. Oh and remember that there are famous things about the British museum, before you enter so you dont miss them like i did!

Hugo

British Museum - possibly my favourite building in London 23rd April 2007

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The British Museum courtyard is one of the most stunning architectural settings in London and is possibly my favourite. The Richard Rogers glass domed roof combined with the classical courtyard is both dreamy and futuristic. This is a place I drag friends from out of town to as a top London site...

All the bits and bobs that the British have collected and pinched over the eons also make for a fascinating browse around. There are some stunning archeological pieces here and if you havn't seen them then you should.

I have a few Greek friends who berate me about the antics of Lord Elgin and Those Marbles...maybe best not to take them into that room. Personally I would give them back...what can I say?

sazzle

Tabu - the power of the divine 21st October 2006

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Sokratis says that The British Museum is a great place to think. In the vast illuminated space of the Great Court,I can see why the openess would invite a person to fill the space with their own thoughts and projections. Well, yes, and now step into the huge archaic reading room, or into the stylised manufactured exhibits and surely you'll find there is more in these rooms to fuel your imagination and stimulate the thinking process.
I kind of found this today as I visited 'Power and Taboo - Scared objects from the Pacific'. The exhibit pitches the cultural artefacts as a spiritual and exotic time set aside, 'before the European settlers had made much impact on the region' but is also quick to validate the contemporary interest in the culture by telling us that 'despite the destructive impact of colonialism, many traditional skills are remebered and practiced today.' It explains the complex origin of the word 'tabu' and explores the Polynesians relationships with the gods, spirituality and the divine present in objects, places and activities. There are some beautiful and strange objects to look at, some equally strange depictions of tattooed people, and even more surprisingly, some works of art by a western artist Hodges representing his view of the islands, which apparently changed how europeans looked at the world (hmmm). I was amazed by the feathered cloaks.
Towards the end of the exhibit we come to A'a, a very important object in the collection for Europeans and the Pacific islanders themselves. In fact, the blurb explains that several islanders have made the journey to the museum to pay homage to the A'a in recent years. Woooooohoa there! They came to London to see one of the most important pieces of their culture? What sort of craziness is that? And why does the exhibit finish with a poem giving voice to the artefacts themselves lamenting their misplacement in the 'cold' museum. What sort of stories are we being told in this exhibit? And what thoughts are we being prompted to produce?
I think the British Museum has some amazing collections in a beautiful building and it's important that we go to see these things and learn about 'other cultures' but we have to be aware when we do that some of the thoughts we're thinking are directed by the curators and the stories they want us to hear. Even that great court, that apparently vacuous space that allows us to release our thoughts, is full of meaning already. Hope I haven't spoiled the museum for anyone by this rant. Hopefully I've just added a layer to the hundreds of things you'll have to think about after a few hours spent there.

sokratis

Great place to think 13th October 2006

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You know when you need a bit of time to think and bit of space to let your brain roam freely around without being distracted too much or constrained by your surroundings? The atrium at the British Museum is perfect for that. The tessellated glass ceiling designed by Norman Foster creates this incredible uplifting feel and sense of space. If you're looking for some creative inspiration this one is one of the best spots in London. Try to go there early or late to avoid all the tourists and kids running around – it can be difficult as this is one the most popular tourist attractions.

Ah, you can also look at some old mummies and stolen Greek marbles if you feel like it and of course buy something to remember the whole thing.

Opening times:
Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday 09.00–18.00
Thursday, Friday, Saturday 09.00–23.00

robcarter at 11/01/07

Hey - Calm down. It's been 150 years... And we broke them in the 1930's anyway. You wouldn't want them. We'll make you some new ones.

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