London boasts a plethora of remarkable museums, each with unique treasures and stories. Among these cultural gems, the British Museum stands out as a testament to human history, art, and culture. Having visited many museums in London, I find myself consistently drawn back to the British Museum again and again.
The British Museum, located in Holborn, just off the famous Bloomsbury Square in London, is full of memories for me of previous visits and, equally, it is a place of collective, global memory on an enormous scale. Combining the rich heritage of the British Museum itself, established as far back as 1753, it also plays a role in revealing a great tapestry of ancient cultures that are displayed within its walls.
The British Museum holds the title of the first public national museum to cover all fields of knowledge and contains a vast collection of eight million works! It is the largest collection in the world and includes the controversial Greek Elgin Marbles and the Egyptian Rosetta Stone.
Apparently in 2022, the British Museum experienced a significant increase in visitors; in total, attracting around four million in that year. A figure that makes it the third most-visited art museum globally. Putting its incredible artifacts aside for a moment, the historic architecture of the building alone is enough to keep me captivated.
In particular I am always keen to enter the courtyard, known as the Great Court that encircles the Reading Room, in order to gaze at the extraordinary fried egg, glass roof ceiling. Its dazzling brilliance, coupled with the white stone porticos, creates a visually stunning space that makes me want to look up and endlessly marvel at its thousands of unique panes of glass.
It is in fact the largest covered public square in Europe, and within this space there are sculptures from an impressive range of cultures that include, one from fifth-century Ireland, late Ming Dynasty China, ancient Nimrud (now in Iraq), and the Greek and Roman empires. In the centre of all this stands the circular Reading Room; world-famous in its own right as a former exalted centre of learning.
In terms of the British Museum’s history, the Great Court’s new ceiling (pictured at top) is actually relatively recent, and was only unveiled in December 2000. I remember reading about it in one of the Sunday papers and eagerly wanting to visit and see it for myself. Not only was I not disappointed, I remember telling my boyfriend’s Grandfather about it. His Grandfather happened to be a well known artist and sculptor and if I’m honest I was more than a little in awe of him. We both were. I had just finished telling him about what I had thought about seeing this marvellous sight, when he left the room. For a moment I didn’t know what to think, but then he came back with a sketch book and showed me his visit to the museum. He had sat in the Great Court and drawn sketches of the people that he had seen there, doing exactly what I had done, looking up.
As yet, on this private tour of the museum, we haven’t even ventured into any of the galleries, so I think it’s time for me to introduce you to my favourite one, the Enlightenment gallery. Housed in the oldest part of the building, it was originally designed for King George III's Library, and it is vast in scale. Filled with display cabinets of artifacts from the 18th century and bookcases that rise to the ceiling there is so much to take in. It’s a permanent exhibition and fascinating to me because it feels like it connects me to a time in history that I’m particularly interested in.
I’m moving on quite swiftly now, discarding thoughts and memories as they emerge so that I can take you to one more section of the museum that I love, and that is the Egyptian Sculpture gallery. With the poem ‘Ozymandias’ by Shelley, in my head, it’s incredible to contemplate the rise and fall of civilisations as you walk through this gallery. The length of time of the Egyptian civilisation, its impressive monuments, vast statues and intricate carvings now all that remains of this vanished civilisation. Meanwhile, I find myself debating the issue of ownership, the rightful location of these artifacts, whether that be Egypt or London. It’s a complex issue, and one that involves many points of view; such as the balance between cultural preservation and accessibility. I certainly don’t have the answer.
What is true though, is that the British Museum charges no admission fee, allowing free access to all those seeking cultural enrichment.
Currently, tickets are available for two temporary exhibitions; "Burma to Myanmar" and "Legion: Life in the Roman Army," to provide even more reasons to keep returning.
What the British Museum means to me, is an institution that sparks curiosity in human nature; in the magnificence of human endeavour to express itself, to witness itself and to be witnessed. Whether you are drawn to the Enlightenment gallery, the Egyptian Sculpture gallery, or the overarching architectural marvels, the British Museum is most certainly spectacular.
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Sarah Agnew is a heritage photographer at sarahagnew.co.uk and blogger on modernbricabrac.com. Find her on Facebook at @sarahagnewphotos.