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| Clink Prison Museum |
Cinema Museum
FREE
The
Cinema Museum celebrates the art and architecture of the cinema
theatre. The museum’s building is to be sold – it’s under threat – but
the posters, projectors, signs and usherettes’ uniforms can still be
seen by appointment.
The Cinema Museum, The Master’s House, Old Lambeth Workhouse, 2 Dugard Way, SE11 4TH (www.cinemamuseum.org.uk). Kennington tube.
Clink Prison Museum
On
the site of the notorious prison, this museum relays the history of
Southwark as well as hosting some deeply unpleasant-looking torture
devices.
Clink Prison Museum, 1 Clink St, SE1 9DG (www.clink.co.uk). London Bridge tube/rail.
Feature continues
Crystal Palace Museum
FREE
Tiny local museum dedicated to the memory of the Crystal Palace exhibition centre.
Crystal Palace Museum, Anerley Hill, SE19 2BA (www.crystalpalacemuseum.org.uk). Crystal Palace rail.
Cuming Museum
FREE
Some 25,000 exhibits accumulated by two generations of the Cuming family in the 1800s, including objects from Ancient Egypt.
Cuming Museum, 151 Walworth Rd, SE17 1RY (www.southwark.gov.uk). Elephant and Castle tube/rail.
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| Design Musem |
Design Museum
Opened in 1989, this riverside museum by Tower Bridge encompasses
modern and contemporary industrial and fashion design, graphics,
architecture and multimedia.
Design Museum, 28 Shad
Thames, London SE1 (0870 909 9009/ www.designmuseum.org). London
Bridge/Tower Gateway tube/rail.
Dr Johnson’s House
Although
the museum takes up all four floors of the house in which Johnson wrote
his 'Dictionary', it’s the atmosphere that intrigues here – and the
exhibits largely consist of old furniture, portraits of Johnson and
Boswell, and the occasional case of ephemera (letters, spectacles etc).
There’s also a short, hammy biographical video on the second floor.
Kids can dress up from a selection of Georgian costumes on the top
floor.
Best exhibit A rather random brick from the Great Wall of China on the landing.
Dr Johnson’s House, 17 Gough Square, EC4 (7353 3745/www.drjh.dircon.co.uk). Chancery Lane tube.
The Fan Museum
The
world’s only museum dedicated to fans. It’s a tiny space consisting of
two rooms with an overall collection of 3,500 antique fans, some of
which date as far back as the eleventh century.
Best exhibit If you’re not a fan fan, head for the Orangery where teas are served at 3pm on Tuesdays and Sundays.
The Fan Museum, 12 Crooms Hill, SE10 (8305 1441/www.fan-museum.org). Greenwich rail/DLR or Cutty Sark DLR.
Fashion and Textile Museum
Founded by Zandra Rhodes, Bermondsey's very own celebration of the London (and international) rag trade.
Fashion and Textile Museum, 83 Bermondsey Street, SE1 3XF (7407 8664/www.ftmlondon.org). London Bridge tube/rail.
Fishmongers’ Hall
Most
City livery companies are open to the public, though you often have to
book in advance and as a group. This one displays the dagger used by
the Mayor of London to kill Wat Tyler in 1381.
Fishmongers’ Hall, London Bridge, EC4R 9EL. London Bridge tube/rail.
Florence Nightingale Museum
An
advocate of free healthcare, Florence Nightingale raised nursing to a
professional level for women and started her own training school for
nurses at St Thomas’. Appalled by the conditions the wounded
experienced in the Crimean War, she helped to develop new hospitals in
the Victorian era, for which she was the first woman to receive the
Order of Merit in 1907. Her possessions, letters and portraits are on
display here.
Best exhibit To bring Florence’s legacy up to date, there are talks from St Thomas’ current nurses.
Florence Nightingale Museum, St
Thomas’ Hospital, 2 Lambeth Palace Rd, SE1 (7620
0374/www.florence-nightingale.co.uk). Waterloo tube/rail.
30 comments
Edgar West - It's not about 'vapid contemporary apology', it's about exhibiting objects with a better understanding of their significance. This is obviously more the case with anthropological objects than with anything involving natural history - the Victorians did a good job of physically acquiring objects but there was little if any genuine concern about their function or contemporary significance - it really was literally a 'treasure hunt'. With the prevalence of the internet being 'culturally poor' is becoming less and less of an issue (and in fact saying so is inaccurate - virtually all of the objects collected during the era of Empire are not 'British' at all, so it's not British culture that's being impovershed) , alterations in museums nowadays are made to convey that artifacts did - and still do - hold deep cultural importance as well as being beautiful, and this normally results in a need for compromise in display methods. Objects from natives here on the Northwest Coast are a great example of this - many of the masks they're world-famous for are in fact not meant to be seen unless being used for a dance, much less displayed openly behind glass. Hence you develop communication with the cultural owners of objects and as such alter display methods to enrich the functions of objects - instead of being permanently behind glass, natives might occasionally visit a museum and use those masks in ceremonial dances, for example.
It can get very complicated, but the short of it is that those changes you witness are genuinely meant to enrich the functions of museum collections rather than 'sterilize' them as might be interpreted. In the simplest terms, we simply know more now than they did then. In any case, there are certainly many places that continue to pay homage to British Victorian eccentricity (in many ways a museum-worthy subject of preservation in its own right), most notably the Sloane Museum.
I don't aim to berate you or anything like that, only to educate. I've been studying this kind of stuff a lot :)
The Wallace Collection is a great art museum that is free and near bond st tube.
The Huntarian and Soane's museums are pretty much opposite each other, and a 20-25 min walk from the British Museum. They make a great combination as they are both really unusual but in totally different ways! Around Lincoln's Inn are lots of historic buildings (the Inns of Court and so on) plus the fields themselves are a pleasant place to eat lunch and have a fairly upmarket cafe/restaurant.
They make a good combination for a day out in London and are themselves very close to Covent Garden for lunch/dinner.
They are my favourite London museums!
I agree with Erik. The Museum of Brands and Packaging is well worth a visit. It is a view of social history over the past 100 years or so by reference to everyday items such as food packaging, advertising styles etc. Educational and nostalgic. www.museumofbrands.com
Horniman Museum
Again took my niece there last summer and it was another museum she enjoyed, it has various exhibits, it also has lovely grounds to walk thru on a good day.. Has a basement fukllof aquariums, this museum is ideal for children as well as adult minds
the museum of brands and packaging is really cool and should be on this list. it's near notting hill tube and showcases food packaging from the turn of the century to present day.
has anyone been to the Horniman Museum ?
am intrigued to go today but don't want to be dissapointed...
I visited the Tea and Coffee Museum about a year ago and was seriously disappointed - too many exhibits (i.e. cramped), appalling lighting etc. I could have made a better job of it myself. I´m so glad they are refurbishing - the newly opened Museum can only be an improvement.
Unlike some of the rather well-known, much-visited museums included in this feature, a genuinely ‘unsung’ museum is the British Optical Association Museum at the College of Optometrists, a delightful Georgian building in Craven Street. Not only are its collections of vision aids, optician’s equipment and all things eye-related of international significance but because its displays are produced entirely in-house they avoid that ‘over-designed’ look that characterises and spoils so many wealthier museums these days. You won’t find a sign on the door and you must book in advance but if you pluck up the courage you’ll not only get a personal guided tour from a genuine expert (tailored to whatever time you have available) but you’ll thoroughly enjoy seeing some wonderful things, both serious and quirky…and all just a stone’s throw from Trafalgar Square. In fact, if you discount art galleries it’s the most centrally located museum in the entire capital and I bet most people don’t know it’s there!
V&A Museum of Childhood
I took my 2yr old niece here last summer and she loved it, its is very accessible and not to huge that a smaller child would lose interest. I would reccommend it
Can anyone give anymore information about the viv stanshall museum, i would love to go there and can't find any info about it?
I too have two more recommendations for those with inquisitive minds (seems like most Londoners do from these posts!). The Freud museum is a treat in Swiss Cottage/Finchley http://www.freud.org.uk/ and the Sir John Soan's museum in Holborn in well worth a visit (and it's free) http://www.soane.org/. Liking all the other recommendations - is there ever an end to the things you can do in London!
the petrie museum is a must if you love anything to do with egypt
The Viv Stanshall museum is fun up there in Finchley
What a brilliant list for people visiting London, my son and I and a friend are coming to London for a short break in February and this is so informative thanks.