Uncover the Past (Museum of London)

Member Name: weebagpuss

Product:	Museum of London
Date:	24/05/01 (39 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: excellent presentation, lots of information, some recreations of various periods

Disadvantages: makes your feet ache!

This museum is arguably the best there is for anyone wishing to find out about London's past. Whilst I am primarily a sixteenth century historian, I really enjoy discovering the history of our capital city. London today is a vibrant, exciting and fascinating city - its history is even more so. Luckily, when you buy a ticket for the Museum of London, it is valid for a whole year, otherwise it would be difficult to really see and appreciate all it has to offer in just one visit. I bought a student ticket which was only £3 - absolutely excellent value, especially if compared to the other London museums. The nearest tube stops to here are Barbican or St Pauls, so it is easily accessible.

The museum traces the history of London right back from its origins, through Roman, Saxon, Tudor, Restoration, Georgian, Victorian periods, covering both world wars, right up until the present day. There is a vast amount of information on each period, and in my opinion it would not be the best thing to take small children to because of this. I first visited when I was 9, and I would think this is probably about the earliest age to take a child. There are quizzes available too for children to complete which helps to ensure that they get as much out of it as the adults. There is a lot of walking however, and by the end of the day, your feet will really ache, though you will certainly have learnt a lot.

The museum is extremely well presented, and contains a mixture of historical artefacts, particularly from the earlier, more archaeological periods, which are displayed to show them in their best light. There are well-illustrated and readable information boards, and also replicas. The Tudor period, of special interest to me, is particularly well displayed here, with historical artefacts and maps. I really enjoy poring over old maps of the city to see how it has changed over the years. Old palaces which no longer exist are shown, and as with all periods, in the Tudo
r area of the museum there is information on the social and religious aspects (such as the Reformation and dissolution of the monasteries), and craftwork of the period. Trade especially is well covered.

Also of interest is the collection of 18th/19th century shops here which you can look in. It is exhibitions like this which really help to recreate the period you are studying or interested in, as it makes it much easier to imagine what it was like there. It also makes a change from looking at objects in glass cases, as in these shops, real objects are shown in replica surroundings.

A recent addition to the museum is the recreation of a Roman street, based on archaeological excavations the museum has carried out in the city of London. You can walk down this street, imagining what it was really like, going into homes and shops. This also helps to make archaeology a lot more accessible to the general public. Programmes such as Time Team have undoubtedly awakened many people's interest in archaeology, and if you are one of these people, then I highly recommend this aspect of the museum.

In addition to this, there are also changing exhibitions. One in particular which appealed to me was the history of King Alfred the Great, as I had been studying this during my second year at university. Changing exhibitions are brilliant as they encourage previous visitors to return, as you know there will always be something different to see when you re-visit. Other exhibitions have included fashion and food.

So to sum up, a very very interesting and educational museum, based originally on the traditional style of museums, with objects in cases, but expanded to include many recreations of historical periods, such as the Roman Street and the Victorian shops. The level of information is high, and the quality of presentation is excellent. Yet there is a lot to take in in just one visit, so I would recommend you try to make a couple of trips here
- makes your ticket even more good value!! A fully comprehensive coverage of London's history.

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