“Culture is good for the soul – even better if it’s free!”, House 21

After seeing so many great blogs being written and shared by people I follow on my Museum Musings Instagram, I decided to write my own post for House 21. The organisation is a female-led initiative, created to bring women together through blogging and brunching – what could be better?! Blog themes include News & Opinions, Health, Style and Culture. Of course, I decided to contribute to the Culture strand and write about Museums.

In my post – “Culture is good for the soul – even better if it’s free!” – I have compiled a list of my favourite free entry museums in London seeing as sites in the UK are starting to reopen this month. As a sector worker, I totally understand the different reasons why many museums have to charge for admission but when you add the cost of travel, food and gift shop treats (if you’re lucky) onto your London day out, you can end up spending a small fortune and I don’t think that accessing culture should be super expensive. Being able to visit museums and cultural organisations for free, especially the more famous ones, is crucial as it enables better accessibility and inclusivity.

If you want to visit any of the special exhibitions at larger sites such as The British Museum or Tate, you’re looking at spending at least £15 for a ticket (which I think is absolutely extortionate) so it’s always good to know which organisations have permenant galleries that you can explore for free and still have a great experience. Hopefully the post will help others to explore some free culture safely when museums have reopened in the city.

Happy Museum Musings,

Em xo

Lost Creatures 📍Queensland Museum, Brisbane 🇦🇺

Welcome to the second mini-blog entry where I provide a short intro into the galleries and exhibitions I visited at Queensland Museum. After exporing the The Anzac Gallery, I visited ‘Lost Creatures’; a fantastic exhibition showcasing some of the state’s long-lost inhabitants, featuring dinosaurs and megafauna, fossils and giant marine reptiles.

The show exhibits some of the most significant fossil finds held in the museums collections including a huge marine reptile fossil which you can touch! As well as a full size reconstruction of a Rhoetosaurus leg (which stands at over 2 metres tall), fossils showcasing the size difference of Giant Wombats from the past vs Wombats today and bones sourced from three of the largest lizards to have ever lived!

My favourite section represented the Lark Quarry trackways – the world’s only known dinosaur stampede site. Queensland Museum Palaeontologist Dr Scott Hocknull researched dinosaur behaviours to recreate the fossilised footprints found at the Quarry. Many scientists and historians argue that the site is proof of a predator attack which caused an ambushed stampede of around 150 two-legged dinosaurs. Others believe it may have been a natural river crossing for those prehistorical reptiles that lived in Queensland millions of years ago. Palaeontologists from the Queensland Museum and the University of Queensland excavated Lark Quarry during 1976–77. Over 60 tonnes of rock was removed; uncovering around 210 square metres of around 3300 fossilised dinosaur footprints. The Dinosaur Stampede National Monument was added to the Australian National Heritage List in 2004. 

The exhibition also highlights issues such as climate change, conservation and environmental challenges facing the natural world. I am glad museums are using their spaces to address contemporary issues that have such prevalance in the current sociopolitical climate. Museums are not neutral and I believe that we have a duty to use  our spaces to have important conversations, tackle injustices and give visitors a space to think about, form and voice their opinions on a range of topical subjects.

Happy Museum Musings!

Em xo

Queensland Museum📍Brisbane 🇦🇺

Hi all,

I’m back to writing about the museums I visited in Australia, having revisited Wonderful Things last month, and next up is the Queensland Museum in Brisbane. Located in the vibrant cultural precinct of the city, The Museum sits alongside the Queensland Art Gallery, Gallery of Modern Art, Queensland Performing Arts Centre and the State Library of Queensland. Like many large organisations in the UK, the Museum is free to enter but special exhibitions and events are charged. I decided to visit the free galleries and exhibitions seeing as the current paid exhibit is all about spiders and I can’t think of anything worse!

The first gallery I visited was the Anzac Legacy gallery. Although I had heard of Anzac day; the national day of remembrance held on the 25th April in Australia and New Zealand, I had little knowledge about the events around the commemorations. The gallery is a great introduction to the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) who served in the Gallipoli Campaign and what life was like in Queensland during the First World War. Objects, photographs and stories showcase the lives of those on the front line and home front between 1914 – 1918. There were a couple of cases dedicated to local women and their roles during War which was a welcome change to narratives about war which often just focus on men’s role.

Next up, Lost Creatures introduces visitors to some of Queensland’s long lost inhabitants including dinosaurs which have been reconstructed using 3D technology, huge fossilised marine reptiles and megafauna such as Phascolonus which were giant prehistoric wombats! The collection highlights species that inhabited the state millions of years ago and looks at the challenges they faced that lead to their extinction in an attempt to change how people view the actions in the world around us today.

Antiquities Revealed, another special exhibition, showcased beautiful, intricate pieces from the Museums collections from Ancient Greek, Roman and Egyptian civilisations. Objects included ceramic bowls, glass bottles, gold jewellery, stone relief fragments, bronze spearheads and anthropologypomorphic figurines. The choice of objects demonstrated how creativity, innovation and technology have impacted daily life for centuries aorund the world, depsite not having the same materials at hand.

Finally, Wild State, my personal favourite gallery exhibits the Museum’s fantastic collection of natural history specimens. The state of Queensland has more animal species than anywhere else in Australia and is one of the most biologically diverse places on Planet Earth. The gallery showcases scenery of 5 distinctive state environments and typical Australian specimens such as dingoes, kangaroos, koala, tropical birds, venomous snakes, possums and my personal favourites, echidna. Alongside the specimens, the Museum looks at how we, as humans, can look after the natural world around us by preserving & protecting the environments we live in.

I will write up short posts in the coming weeks about each exhibition, the gallery highlights and will continue posting retrospectively on my museum instagram – museum.musings.

Happy Museum Musings!

Em

Gympie Gold Mining and Historical Museum📍Gympie, Australia

Hi all, happy Musuem Musings Monday!

After spending the first few days of my trip to Australia in the sweet town of Noosa Heads, I headed to Gympie on my way to Hervey Bay. Now, Gympie (whose name derives from the Gubbi Gubbi word gimpi-gimpi, which means “stinging tree”) is known by Australians as a bit of a dump and upon mentioning the stop off to our bus driver Bruce he laughed and stated (in front of the whole bus!) that “it wasn’t too late” for us to change our plans and to just “stay on the bus without stepping foot in Gympie!” The mystery surrounding the small, former goldmining community made it even more enticing.

The reason for the visit was for one reason only – The Gympie Gold Mining and Historical Museum. The Museum, which has an unbelievable 16,000 items on its collections database, is spread out over 5 hectares; showcased over 30 display areas and 15 major out-buildings including Calico Creek State School, Bungawatta Hut, Andrew Fischer’s Cottage and a former railway station platform.

The Museum begins by telling the story of James Nash, the first person to find gold in Gympie. Whilst Queensland was recovering from a devastating Depression, Nash came across 72 ounces of Gold in just 6 days; starting a gold rush in the area. Since then, Gympie has been known as “the Town that saved Queensland from Bankruptcy”. Men travelled far and wide to get in on the goldmining trade and this changed the face of the Gympie community forever. The first Museum building called ‘The Tank’ was originally part of the No.2 mining lease for the South Great Eastern Mine. Objects shown in this space include a steam powered winding engine, mining equipment, gold fragments and photographs of former miners.

Number 3 on the outbuildings map is Calico Creek State School. The one-teacher school opened in 1936 and was attended by the children of settles who came to the town after World War 1. The school was closed down in 1970 due to the introduction of better transport links and centralised schools. The school was relocated to the Museum site in 2013 after it had been used as a Scout hut for over 30 years. Inside, the school is displayed as it would have been when it first opened; with 1940’s style learning material, Prouve style desks, typewriters and the ‘8 Rules for Teachers’.

My favourite objects on display in the classroom were the famous and contraversial ‘Good Manners’ banner and ‘8 Rules for Teachers’ that were hung in Australian schools!

One of my favourite outbuildings was the Bungawatta Hut which originally stood on Bungawatta Homestead. The area that the group lived was originally known as Tuncumba (‘Tuncum’ – meaning Dugong, ‘Ba’ – meaning place of) but was renamed Tin Can Bay by white settlers. The original Bungawatta Hut was used as a home, a packing shed, and a garage over the years. Tin Can Bay Pensioners decided to demolish and relocate it as a Museum for memorabilia, and members of the Bungawatta Hut Museum Club maintained the building and surrounds at Groper Street, Tin Can Bay. 

Other brilliant display areas are the Blacksmith Shop exhibits tools used to make farming implements, construction pieces and mining tools during the Gold Rush whilst Andrew Fischer’s Cottage replicates the house that the Second Labour Prime Minister of Australia lived with his family in Gympie.

The organisation is wholly volunteer run meaning that volunteers act as tour guides, cleaners, front of house staff and event organisers. They also play a major part in the maintenance, fundraising and conservation at the Museum. For example, the recreation of the replica 1920 Gympie Ambulance vehicle and construction of the Coach House were both projects completed by local volunteers who want to help save and share the local history for future generations. The work of the loyal volunteers is celebrated brilliantly and is something that other Musuems could learn from.

Despite it being a sweltering 34 degrees outside, the Museum was so fantastic we were there for almost 5 hours (with a break in the lovely café) exploring the outbuildings, objects and history of this distinctive town. This is genuinely one of my all time favourite museum visits (and I’ve had a lot!) 10/10 would recommend!

Happy Museum Musings,

Em xo

 

G’day mate! Greetings from Australia 🇦🇺

Welcome back!

Firstly, apologies for the lack of blogging the past few months. I’ve been busy with work, (unsuccessfully) applying for new jobs, volunteering and a very exciting trip to Australia which has meant museum blogging has taken a backseat. But, now I’m back, I’m ready to start writing again and sharing more adventures with you throughout 2020.

Visiting Australia for 6 weeks was an absolute dream come true and something that I’m still trying to get my head around. Travelling up the East Coast from Noosa Heads to Magnetic Island and back down to Brisbane – Sydney was filled with lots of walking, exploring museums, visiting heritage sites and soaking up the Australian sun.

Because it’s such a large country, visiting lots of museums was a pretty difficult feat which I hadn’t really factored in before arriving. Unlike in the UK, where there are museums in most cities and large towns, Australia isn’t as well-endowed in that area. I’m not sure whether it’s maybe because the towns aren’t as populated, or maybe because it’s such a young country so doesn’t have centuries old museums to explore, but finding museums was actually pretty difficult.

In addition, although not particularly expensive, museums in Australia did charge admission. Each time I travel I remember how lucky we are in the UK that many museums, especially the larger institutions, are free to enter. This makes culture more accessible to people financially (although other finances including travel, eating, special exhibitions and accomodation obviously play a large part in access) and this is something that I feel grateful for.

Something that was wonderful about Australia was how many heritage sites and historical markers there were all along the East Coast so even if there wasn’t a museum close by, there was always history to explore in other capacities which I absolutely loved. Sites such as Piers, shipwrecks, Bridges and local houses all added to my learning about Australia.

Stay tuned for lots of Aussie inspired blogs in the next few months – I’m excited to share my 6 week journey with you!

Happy Museum Musings

Em xo

 

Heritage Open Days 2019, Part 2 📍Ipswich, Suffolk

Hi all,

Continuing on from my last blog post, here is the second instalment of my Heritage Open Days 2019 weekend. In total, me and my mum managed to visit 7 sites on the Sunday afternoon which beat our 6 site record set last year!

After visiting Pykenham’s Gatehouse, Admiral’s House, Ipswich Institute and Library and the Ipswich Building Society we walked to The Willis Building on Friars Street. The glass building is one of the earliest designed by Norman Foster and Wendy Cheesman after establishing their architectural company Foster Associates. Built between 1970 and 1975, the building is not only an iconic building in Ipswich, it is also home to Willis Towers Watson; a company that employs around 45,000 people.

On the grassed roof, you get some of the best views across the town, with the University of Suffolk, Portman Road, Orwell Bridge, Ipswich Museum and numerous churches all in sight on a clear day.

Next up, we visited the Unitarian Meeting Place; one of the oldest buildings in Ipswich and home to those who believe in ‘an inclusive approach to a shared spiritual journey‘. Located in St Nicholas Court, the Meeting Place is believed to be the only remaining example of a purpose-built timber-framed Dissenting Meeting House of its period. The land on which it sits was purchased for £150 by the Ipswich Mercer, Thomas Bantoft and the contract for the building was signed on 5th August 1699. The official opening was held on the 26th April 1700 and has served as a meeting placefor ‘nonconformists’ ever since.  Inside, the building has a hexagonal pulpit, box pews and a beautiful organ built by the Ipswich firm Bishop and Sons in 1878. The building has undergone numerous restorations and the community are currently in the process of raising funds for repairs to preserve the space for future generations.

Our final stop on our HOD afternoon was St Margaret’s Church in Soane Street. I have lived near this church for 26 years but embarrassingly had never visited until this years HOD weekend. I guess that’s what the weekend is designed for – discovering places on your doorstep that you wouldn’t have otherwise visited.

Around 1133, the Austin Canons built the Holy Trinity Priory on the site that is now Christchurch Mansion (one of my current workplaces).  The original church used by the congregation was the local parish church but due to a large growth in members, a new church was built in 1300 to accomodate this. The church built on land next door was dedicated to St Margaret of Antioch and became the largest parish in Ipswich. The magnificent interior includes a double hammer beam roof, a set of beautiful sounding bells and stunning 17th century painted ceiling panels. On walls, original features are displayed including the original door from c.1300 and a wall tablet at the far end of the church pays tribute to Reverend William Fonnereau, who lived at Christchurch Mansion and was influential in the local community.

I absolutely love exploring Ipswich as part of Heritage Open Days. I have learnt so much about my hometown and the heritage we hold. HOD is one of my favourite events of the year by far and I can’t wait to see what next year has in store!

Happy Museum Musings!

Em xo

Heritage Open Days 2019, Part 1 📍Ipswich, Suffolk

Hello, welcome back!

Last weekend, 14 – 15th September, was Heritage Open Day weekend in Ipswich, Suffolk as well as many areas across the UK. As with last year I enjoyed HOD with my mum; learning more about our hometown and the places we have walked past for decades.

We started off at Pykenham’s Gatehouse on Northgate Street. Built between 1471 – 1473, the gatehouse was part of a larger housing complex built for the archdeacon of Ipswich and would have been manned by a gatekeeper. Before the glass windows were installed in the Victorian era, the windows would have been made from parchment paper or waxed skin which wouldn’t have protected against strong winds and the cold. Inside, you can see the incredibly narrow spiral staircase that would have been used by the gatekeeper to receive messages and guests from Northgate Street. A display case showing materials such as pottery, clay pipes and an early 17th century leather shoe. Decorating the main room are large maps of Ipswich on the walls which were eye-opening in terms of how much Ipswich has grown and developed.

Next, we headed to Admiral’s House, 13 Tower Street; the former home of Admiral Benjamin Page (1765 – 1845), who was born in Northgate Street, Ipswich. Parts of the house come from the reign of Charles II whilst the exterior is of Georgian design. Benjamin Page went to sea aged 13 and quickly became an Admiral; a career move that was often difficult to achieve. When he returned home, he commissioned a number of sea battles to be painted. 4 of these pieces of art belong to the town of Ipswich and hang in The Town Hall whilst the fifth  belongs to the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich. The next occupant was John Shewell Corder (1856 – 1922), an architect who built and restored hundreds of buildings in the Suffolk town. The building now houses the Ipswich Institute member’s restaurant, lounge and lecture rooms.

We decided to wander through the town centre and see what other buildings were open.  Ipswich Institute and Library, Tavern Street houses an independent library and reading room in a former chemist shop. Next up, we stopped off at the Ipswich Building Society on Princes Street. Built in 1901, the Grade II listed building was designed by local architect Thomas Cotman. We saw an original mahogany ballot box used to choose peple who could get a mortgage on new houses being built in Ipswich, whilst The Society’s archivist, Margaret showed us fascinating documents related to housing contracts from the last 100 years.

In my next blog, I’ll take you to the 3 final sites that we visited on our Heritage Open Day.  This year is the 25th anniversary of Heritage Open Days and is taking place between 13th – 22nd September so make sure you visit some of the sites you may have walked past for years or have always wanted to visit.

Until next time, happy Musuem Musings!

Em xo

 

Choco Story📍Brussels

Happy Monday!

One of the best museums I’ve ever visited is the Choco Story in Brussels, telling the history of chocolate from cocoa bean to shop chocolate and everything in-between. Opened in May 2014, the Museum is the collaborative effort of 2 families who wish to promote quality Belgian chocolate through this educational, fun public museum.

Upon arrival, visitors are given a choclate shaped guide (above) which can be used to listen to audio around the museum using scanning QR code type technology. The first room is set in Amazonian as the cacao tree is native to the Amazon Basin. The room focusses on the cocoa bean: where it is found, what it looks like and introduces you to King Pakal, the corn god, who was found in a tomb in Mexico. Did you know? Cocoa was used over 5500 years ago and back then, the beans were as valuable as blood!

The next section takes us to Mexico where we are introduced to the value and different uses of cocoa beans. In the past, cocoa beans were used as currency due to their high value; for example 1 bean = 1 tomato, 10 beans = 1 rabbit. This really does embody the phrase that money grows on trees! Some brilliant objects included a molcajete (a chocolate grinder made from volcanic stone), beautifally decorated jicaro bowls and molinillo, wooden/corn cobs used to froth chocolate drinks.

Next up, we travelled to Spain where objects included sugar pliers, chocolate instruments and ingredients used in the spanish hot chocoate recipe. Then to France where a collection of intricate and beautiful drinking cups were on display. Artefacts including Mancerina cups, trembling cups and chocolate pots made from china, copper and silver showcased how chocolate cups have changed over time to ensure an enjoyable drinking experience across Europe.

From France, the musuem moves into the Tropics where visitors learn more about the history of chocolate and the topics of cocoa trading, exportation and sustainability. A large gallery wall with an accompanying film explores chocolate from growth to shop. The museum also higlights Cacao Trace – a fairtrade, mutually-beneficial programme that builds upon the farmers’ local knowledge and expertise and empowers them to be more productive and sustainable.

From here we travel to Europe where the story moves on to look at chocolate through the 1800’s. With an array of chocolate making equipment on display you get a great insight into how much technology and engineering has moved on since the 19th century.

The final country we visit is Belgium – a great finale seeing as the country produces arguably the best chocolate in the world! There is a brilliant collection of chooclate moulds used for all kinds of occassions as well as old, extremely rare vending machines that were used as ‘savings boxes’ by children throughout the 1920’s.

To top it all off, there are two interactive chocolate stations – one where you can watch chocolate being made by a chocolatier, the other where you can taste different types of chocolate. A delicious final touch to a fantastic museum exploring one of the most popular foods in the world. The whole musuem is a brilliant sensory experience – with smell buttons, tasting stations and audiovisual spots dotted throughout each exhibit.

If you Visit Brussels, Choco Story is an absolute MUST! Although a little difficult to find – it is inbetween Mannekin Pis and The Square (the entrance is in an archway along the street connecting the two). Not only is Choco Story beautifully displayed, it is an absolute gem filled with interactive stations and sensory delights.

Happy Museum Musings!

Em xo

📍Brussels, Belgium: Day 1

Hallo from Belgium!

I’ve wanted to pop over to Belgium for ages & I’m so glad I’ve finally got to tick it off my travel bucket list. Over 3 days I managed to fit in museums & attractions, a trip to Bruges and a whole lotta waffles! I purchased a 48 hour Brussels Card for €53 which gave me entry to over 40 attractions as well as unlimited Hop On Hop Off bus access which meant I could visit places all across Brussels.

Day 1: I decided to follow the Blue Line as the weather was lovely and I wanted to get to the attractions that were outside whilst the sun was out. Starting at Central Station I stayed on until Stop 3 – hopping off at The Atomium. The most visited attraction in the Belgian capital stands at 355 feet and consists of 9 large silver spheres some of which hold exhibitions including the permanent ‘Atomium: From Symbol to Icon”.

After taking lots of photos, I walked 2 minutes to the Planetarium of the Royal Observatory of Belgium which was free using my Card. Unfortunately I couldn’t access the museum as it was (understandably) written in French or Flemish – the 2 native languages. This again made me think about inaccessibility for international visitors in small museums – many of which fail to provide resources for international visitors. Things such as translated interpretation, subtitled videos or audio guides can support engagement and accessibility – something I am looking into for a Museum Scholar paper.

I instead went to Mini-Europe – the best place I visited during my trip! Yes, it may sound totally geeky but I don’t care; it was AMAZING! Around 80 cities and 350 buildings have been recreated at a scale of 1:25, showcasing some of the recognisable sights in Europe. Interactive buttons at each county play National Anthems whilst a comprehensive & useful guide book is provided to visitors in the language of their choice. It was so fun finding places & monuments that I’ve seen in real life on a teeny tiny scale – they’re all so well built and instantly recognisable. Although it wasn’t free it was discounted with the Brussels Card which was great.

The rest of my day was spent exploring Brussels on the open top bus & taking in sights such as Koekelberg Basilica, the Royal Residence of Laken and Grand-Place. After that I stuffed my face with fish soup and waffles because hey, it’s Brussels after all!

Happy Museum Musings!

Em xo

📍Medical Museion, Copenhagen

Happy Friday all,

My trip to Copenhagen was absolutely made by visiting this magnificent Medical Museum – so much so that I visited it twice during my 4 day trip!

I’m a massive fan of a Medical themed museum and an regular visitor to The Wellcome Collection, The Hunterian Museum, Old Operating Theatre to name a few but this visit was next level for me for a few reasons. Firstly, the Museum is housed in the former Royal Academy of Surgeons – a building which is a current candidate for inclusion in UNESCO’s World Heritage List. The stunning auditorium, in which doctors were trained until 1942, is the stunning architectural heart of the Museum. Designed by Peter Meyn, the room is neoclassical in style with hints towards antiquity whilst the ceiling is based on the roof of the Pantheon temple in Rome. Leading medical personalities Galen and Hippocrates adorn the walls whilst reliefs depicting Asclepius, Athena, King Christian VII and Frederik IV are also featured.

Secondly, during the study trip we were able to get an exclusive behind the scenes look at the collections work being undertaken by conservators at the Museum. We ventured into the stores with Ion Meyer, Head of Collections where we met 3 Conservators that are currently working on a large scale documentation and digitisation project that is happening across museums in Copenhagen. Hearing about the project goals, challenges and successes thus far – as well as seeing some pretty cool hidden gems (including the box of 19th century drugs below) – was a great addition to the visit.

Finally, the Museum has utilised, it seems, every bit of space available to them so that no space is left as ‘nothing’. There are light installations in corridors, art pieces in alcoves and medical instruments filling shelving units. I’ve always been a collector – any spare space in my room is filled with nick-nacks, souvenirs or useless pieces of paper that I promise to “stick in my scrapbook”. So when I walk around museums and see areas of nothingness it makes me feel a little annoyed. On average only 5% of museum collections are on display at any one time (unbelievable I know!) so SURELY something could be displayed to fill the voids. The Medical Museum proved that this is something that can be achieved effectively without the objects or installations being damaged, at risk or feeling out of place.

In the next posts I’ll write about the 2 current special exhibitions on at the Museum; Mind the Gutand The Body Collected, again two of the best exhibits I’ve seen.

Happy Museum Musings!

Em xo