Museum of London's £20million revamp brings history to life

[richard]

Three hundred and fifty years of history have been brought to life in a £20million revamp at the Museum of London.

After three years of work, curators want the attraction to become ‘world class’ ahead of the 2012 Olympics.

The five new rooms, called the Galleries of Modern London, contain 7,000 objects and trace the story of the capital from the Great Fire in 1666 to the present day.

Prison cells, mummified cats, rich silk dresses, art deco shoes and a classic Vespa scooter reveal what life was like for people across the centuries.

Visitors can stroll through recreated Georgian pleasure gardens where mannequins are dressed in period costumes and outlandish hats by Philip Treacy. You can also see a 240-year-old printing press, one of only six surviving, plus 19th-century lottery tickets. A guest book from the now defunct Cafe Royal signed by Charlie Chaplin is a star attraction. A WWII war room with a suspended bomb has been designed to capture the devastation of the Blitz.

The museum’s director, Prof Jack Lohman, said: ‘The galleries breathe new life into the museum, bringing our story of the greatest city in the world right up to date. It’s thrilling to see our ambitious and complex project realised.’ The new rooms, which make the museum 25 per cent bigger, open on May 28.


Source
www.metro.co.uk

Image: Mannequins: From a Georgian era garden

[leonardo]

That sounds great, I would love to pay it a visit...