British Museum In London
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BRITISH MUSEUM
The British Museum of London, is situated at Great Russell Street, Wc1. This museum is dedicated to human history and the culture of London. The museum has over 7 million objects within its collection, making it one of the world`s finest museums.
The British museum was established in 1753, and has over six million visitors a year, with a free entry for all. The museum which was established in 1753 was firstly based on the collections on one man, Sir Hans Sloane. It was thanks to him, the great physician and scientist, that his collection was exhibited.
In January 1759 the public were first given entrance to his collection, and others. Over the next two and half centuries, the museum continued to expand. Several branches were created, including the British Museum of Natural History. The British museum was quite unique, that it originally housed the national library and the museum of antiquities also.
In 1802 it was decided that a new larger building must be built. And later that year a committee was set up, to plan the expansion of the museum.
In 1822 King George III donated his private library, of a estimated 65,000 books and 19,000 maps, charts and pamphlets. The architect Sir Robert Smirke was given the task of designing the library, and the picture gallery above it. Although many changes over time have been made, the quadrangular library area, can still been seen today. When Smirke`s King`s Library was finished in 1827, it was described as one of the finest rooms in London. It was not however open to the public, until some years later in 1857.
The museum celebrated its bicentenary in 1953 with many changes taking place One of those changes was the employment of a full time in house designer, and publications officer. By the 1970`s more expansion was planned, and visitors numbers soared, when the Tutankhamen exhibition opened in 1972.
Over one and half million people came to see this wondrous exhibit. The library was now becoming a major problem, with its collection out growing its own library. The government finally suggested a site at St Pancras, where the books were moved to in 1997. This move allowed for re-development of Sir Robert Smirke`s square, which opened in the year 2000, called the Queen Elizabeth II Great Court, and surrounds the original reading room.
For those who wish to visit the British Museum of London, the closet tube stations are at Holborn, Russell Square and Tottenham Court Road. A trip to London, should not be complete, without a visit to the British Museum.
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