“The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.” –St. Augustine

My month in London was amazing and I am so happy that I chose to go on this adventure!  I learned so much and made some amazing new friends!  I will miss getting to be a constant tourist and exploring some of the most beautiful and historical places in the world!  The last few days went by too quickly but due to a layover in Ireland, the exploring was briefly extended.  Thank you to everyone who followed my blog and I hope you enjoyed the pictures!  Ciao!

Natural History Museum – https://www.nhm.ac.uk/

Natural History Museum Library and Archives – https://www.nhm.ac.uk/our-science/departments-and-staff/library-and-archives.html

After visiting the Royal Geographical Society, a few of us decided to tour the Natural History Museum.  As a museum studies student, I felt like I had died and gone to heaven when I entered this museum.  They had everything!  All of the exhibitions were fantastic.  I loved going through and analyzing the set-ups, panels, and how different specimens were held in place.  I was incredibly fascinated with how the blue whale was suspended from the ceiling of Hintze Hall.  Initially, the bones had to be examined, cleaned, and some bones needed repairs before the skeleton could be put on display.  Unlike many remains on display, the whale bones are the real deal and are thus more fragile and cannot be replaced.  One major project they are undertaking is fully scanning specimens so scanning the whale bones became part of that project.  This will aid researchers and curators in the future.1

1:   https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-37979436

While touring a museum is not the same as archival research, it can still be a way to conduct research.  Museums are institutions of learning for all ages.  Not only is it fun and educational for adults, but it is also a way to get children interested in history and science and could even inspire them to enter the field of information someday.  However, they do also have a library and archive.  Through their online catalogue, researchers can find books, journals, and archival documents relating to a number of natural history topics.  “The Library and Archives currently uploads about 25,000 of digitised content to the BHL [Biodiversity Heritage Library] each month, allowing scholars worldwide to access our legacy literature quickly, easily and free of charge”.2  This is yet another wonderful example of how museums and archives go hand-in-hand and can always benefit each other.

2: https://www.nhm.ac.uk/our-science/departments-and-staff/library-and-archives/about-us/history.html

“Rome is the city of echoes, the city of illusions, and the city of yearning.” –Giotto di Bondone

Anyone who knows me at all knows that Rome is my favorite place in the world.  But of course, it is the best city in the world!  My first trip there was life changing.  I saw more famous artwork in a few days then most people will see in their lifetime.  However, it is not just the traditional artwork that makes it worth visiting.  The city itself is art.  You cannot round a corner without seeing something beautiful and historical.  What has always been one of the greatest cities in the world, remains the same to this day.  It is perfectly un-modern in many ways, so you always feel connected to the past.

We saw several things while in Rome such as the Vatican, Galleria Borghese, Trevi Fountain, Colosseum, and the Roman Forum.  It is always an incredible experience to walk in the same spaces artists and gladiators once walked or to be in the same room with one of the world’s most famous pieces of artwork or sculpture.  I also took the time to toss a coin in the Trevi Fountain so I cannot wait for the day when I go back to Rome!

“She had always been fond of history, and here [in Rome] was history in the stones of the street and the atoms of the sunshine.” –Henry James 

“The energy of Florence is indescribable: overflowing with bustle and charm, teeming with life. Every corner bears new treasures, every cobblestone a gem. The artistry in the sculptures, the landscapes, the architecture is beyond compare. I feel a sense of humility and awe walking along these ancient streets, which have served as witness to countless revolutions, tread upon for so many centuries by artists and martyrs and geniuses alike. The stones are infused with history and culture and knowledge: I feel it. I feel the presence of generations, I feel the weight of giants.” –Emily Kyle

Revisiting Italy felt like going home.  The first time I visited Italy, Florence and Rome immediately felt familiar and I knew in some small way I belonged here.  I am part Italian, so it was incredible to be able to visit a second time.  As a lover of art, Florence is the perfect city to spend time in.  Not only does it hold some of my favorite artwork, but it also has everything quintessentially Italian.  I had a ton of pasta, bought a leather purse, enjoyed musicians playing on the street, and soaked up the romantic sound of the Italian language.

In Florence we visited the Duomo and the Uffizi Gallery along with consuming as many carbs as possible and shopping at outdoor markets.  A day and a half in this beautiful city is not nearly long enough.  However, it was still wonderful to walk the streets of Florence once again.

“In a good bookroom you feel in some mysterious way that you are absorbing the wisdom contained in all the books through your skin, without even opening them.” –Mark Twain

Middle Temple Law Library – https://www.middletemple.org.uk/library-and-archive/library

At the Middle Temple Law Library, we had the pleasure of meeting with Reneé.  She began working at this library in 2006.  She currently runs one of the Inns Library which deals with the 4 Inns of Court.  They each have their own library and two also have their own chapel.  The other two share the Middle Temple Church which is the second oldest church in London.  The Middle Temple Law Library was founded in 1641.  Robert Ashley, the founder, had 3,800 books when he passed away.  Although he admitted he was a poor lawyer, he still assisted the library to the best of his ability.  Thankfully, after the end of the Civil War the collection of books improved.  Today the library has around 50,000 titles and a quarter of a million volumes. 

After viewing the library, we had the opportunity to tour a few different rooms.  One was a space where Masters of the Bench meet.  “The Masters of the Bench, or Benchers, are responsible for the governance of the Inn.  Masters are elected by their peers from the Inn’s members who have been Called to the Bar.  The majority of the Inn’s Benchers are Queen’s Counsel or senior members of the judiciary.”1  There is currently one royal member: His Royal Highness the Duke of Cambridge (aka Prince William).  However, he is not the first royal to serve on this bench.

1: https://www.middletemple.org.uk/members/masters-of-the-bench

The library and adjacent rooms were so beautiful.  I liked the fact that the library also had two globes.  One was a celestial globe and the other was terrestrial.  They were made in the 16^th century and updated in the 17^th.  It was such a cozy, inviting library and I hated leaving it.  However, it was the perfect end to our 3 weeks of library touring.

“Those who can imagine anything, can create the impossible.” –Alan Turing

National Museum of Computing at Bletchley Park – https://www.tnmoc.org/

Our day at Bletchley Park proved to be quite interesting.  Having seen the movie The Imitation Game, I had a brief idea about what we were going to see.  We got to tour the National Museum of Computing and had a wonderful tour of technology through the ages.  The machines used by Alan Turing and the other code breakers was amazing.  They were full scale working replicas of the machines they actually used during World War II.  It was great to see them but what was really exciting was that several of the machines were turned on, so we got to see them in action. 

It was also really neat to see more recent, but still quite old technology.  We saw a 4-megabyte hard drive that was over 2 feet tall.  The tour guide also allowed us to type our names into an old computer that would print it out in code.  While I obviously cannot read it, I thought that was really exciting!

Sadly, most of what we learned at this museum went completely over my head.  I didn’t understand 90% of what we were told yet I was completely captivated by the information and really loved the tour!  I am amazed that many people’s minds work that way and that information like this comes easy to them.  It might have been confusing, but it was a wonderful tour and in my opinion was one of the top tours we took!

“Georgie Porgie, pudding and pie, kissed the girls and made them cry. When the boys came out to play, Georgie Porgie ran away.” –Satirical rhyme about King George IV

Royal Pavilion Archive – https://brightonmuseums.org.uk/royalpavilion/history/tales-pavilion-archive/

Having never learned anything about the Royal Pavilion, I was very surprised when I first saw it.  The exterior is modeled after Indian architecture while the interior contains distinctly Asian decorative themes.  This served as a vacation house for King George IV.  It’s eccentricity well suited the parties he would host there.  Sadly, pictures were not allowed inside the Pavilion but in a way that allowed me to soak in the details better.  It was a fascinating location that I definitely hope to learn more about.

Overall, Brighton was quite refreshing.  I love London but I always feel rejuvenated after a day outside of the city.  This quiet beach town proved to be a beautiful and relaxing location.  My favorite aspect was the beach.  I was pleasantly surprised to discover that it is a pebble beach.  It may be difficult to walk on, but I found it far more beautiful than a sandy beach. 

“I never weary of great churches. It is my favorite kind of mountain scenery. Mankind was never so happily inspired as when it made a cathedral.” –Robert Louis Stevenson

History of St. Paul’s Cathedral – https://www.stpauls.co.uk/history-collections/history

One of my favorite activities when traveling is visiting cathedrals.  I saw several while in London, but St. Paul’s was one of my favorites.  The previous St. Paul’s caught fire.  The current cathedral was consecrated on December 2^nd, 1697.  I never tire of being in structures this old and always feel fully at peace when walking through them.  As words cannot do it justice, enjoy some of my favorite pictures below from my trip to this magnificent London cathedral!

“Our archives are treasure troves – a testament to many lives lived and the complexity of the way we move forward. They contain clues to the real concerns of day-to-day life that bring the past alive.” –Sara Sheridan

National Maritime Museum Library/Archive – https://www.rmg.co.uk/national-maritime-museum/caird-library

After taking a boat up the Thames, we arrived at Greenwich.  Here we visited the Caird Library and Archive and met Susan Gentles and Mark Benson.  They gave a brief presentation and then showed us some of the materials from their collection.  The library opened with the museum in 1987.  However, their current and newer space opened in 2011.  This newly built library space offers better, more-regular access to the collection.  They have an extensive range of personal papers and there is a lot of crossover between the museum and archive collections.  Today they house 750 different collections.  Many of these include rare books which are roughly dated up until the 1860’s. 

It was interesting to be in a library that is so new.  Many of the previous locations have either been more established or were simply in a historic building.  However, despite the newness of the building the archival books and documents still give the library an old feel which I liked.  It is also wonderful to have a library and museum under the same roof.  Not only is it convenient for researchers but it also allows curators easier access to sources when working on exhibitions.

“The key to understanding any people is in its art: its writing, painting, sculpture.” –Louis L’Amour, Education of a Wandering Man

Victoria and Albert National Art Library – https://www.vam.ac.uk/info/national-art-library

Today we saw the National Art Library at the Victoria and Albert Museum.  Everything we were shown had been looked at by the book conservation team before it was shown to us.  One of the more impressive pieces we were shown was Shakespeare’s First Folio (they have 3 copies).  From 1623, this Folio includes all 32 of his plays together and sections them into comedies, histories, and tragedies.  Often, books of this age need to be housed in a protective covering.  These can be time consuming to create but this library has a machine that can create custom book boxes by entering the necessary dimensions.  Books and documents are stored in locked cases and the keys to those can only be accessed from a fingerprint scan safe.

The National Art Library used to consist of 3 rooms, but one is currently used as a gallery.  It is one of the top 4 art libraries in the world and serves as a public library, a library for the museum staff to aid in their work, and a curatorial department.  They also have 17 different storage locations to properly house their collection of around a million books.  Despite this, if an off-site item is requested it can make it to the library within an hour and a half. 

Safety of the items is an important aspect in every library.  At the National Art Library, the staff are all trained in salvage operations.  Sadly, they recently lost a bay of books due to weather complications.  However, that has spurred the museum to work on fixing the roof, so this does not happen again.  Many of the staff members are also fire marshals.

We were also told a story about their recent encounter with an art scammer.  A few years back they had some of their items seized by Scotland Yard.  A man had been selling fake materials with fake provenances for high prices.  He was only discovered after his wife turned him in as a response to his unfaithfulness in their marriage.  Now, several of the staff are experts on forgeries.

After seeing the library, we toured the rest of the museum.  One of my favorite parts was getting to see many marble replicas of statues and monuments I had seen in Italy several years back.  There was so much to see that I could have stayed there forever.