Day 3 – “Hot and Cold”

“The greatest danger in life is not to take the adventure.” – George Leigh Mallory

Royal Geographic Society Library/Archive – https://www.rgs.org/about/our-collections/

So often, a trip to an archive is centered around what they have and how they function.  Eugene at The Royal Geographical Society not only showed us their collections but also told the stories of the people in history connected to these collections.  Founded in 1830, the Society gathered explorers, trained them in the use of instruments, and sent them into the field to gather items from explorations.  Today, there are 2 million items in the collection.  This includes 1 million maps, half a million images in the picture library, 250 volumes of books and periodicals, and more.  The archives are one of the most important aspects of the entire collection.  The reading room that we visited was opened in 2004 and increased accessibility for researchers.  It also allowed the Society to have two new climate-controlled storage spaces. 

One interesting term heard at the archive is “Hot and Cold” which is in reference to explorations from the hot and cold parts of the world.  One part of the building is called the Hot and Cold Corner due to the two statues of explorers named Shackleton (explored Antarctic) and Livingston (explored Nile area).  On this day, we were shown facsimiles of maps and images along with some objects that resulted from a series of explorations funded by or related to the Society.  We learned about the disagreements and drama that went with finding the source of the Nile, the search for the south pole, and the many failed and successful attempts to reach the summit of Mount Everest.  I love hearing stories of exploration and adventure, so this day was especially fun, and I hope to go back some day.

Right down the road from the Royal Geographical Society is the Natural History Museum.  Filled with specimens, fossils, the moon, and beautiful architecture, it was the perfect site to visit next.  Even as an adult, museums that house natural history still hold the same magic they did during childhood.  Grown-ups, at least this one, still love dinosaurs.  I will cover more information on this museum in a later post.

Lastly, I went “clueing for looks” by ending my day with the Sherlock Museum.  If you don’t get that quote, then go watch Sherlock.  I felt like the ultimate tourist and it was glorious.  Also, their gift shop is heaven and a trap for people who like to spend money.  Not saying I spent any though… 😉