A glance at splendour of the British Museum

OV Digital Desk
4 Min Read
British Museum

The British Museum is a museum located in London, England. It is one of the oldest and most famous museums in the world, and it is dedicated to human history, art, and culture. The British Museum was established in 1753, and it has a collection of over 8 million objects that span the history of human civilization from its earliest origins to the present day.

The museum’s collection is divided into several departments, including the Department of Ancient Egypt and Sudan, the Department of Greece and Rome, the Department of Asia, the Department of Africa, Oceania and the Americas and the Department of Prints and Drawings. The British Museum is also famous for its collection of Egyptian antiquities, which include the Rosetta Stone, the Egyptian mummies, and the Elgin Marbles from the Parthenon in Athens, Greece.

The British Museum is a public institution, and admission is free to all visitors. The museum receives over 6 million visitors annually. The museum also hosts a wide range of temporary exhibitions and events throughout the year, as well as a research library and education programs.

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The British Museum is also famous for its architecture, the museum is housed in a large Neoclassical building designed by Sir Robert Smirke, which was completed in 1852. The building is considered a masterpiece of British architecture, and it is a popular tourist destination in its own right.

History of British Museum

The British Museum was established in 1753, and it is one of the oldest and most famous museums in the world. The museum was founded by Sir Hans Sloane, a physician and collector who bequeathed his extensive collection of books, manuscripts, and curiosities to the nation upon his death. The collection included over 71,000 objects, including manuscripts, coins, natural history specimens, and ethnographic materials from around the world.

The British Museum officially opened to the public on 15 January 1759 in Montagu House, a mansion in Bloomsbury, London. The museum’s collection continued to grow throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, with major acquisitions such as the Elgin Marbles from the Parthenon in Athens, Greece, and the Rosetta Stone, an ancient Egyptian stone that helped scholars to decipher hieroglyphs.

In 1823, the British Museum Act established the British Museum as a public institution, and it was placed under the control of a board of trustees. This act also allowed the museum to acquire new objects and collections through purchase, gift, and excavation.

In 1852, the British Museum moved to its current location in a large Neoclassical building designed by Sir Robert Smirke. The museum’s collection continued to grow throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, with the establishment of new departments such as the Department of Prints and Drawings and the Department of Asia.

Today, the British Museum is one of the most important and visited museums in the world, with over 8 million objects in its collection, its collection spans the history of human civilization from its earliest origins to the present day. The British Museum is also famous for its architecture, the museum is housed in a large Neoclassical building designed by Sir Robert Smirke, which was completed in 1852. The building is considered a masterpiece of British architecture, and it is a popular tourist destination in its own right. On 15 January 2014, Google Doodle celebrated the 255th anniversary of the British Museum.

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