THE SCIENCE & NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUMS IN LONDON

Today, The Winsors and The Grandma have had a free day. They have decided to visit two of the most important museums in London, the Science Museum and the Natural History Museum.

The Science Museum is a major museum on Exhibition Road in South Kensington, London. It was founded in 1857 and today is one of the city's major tourist attractions, attracting 3.3 million visitors annually.

Like other publicly funded national museums in the United Kingdom, the Science Museum does not charge visitors for admission, although visitors are asked for a donation if they are able. Temporary exhibitions may incur an admission fee. It is part of the Science Museum Group, having merged with the Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester in 2012.

The museum was founded in 1857 under Bennet Woodcroft from the collection of the Royal Society of Arts and surplus items from the Great Exhibition as part of the South Kensington Museum, together with what is now the Victoria and Albert Museum. It included a collection of machinery which became the Museum of Patents in 1858, and the Patent Office Museum in 1863. This collection contained many of the most famous exhibits of what is now the Science Museum.

In 1883, the contents of the Patent Office Museum were transferred to the South Kensington Museum. In 1885, the Science Collections were renamed the Science Museum and in 1893 a separate director was appointed. The Art Collections were renamed the Art Museum, which eventually became the Victoria and Albert Museum.

When Queen Victoria laid the foundation stone for the new building for the Art Museum, she stipulated that the museum be renamed after herself and her late husband. This was initially applied to the whole museum, but when that new building finally opened ten years later, the title was confined to the Art Collections and the Science Collections had to be divorced from it.

On 26 June 1909, the Science Museum, as an independent entity, came into existence.

The Science Museum's present quarters, designed by Sir Richard Allison, were opened to the public in stages over the period 1919–28. This building was known as the East Block, construction of which began in 1913 and temporarily halted by World War I. As the name suggests it was intended to be the first building of a much larger project, which was never realized.

However, the Museum buildings were expanded over the following years; a pioneering Children's Gallery with interactive exhibits opened in 1931, the Centre Block was completed in 1961-3, the infill of the East Block and the construction of the Lower & Upper Wellcome Galleries in 1980, and the construction of the Wellcome Wing in 2000 result in the Museum now extending to Queen's Gate.

More information: Science Museum

The Science Museum now holds a collection of over 300,000 items, including such famous items as Stephenson's Rocket, Puffing Billy (the oldest surviving steam locomotive), the first jet engine, the Apollo 10 command module, a reconstruction of Francis Crick and James Watson's model of DNA, some of the earliest remaining steam engines, a working example of Charles Babbage's Difference engine, the first prototype of the 10,000-year Clock of the Long Now, and documentation of the first typewriter. It also contains hundreds of interactive exhibits.

At the front of the museum to the east is Exhibition Road. Immediately to the south is Museum Lane and the Natural History Museum. To the rear is Queen's Gate and to the north is Imperial College.

More information: Visit London

 

For me too, the periodic table was a passion...

As a boy, I stood in front of the display for hours,

thinking how wonderful it was that each of those metal foils

and jars of gas had its own distinct personality.

[Referring to the periodic table display in the Science Museum, 

London, with element samples in bottles].

Freeman Dyson

The Natural History Museum in London is a natural history museum that exhibits a vast range of specimens from various segments of natural history.

It is one of three major museums on Exhibition Road in South Kensington, the others being the Science Museum and the Victoria and Albert Museum. The Natural History Museum's main frontage, however, is on Cromwell Road.

The Museum is home to life and earth science specimens comprising some 80 million items within five main collections: botany, entomology, mineralogy, paleontology and zoology.

The Museum is a centre of research specialising in taxonomy, identification and conservation. Given the age of the institution, many of the collections have great historical as well as scientific value, such as specimens collected by Charles Darwin.

The Museum is particularly famous for its exhibition of dinosaur skeletons and ornate architecture -sometimes dubbed a cathedral of nature -both exemplified by the large Diplodocus cast that dominated the vaulted central hall before it was replaced in 2017 with the skeleton of a blue whale hanging from the ceiling. 

The Natural History Museum Library contains extensive books, journals, manuscripts, and artwork collections linked to the work and research of the scientific departments; access to the library is by appointment only.

The Museum is recognised as the pre-eminent centre of natural history and research of related fields in the world.

More information: Natural History Museum

Although commonly referred to as the Natural History Museum, it was officially known as British Museum (Natural History) until 1992, despite legal separation from the British Museum itself in 1963. Originating from collections within the British Museum, the landmark Alfred Waterhouse building was built and opened by 1881 and later incorporated the Geological Museum. The Darwin Centre is a more recent addition, partly designed as a modern facility for storing the valuable collections.

Like other publicly funded national museums in the United Kingdom, the Natural History Museum does not charge an admission fee. The museum is an exempt charity and a non-departmental public body sponsored by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport. Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, is a patron of the museum. There are approximately 850 staff at the museum. The two largest strategic groups are the Public Engagement Group and Science Group.

More information: Charles Darwin, the Genius of the Evolution

More information: The Galapagos Islands, Charles Darwin's Paradise

More information: The Jones Visit the Charles Darwin's Foundation

More information: Lonesome George, the last Chelonoidis Abingdonii

 

A scientific man ought to have no wishes,

no affections, -a mere heart of stone.

Charles Darwin

CHARLES CHAPLIN, THE GREATEST ACTOR OF ALL TIME

Today, The Winsors & The Grandma have visited one of the greatest actors of all time, Charles Chaplin, who is spending some days in London.

 

Before this amazing visit, the family has finished its reading and The Grandma has explained some stories about Charlie Rivel, the best clown of all time, and Marcel Marceau, the best mime of all time. 

 

Download The Secret of Oldstone

 

Charlie Rivel and Marcel Marceau were as prosecuted as Charles Chaplin for political reasons. All three had to exile or escape from terrible situations helping lots of people on their searching of freedom.

More information: Charlie Rivel, The Clown With The Saddest Story

 

More information: Marcel Marceau, The Mime Artist & 'Bip The Clown'

 

Watch El Pallaso i el Führer (Catalan Version)

 

Charles Spencer Chaplin (1889-1977) was an English actor who famed in the silent film era.

Chaplin's childhood in London was one of poverty and hardship. His father was absent and his mother struggled financially -he was sent to a workhouse twice before the age of nine.

When he was 14, his mother was committed to a mental asylum. Chaplin began performing at an early age, touring music halls and later working as a stage actor and comedian.

 

Chaplin started in the film industry at age 14 and since that moment his career was meteoric co-founding the distribution company United Artists in 1919 and playing successful films as The Kid, Modern Times, Limelight or The Great Dictator where he satirised Hitler and attacked fascism.

 

At 19, he was signed to the Fred Karno company, which took him to the United States. He was scouted for the film industry and began appearing in 1914 for Keystone Studios. He soon developed the Tramp persona and attracted a large fan base. He directed his own films and continued to hone his craft as he moved to the Essanay, Mutual, and First National corporations.

 

By 1918, he was one of the world's best-known figures.

 

More information: Charles Chaplin Official Website

Chaplin wrote, directed, produced, edited, starred in, and composed the music for most of his films. He was a perfectionist, and his financial independence enabled him to spend years on the development and production of a picture. His films are characterised by slapstick combined with pathos, typified in the Tramp's struggles against adversity. Many contain social and political themes, as well as autobiographical elements.
 

His popularity declined when he was accused of communist and the FBI opened an investigation.

 

He received an Honorary Academy Award for the incalculable effect he has had in making motion pictures the art form of this century in 1972, as part of a renewed appreciation for his work. He continues to be held in high regard, with The Gold Rush, City Lights, Modern Times, and The Great Dictator often ranked on lists of the greatest films. 

 

Chaplin was forced to leave the US and he settle in Switzerland where he died on 25 December. The king of the smile died on Christmas Day but his legacy is eternal.

More information: Vanity Fair

 

You, the people have the power 

-the power to create machines. 

The power to create happiness! 

You, the people, have the power 

to make this life free and beautiful, 

to make this life a wonderful adventure.

 

The Great Dictator (1940)