British Museum Introduction

Museum Description: The Progress of Civilisation

Room: Great Russell St. Entrance/Case: None/Number: None

Scripture: John 8:32

This frieze represents the Greek goddesses of the arts and sciences know as the ‘Muses’.  Their temple was known as a ‘Museum’ hence the name given to all museums worldwide.  The British Museum originated as the collection of Hans Sloane in 1753 when his collection of 80,000 artefacts was reluctantly bought by the British government for £20,000.  Today it has two and a half miles of galleries over 14 acres and owns over 8 million historical pieces!  The Great Court in the centre is now covered by a magnificent ceiling designed by the famous British architect Norman Foster.  It is a steel frame with 3,312 triangles of glass, each a slightly different size and shape.  The focal point of the Great Court, is the domed Reading Room, which now houses temporary exhibitions.  The Reading Room has been used by researchers from across the world. Mohandas Gandhi, Charles Darwin, and Karl Marx are just some of the well-known people who have worked in this famous library.