Days 8 & 9—Museum of London, British Library, and *Harrods*
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Day 8—Museum of London
During class today, we went to the British Museum again and toured the Anglo-Saxon Sutton Hoo burial. (I'd already seen it when I went last week.) Hayley's class went to the Museum of London today, and it was on my list, so I decided to head over and check it out after my class. I loved it here! This is just my personal opinion, but between the Museum of London and the British Museum, I personally enjoyed the Museum of London more because it was way more fun and interactive. (And that's saying something, because the British Museum has been on the top of my bucket list for years!)
Some Iron-Age knives found around London.
This is what a leather workshop might've looked like in the Roman era; everything on display are original items retrieved from around the London area.
This is what a craftsman's workshop might've looked like in the Roman era; everything on display are original items retrieved from around the London area.
This is what a cutler's stall might've looked like in the Roman era; the knives on display are originals retrieved from around the London area.
Some views of what London may have looked like in the Roman era (43-410 AD). The River Thames was three times wider then than it is today, so building a bridge to cross it was necessary. The first bridge was made of wood and lasted over 250 years; though it's been rebuilt several times, it's always stayed close to the original bridge built by the Romans.
Some views of what various rooms may have looked like in the Roman era of London (43-410 AD). Different socioeconomic levels are represented. For instance, the small room with an orange on the table and a hearth in the corner was a reconstruction from a simple house on Newgate Street, where craftsmen lived. The large, spacious living room is a reconstruction of a wealthy household.
This house was likely made between 956 and 979, in the Anglo-Saxon period. This large room was likely part of a hall or a church.
This is a fragment of the original Roman wall, built in the 3rd century AD.
I just couldn't resist snapping another picture with some chain mail! It's so neat!
Beautiful items from inside lavish London churches.
Once the printing press came to London, printing took off. By 1500, around 300 craftsmen were producing books, making London the center of England's book trade.
This carved oak panels from the 1500s was in an Augustian priory when Henry VIII ordered the dissolution of Catholic churches. Many elaborate pieces such as this were stolen, destroyed, or looted.
Day 9—British Library and Harrods
For class today, we learned about William the Conqueror and the Bayeux Tapestry, as well as King John and the Magna Carta (all topics which I already knew a lot about, since the Norman/Plantagenet periods are my favorite to research), then we headed over to the British Library to see the actual Magna Carta. The Magna Carta, cool as it was, was a bit disappointing to look at considering that the ink and writing was all worn away—it was basically a sheet of paper. But the fact that it's a sheet of paper that's survived since 1215 is amazing! There were some other amazing works preserved in the gallery we explored, including Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, which was a lot of fun to look at since I did an extended project on the text for my medieval British literature class last fall. To be inches away from the original text was amazing!
Both my grandma and my aunt said their favorite part of London was Harrods, so naturally I had to check it out! I didn't quite understand why my mom was so insistent that it was a "look, don't buy" type of shop until I got there and walked past a very bland plastic-looking chair (not pictured) for £7,000. It was like walking through a palace, or a zoo of everything designer you could possibly imagine. It gave me a lot of inspiration for palace scenes in the novel I'm writing, but it definitely wasn't somewhere for me to go shopping! (We did find a Harrods gift shop, though, so I got a few "cheap" souvenirs.)