162/365 Private tour of the British Museum

The British Museum was founded in 1753, the first national public museum in the world. From the beginning it granted free admission to all 'studious and curious persons'. Visitor numbers have grown from around 5,000 a year in the eighteenth century to nearly 6 million today. The origins of the British Museum lie in the will of the physician, naturalist and collector, Sir Hans Sloane (1660–1753). Over his lifetime, Sloane collected more than 71,000 objects which he wanted to be preserved intact after his death. So he bequeathed the whole collection to King George II for the nation in return for a payment of £20,000 to his heirs. The gift was accepted and on 7 June 1753, an Act of Parliament established the British Museum. The British Museum opened to the public on 15 January 1759 . It was first housed in a seventeenth-century mansion, Montagu House, in Bloomsbury on the site of today's building.

Friday night I was lucky enough to be invited on the BF's office trip to the Museum, which included a private guided tour by him of the Egyptology exhibits, as after studying Egyptian Archaeology at UCL for his degree for 3 years, there's not much he doesn't know! There were about 20 of us, and visiting the museum in the evening was a really different experience to in the daytime, it was much more peaceful and empty and you could really see things without having to struggle and wait your turn endlessly. The BF held everyone's rapt attention for about 2 hours, which surprised him, and I was really proud to see and hear him do such a great job of bringing the exhibits alive and making it real and relevant to our world and lives today. I of course was running around taking photos and so probably missed 90% of it, so I have made him promise to take me back again for a one on one tour! Or maybe one on two, as my Mum will kill me if she isn't invited along, as Egyptian Archaeology is one of her favourite subjects too! 

We then went on for a wonderful steak dinner and vats of fine wines and ports and an evening of laughter and conversation and then had to run to make the last train home!

Awesome evening!