Museum of London

I. The reason why I choose this museum to introduce to you:

All the displayed items in the Museum of London were from the Londons history which
have been saved and bequeathed within the citys square mile. This is a place where to
enable everybody such as tourist, foreigners and especially native Londoners to
understand the depth of their history, the unusual, individual nature of London. Now we
are studying and living in London, we should to know and understand the history and
culture of this country. Then, when you go back your country, you can feel confident to
introduce London to everybody. You come here not only studying at university in your
subject but also gain your knowledge about a new culture and extended your
understanding about the long standing history of this country. That is a reason why I
choose this museum like the best place for you to understand more about London. Now,
you are in London, you only know the London with modern life such as buildings, good
transportation system, the best service, good in social controlling...But did you ask the
question that How did they build all these things?. Let come to Museum of London,
you can find the answer.
II. A Brief History of the Museum:
It was the last part of the Babican complex to be erected. The Babican was built on a
Bomb site after the II World War. It comprised a luxury tower block and housing (two
towers were the tallest in Europe at that time). The museum included Art venue, objects
on display, cinema, computer for researching the information and visitors assistants.
History time chart:
1962

1964

1965

1971

1973

1975

1976

Currently
1962: Interim Board first meeting involved Treasury, London county council and city
1964: The first design prepared
1965: Museum of London Act

1971: Construction of new building begun

1973: Outline designs of exhibition approved
1975: London Museum closed and collection vested in the Board of Governor
2 December 1976: Museum of London opened.
III. Location:
Scan the map
IV. What you can find when you are in Museum of London:
There is a slogan of the Museum to introduce you LONDON BEFORE LONDON
There are three main design elements: A River wall, A Landscape Wall, and A series of
six wooden plinths. Each of the three main design elements is the formation of the
Thames Valley around 450,000 years ago, and ending with the founding of Roman.
The gallery has four take home message for all the visitorshi :

The massive changes wrought on the landscape by natural and human agencies

The centrality of the Thames to the LBL story

The dynamism and adaptability of human communities in the region

The prehistoric legacy after AD 50

A River Wall: there is the various ways in which the rivers was used early communities
as provider of resource, communication and contact
A Landscape Wall: this gives visitors an idea of how the landscape was used overtime
by different human group. The first section is human and animal footprint only, then a
hearth, followed by a circular enclosure, then a field system and finally a defended
settlement.
A series of six wooden plinths: the six plinths each deal with four broad themes: people,
settlement, technology and belief.

Shaping the land: 450,000 38,000 BC

Moveable feasts: 38,000 4,000 BC

Carving out a home: 4,000 1,500 BC

Dividing the spoils: 1,500 700 BC

Moving beyond the valley: 700 BC AD 50

A new start: After AD 50

There are separate areas with the welcome board; it is easy for you to visit.
V. The most interesting thing in MOL:
The games people played under a new Roman regime.
Free public entertainment: Londoners gathered in the amphitheatre in which animalbaiting, wild beast hunts and gladiatorial combats took place. Acrobats, boxer and
wrestlers were also a part of entertainment.
Exercising the body:
Field sports were popular. Deer and wild board were hunted in local forest. Ball games
were favorites with young and old Londoners. Physical exercises such as gymnastics
were taken while at the baths.
Exercising the mind:
Music was enjoyed in public and in private. The most important wind instrument was the
reed-blown tibia (musical pipe), but single bone whistles and wooden panpipes was
also played. Board games were played with counter and dice. There were other dice
games which involved the additional excitement of gambling
London probably also had a circus for chariot racing and a theatre, but no remain of these
have yet been discovered.
VI. Conclusion
I introduced you the Museum of London, the reason why, history, location, what you can
find, interesting thing in MOL. I hope that on this weekend after you go to Camden
Market, Govent Garden market by tube, you will stop at Moorgate tube station and then
London Wall Street to visit Museum of London. Then, we can share the information to
understand more about London.