Hunterian Museum

My husband had a day off, he did work most of Christmas,

the kids had gone back to school,

we had a day off to ourselves

to mooch around central London, have coffee, have lunch,

take in a couple of roof-top views and have cocktails.

More on that later...

First, he graciously agreed to go to a museum.

We went to the Hunterian Museum at the Royal College of Surgeons.

Having had a coffee in Lincoln's Inn Fields

we weren't quite sure which building we were heading for, it wasn't signed.

Oh apart from this...

We went in and asked if we were in the right place,

were given a badge and sent,

"left up the stairs, on the first floor".

My heart sank when we arrived.

No photography.

Perhaps an overly dramatic reaction, but I had been hoping to blog about this visit.

For this blog I take photos in order to tell the story of what we look at in museums,

what we talk about and the objects that capture our imagination.

I put my camera away.

And now it's just words to describe what we saw

and give you a picture of the Hunterian Museum.

First impressions,

It was like walking into a huge sweet shop.

Jars full of goodies, floor to ceiling, two stories high.

But that's where the analogy ends,

As we looked more closely at the contents of those jars,

we began to have a kind of 'child-catcher' moment.

Unlike the kids in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang though, we hadn't been duped

but the 'wow' moment went from one of "how beautiful"

to "is that what I think it is?".

We should not have been surprised however, as these specimens

have been collected to train surgeons in human anatomy, warts and all.

This collection of anatomy, pathology, osteology and natural history

was begun by John Hunter in the 18th century who accrued around 15,000 specimens.

It was one of those museums, where you go and get each other.

"Come and look at this."

"Have you seen the giant?"

A 'wow moment' as I took in all 7' 7" of Charles Byrne's skeleton.

He called himself the "Irish Giant",

his stage name as he became a popular source of entertainment.

Making money out of life and death, John Hunter paid £130 for his body in 1783.

Obtaining bodies was not without controversy.

Resurrection men often supplied the bodies for London's anatomists.

During the 18th century grave robbing from London's poor was common

as new laws allowing the dissection of executed murderers

couldn't meet the demand for bodies.

However the rich allowed surgeons to conduct post-mortems on themselves.

Perhaps for the cache and thrill of being involved in new technology and innovation?

John Hunter carried out post-mortems on family and friends

and showing total commitment to the cause of anatomy,

he himself was dissected after his death in 1793.

Museums work hard at curating exhibitions

helping visitors to connect with objects and respond to what they see.

The Huntarian Museum is at a huge advantage here,

no lack of responses, rarely do my toes curl in a museum.

I give you surgical instruments.

We winced,

especially at the neolithic flint scraper, graver and borer helpfully displayed on a cranium.

"A razor shell and a sharpened chicken bone. Really?"

"To think, these tools will have all have actually been used."

It's probably kind of obvious that in understanding any anatomy, human or otherwise,

it's the anomalies that fascinate us

and help us understand how things work.

That Lizard on the right has two tails.

There is plenty of this kind of thing at the Hunterian Museum.

Morbid anatomy.

You'll have to go and see for yourselves.

There are things that cannot be left to the imagination.

Like the pig epididymis injected with mercury.

"Isn't that beautiful, it looks like a strings of pearls."

At home I googled it, 

perhaps now not so beautiful,

"... the thin tubes that carry sperm from the testes to the male reproductive organ..."

Upstairs in the Hunterian Museum,

they present the more recent history of modern day surgery.

You can watch the film 'Surgery in Action'. I didn't,

but was fascinated to read about the post-war development of neurosurgery.

This was part of our day out, we needed to get on.

"Shall we go now, there's only so much I can stomach?."

Honestly no pun intended.

"I don't think I can eat lunch now."

We left, reverently walking past the past masters and presidents of the Royal College of Surgeons. 

Seriously though, our feelings about lunch aside,

all that history in there that has helped get us to this place

where we understand so much about the human body that incredible operations take place,

saving people's lives.

"Yeah and did you see those jars of penises?"

It didn't take long before we were ready for lunch.

As for the cocktails, a Christmas treat in January, we had them on floor 32 of the Shard.

Cheaper than going to the top!

The Hunterian Museum at the Royal College of Surgeons is not for the squeamish.

So kids would love it, I'm taking mine next time.

I saw some great activity trails they could do.

Details on the website, here.

The Great Map

That time of the year, between Christmas and new year,

when you have family over and far too many kids in the house,

weather permitting, you all head out for a walk.

To Greenwich Park,

then too my surprise (and delight) they suggest heading into the National Maritime Museum

at the bottom of the hill just to the left in the picture.

The teenagers go off by themselves,

so I suggest taking my eight year old nephew to see The Great Map.

The Great Map, in the middle of the National Maritime Museum

provides a space to explore the museum's collections from all around the world

using touch screen tablets.

The museum provides them for free, so when there was one available

my nephew named his ship.

Introducing the 'Puffle-Treader',

Club Penguin meets C.S. Lewis.

We went off exploring the world.

I have to say that I didn't quite work out what was happening, he was to fast,

using it was second nature to him.

Without one of the National Maritime Museum's tablets

you can still interact with The Great Map.

On (paper) cards the museum suggests five games you can play,

one being a version of  'Hunt the Thimble',

getting 'warmer' or 'colder' as you hunt for a point on the map

chosen by a member of your party.

I chose the game suggested using your smart phone,
taking photos of places around the world for my nephew to find.

After all that digital exploring,

we took a moment to consider the world and all the possibilities of travel.

Terrestrial and celestial globes, not always accurate.

For more accuracy, these mathematical instruments measure angles, of the sun and stars,
and along with knowing the time,
they help you pinpoint exactly where you are on the earth.
Early GPS, using the sun and stars instead of satellites. 

With a promise of a hot chocolate in the park cafe,

we lure the teenagers back up the hill to where the cars are parked.

In the cafe, courtesy of my phone, I continue The Great Map game.

Identify these places?

With the magic of modern technology, you get to play the game too.

Answers:

Italy & Sicily

Labrador Sea in the North Atlantic between Canada and Greenland.

Egypt, Sinai Peninsula.

Lake Victoria

How did you do?

You can read all about The Great Map on the National Maritime Museum website, here.

Entry to the National Maritime Museum and using The Great Map tablets are free.

Five on Friday: Christmas drink anyone?

Taking five minutes to enjoy five things...

Christmas drink anyone?
I offer you...

Champagne

at The fan Museum, Greenwich.

Rum
on HMS Belfast,
issued daily, 'Up Spirits'.

Cocktails
on the roof of the Brunel Museum.
You'll have to wait until the summer, served by Midnight Apothecary.

Gather round the table for a cuppa in the Second World War
at the Imperial War Museum, London.
Served in the Allpress family's model home
in the Family in Wartime gallery.

Or share your favourite tipple with a friend,
a Viking horn cup each from
The British Museum,
Sutton Hoo Gallery.

I am joining in with Amy with Five on Friday, taking five minutes from our day to enjoy five things.

Please visit the five others who are also blogging about Five on Friday this week.

Kristie from North of 49

Patricia from A place for everything.....

Selma from Eclectic Home & Life

Marion from my two girls

Amy from Love Made My Home

Want to know more about The Fan Museum, HMS Belfast,
the Brunel Museum and Vikings at the British Museum?
Click on the links below to read my previous posts about them.

Seduced at the Fan Museum
Life on Board HMS Belfast
The Brunel Museum
What would your birthday cake have looked like during wartime?
Viking Currency

Happy christmas!

A Victorian Walk

With less than a week until Christmas!

You may now have had enough of the shops,

overwhelmed by choice and

perhaps slightly concerned about the cash that seems to be slipping through your fingers.

As an antidote, let me take you shopping

where choice and cash don't feature.

Not window shopping but Victorian shopping at the Museum of London.

Begining with the Toy Shop.

What's on your Christmas list?

Dolls, puzzles, tea-sets, animals two by two?

Whilst out, an opportunity to stop for a quick 'short back & sides' at the Barbers.

Glass-ware.

This would look fabulous on the Christmas table.

Perhaps you should pop into the bank to check your balance,

withdraw cash,

or if need be, have a little chat with the manager?

 Cakes and bread,

'shop-bought' in Victorian as well as twenty-first century times.

The grocers.

 I seem to have forgotten my list! 

A window onto the twenty-first century

from this Victorian street.

Thirsty work, shopping.

Aren't they supposed to be sat outside in the cold waiting for me?

Head to the shops this Christmas,
visit the Victorian Walk at the Museum of London.

You really won't spend any money, free admission.

More on their website, here.

The Ostrich Egg

At the Horniman Museum

in the Discovery for All sessions on a Sunday morning

we are allowed to get objects out of the cabinets for visitors.

Allowing people to handle objects,

touch them, look at them from every angle, feel the weight of them

and probably most importantly encourage more talk about them

than if they were just sat behind glass.

There are the usual objects that capture the public's imagination

like the hedgehog, the squirrel, masks, dolls from around the world and the sharks jaw.

I'm always asked to get these things out.

With the object most asked for being the Puffer-fish,

a dried out, hollow, very spikey, puffed up puffer-fish.

Then there are the objects that people hardly ever notice.

In museums these are called 'silent objects',

the less conspicuous objects.

Such as the Ostrich Egg.

Asked for today by a family of five.

It was cold, it was white (ish), covered in tiny dots, "like an orange"

and felt much less fragile than you would have thought.

Kid: "What's inside? Is there a chick inside?"

Mum: "No, it's like our eggs, you know, with a yolk."

Kid: "Why is there a hole in the end"

Me: "That's to get what's inside out. Like blowing eggs."

Mum: "I wonder how many pancakes you can make using that egg?

Between these lot, they have about four each,

I make pancakes every Sunday morning."

I comment on how nice this is, try and cadge an invite.

"Nice for them, I've got to get up and make them,

and do the washing up too."

Mum is smiling, it obviously is a much loved family tradition.

As for what gives 'silent objects' a voice?

Well in this case, breakfast.

I sent them off to the natural history gallery to double check it was an Ostrich Egg.

You can see the holes,

must have needed quite a bit of puff to blow those eggs.

Sometimes though, you get a chick.

Discovery for All is in the Hands On Base in the Horniman Museum

every Sunday and sometimes in the school holidays.

Details on their website here.

If you're interested in my posts on those 'loud' objects, the ones that get noticed most often,

and would like to see more of whats in the Hands on Base in the Horniman Museum,

here are the links:

The hedgehog and the squirrel, here.

Masks, here.

Dolls from around the world, here.

A sharks jaw, here.