hanging out at the British Museum

wonder | wander | women are endlessly fascinated by the British Museum. We're very aware of the dark history of the museum and how many of the objects simply state that they are "acquired" without telling the full story: captured from conquered nations, stolen from tribes, bought for a song from invading officers, or even pocketed in passing during expeditions. 

main entrance

Yet knowing what we know, we keep returning to this palace of world history. In our first London years, we were here almost every day, wandering the stairways and the vaults of the Great Court, feasting our eyes on the monuments and artefacts, from the tiniest gold bead to the massive Assyrian gate guardians.

The Great Court

In this blog we have posted repeatedly about our visits to the museum. And we're far from alone. The British Museum is the most-visited museum in London every year, with close to 6 million visitors in 2023. 

view of the front courtyard from the museum entrance

The staircases are lined with replicas of ancient mosaics and artefacts, copied from original sites in Italy, Iran, Egypt and South America. 

north stairs

The Egyptian galleries are of course the most popular, containing the Rosetta Stone, the statue of Ramses II, and many tomb artefacts such as sarcophagi and canopic jars. There is also a series of stone tablets listing the names of the Pharaohs.

Egyptian Sculpture Gallery

Room 24 is curated by the Wellcome Trust. The exhibition meditates on the mysteries of living and dying as expressed by humanity throughout its thousands of years of existence.

Living and Dying exhibition

We come here to watch the people as often as seeing the galleries and exhibitions. The British Museum's visitors are a never-ending river, reflecting the numbers and diversity of the people who pass through London itself.

The Great Court Cafe

I have spent many mornings or afternoons sitting at a cafe balcony or out in the courtyard with latte and notebook, drawing the wonders of the museum. These wonders vary between the objects, the architecture, and the people. 

drawings of visitors, museum pillars & Mayan statue

It's the combination of all three that lends this landmark its true character, and what keeps us coming back.  Although some days we wish there weren't quite so many people, especially in hot summers!

drawing of crowds in the Great Court

The British Museum to us is misnamed. It's a museum of the world, and should remain free for citizens of the world to come and see its treasures. We hope that justice will be upheld for the original owners of many of those treasures, and that they continue to inspire wonder and creativity for future generations.

south stairs