Welcome back to Doug’s ‘wider’ History Spot. I hope you enjoyed the last edition. This time I will look at major Museums in each of the Home Nations. Many have greatly improved their virtual tours during last year’s lock downs.
Virtual tours are a wonderful way to visit many Museums and plan some trips for when we can move around the country again. Just as a point of information Chard Museum is presently creating two virtual tours. These have been slightly delayed because of the December lockdown.
Henry V111 was an enthusiastic shipbuilder, whose pride in his ‘Army by Sea’ would see his fleet grow from 5 at the start of his reign to 58 by the time of his death in 1547. While he may have had many ships, it is the Maty Rose that is remembered as his favourite. Notably, the life of the Mary Rose coincides almost exactly with the reign of Henry V111.
The Mary Rose Museum provides is a good virtual introduction and some fundamental information about the ship. Other sections cover the history of the Mary Rose, as she served at sea for many years, and shares theories as to why she sank and her eventual recovery.
A particularly interesting section is life on board the Mary Rose where crew members are reconstructed from skeletal remains and their way of life has been discovered from their personal belongings. These members include archers, a carpenter (and his dog), a barber-surgeon and a gunner. Some of the artefacts can be viewed as 3d images.
So on to the Virtual Tours in the large Home Nations museums.
The British Museum has one of the best sites for virtual tours. You can see the Rosetta Stone as well as other specialist tours that include Oceania, Prints and Drawings and more. You can also visit the many rooms in the Museum such as the Greek Room, the Early Egypt room, and again many more.
National Museums Scotland provide a walk through their galleries including the Grand Gallery, the Roof Terrace and the East Asia Gallery. The even provide a tour of how they create their Virtual Tours. It is fascinating.
The tag line is visit Museums of Wales from your Sofa. A favourote St Fagnas National History Museum; there were also tours of the museums Arts Collections. There are some excellent learning recourses for youngster including medicines used by the Romans and what is must have been like to be be in a Roman School.
... and finally if you cross the Irish Sea the Ulster Museum include virtual tours, that include the Folk and Transport Museum, the Titanic and Pump House and the Crumlin Road Gaol.
Those of you who are home schooling I hope these links help just a little. See you next month.
Doug