21 July 2012

Behind the scenes at the musuem

Last week I was off work and had several very enjoyable days doing things and being social.

On Friday I joined some of my fellow volunteers on a behind the scenes tour of the new gallery at Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery. As the gallery isn't due to open until October there was still much work going on, and the artefacts had not yet been put in position.
The gallery is a long space that tracks the history of Bimingham, the 2nd largest city in the UK and one which is not generally considered to have that much history (for a British city, anyway). I volunteer at a Medieval site, so I know this assumption is incorrect and hopefully this interesting new gallery will show that to people.

One of the most impressive things we saw was a beautifully detailed model of Medieval Birmingham. It was a wonder to behold, and should impress those who like model making. Even those who aren't interested in history will be drawn in by the detail. It wasn't fully functioning when I saw it, it'll be partly interactive and have sound.

The rest of the gallery looked impressive with plenty of interactive things that children and adults can try and at least one other impressive (but very different) model. The gallery proceeds chronologically, with themes running through each time period.

It should be a great addition to the museum and to general understanding of Birmingham history.

3 comments:

  1. I'll look forward to seeing it, I've never been to the art gallery in Birmingham even though I was in Wolverhampton's today.

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    1. Good to hear. :)
      I visit every few months (especially with visiting relatives) as it's a nice afternoon out and they do have a good variety of exhibits.
      It makes sense that they should promote Birmingham's history and I'm looking forward to seeing the new section when it's finished.

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