Summary
Museums educate people by preserving humanity’s social, cultural, and scientific history in a form that allows visitors to learn about people and how they behaved and reacted to the world around them in the past. Museums are beginning to adjust their programs and displays to accommodate a new generation of “digital tourists” as technology and the Internet advance. Many museums now offer virtual tours and exhibitions of their most popular exhibits. With life in many parts of the world still on hold due to the global Covid-19 outbreak, these online tools have become invaluable resources for people to pursue their education. People may now visit some of the world’s largest and best museums using standard technologies. As a result, we have virtually seen museums such as The British Museum, Tower of London, and Foundling Museum over the last two weeks. In this paper, these three museums will be illustrated from criminology and their correlation with crime.
The British Museum
Virtual visitors can tour the Great Court and learn about the ancient Rosetta Stone and Egyptian mummies at this landmark museum in the heart of London. The British Museum is one of the world’s oldest and largest museums. It was the world’s first public national museum, and it houses an eight-million-piece collection of relics, riches, and manuscripts from all periods of human history. The British Museum has the world’s most extensive classical antiquities (i.e., Ancient Greece and Rome). It has around 100,000 Egyptian artifacts in its collection, including a vast array of sculptures from 10,000 BC.
The Museum of the World shows its visitors artifacts from all around the world and discovers hidden connections between them. Despite the great variety of objects, the museum holds a unique mystery associated with artifacts. According to QC, the British Museum is the world’s largest receiver of stolen goods. Geoffrey Robertson states that the museum must “wash its hands of blood and return Elgin’s loot.” A top human rights lawyer has accused the British Museum of displaying “pilfered cultural property” and is calling for artifacts seized from “subjugated peoples” by “conquerors or colonial masters” to be returned to European and US institutions. He chastised the museum for permitting an unofficial “stolen goods tour,” which he described as the Elgin marbles, Hoa Hakananai’a, Benin bronzes, and other stolen cultural property. Greece, Easter Island, and Nigeria are all looking for the three indicated commodities (Alberge, 2019).
Tower of London
The UNESCO-listed Tower of London is steeped in history, making it an ideal destination for history buffs and culture vultures. The Tower of London has served as a royal residence, a fortress, a prison, a mint, a military storehouse, a treasury, an armory, and a public records office. From 1100 to 1952, it served as a state jail. Treason, the ruler’s assassination, speaking ill of the said monarch, or counterfeiting were among the exceptional offenses committed against the state by those detained in the tower. The Tower of London, which is haunted by the deaths that transpired there, saw 22 executions. In 1747, a treacherous man was executed on Tower Hill for the last time. Both Anne Boleyn and Queen Elizabeth I was imprisoned and executed there. There were also other rulers assassinated there. It’s known as the Bloody Tower, and it’s where Edward IV’s sons were assassinated. Visitors will be wonderfully immersed in the different successions of the Edwards, Richards, and Henrys during the trip. People can visit the Bloody Tower, the White Tower, Tower Green, and the Crown Jewels to recreate Henry VIII’s life (Impey & Parnell, 2011).
Foundling Museum
The Foundling Museum tells the narrative of the Foundling Hospital, which was both a children’s charity and a public art gallery in the United Kingdom. The Hospital was founded in 1739 by philanthropist Thomas Coram as an institution “for the maintenance and instruction of unprotected and deserted young children,” It still exists today as the children’s charity Coram. Artist William Hogarth, who pushed famous artists of the day to donate work, and composer George Frideric Handel, who conducted annual benefit concerts of his Messiah, were both instrumental in helping Coram realize his vision (Joy, 2017).
Visitors will see thought-provoking exhibitions, modern art commissions, collection displays, and historical documents throughout the excursions, all of which are housed in exquisite 18th-century interiors. Present a diversified schedule of exhibitions that give alternative ways of connecting with history, forging creative ties across the centuries, alongside artworks, artifacts, and archive papers that reveal the story of the Hospital. From William Hogarth and Paula Rego to Grayson Perry, Tracy Emin, and Cornelia Parker, the museum has presented the work of renowned artists for over a decade. The museum hosts residencies, support research, and initiates collaborative off-site initiatives with modern artists, authors, and musicians, collaborating with various community members to bring the Foundling Hospital story to life in fresh ways. Visitors could learn about the fascinating history of this vital London institution, as well as how artists and children have collaborated for over 275 years (Joy, 2017).
COVID-19 has put a stop to many things in people’s lives, including their ability to travel, prompting many individuals to cancel vacations they had planned. However, just because we’re all confined inside doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy some new experiences in the interim. Many world-class museums offer virtual tours that anyone may attend from their own home. These virtual tours are packed with enough information to make visitors feel like they visit the museum in person. The adventures will enthrall the entire family, art or history buffs, and even those who want to relive the joys of travel.
References
Alberge, D. (2019). British Museum is the world’s largest receiver of stolen goods, says Qc. The Guardian.
Impey, E., & Parnell, G. (2011). The tower of London: The Official illustrated history. Merrell.
Joy, L. (2017). CHAIR, Foundling MUSEUM, since 2016. Who’s Who. Web.