The British Museum and the Brigton playtown - Essay Example

500 words on The British Museum and the royal college of surgeons and 500 words on brigton-playtown of George the IV Report on the British Museum (the Enlightenment Room) and the Royal College of Surgeons of England (the Hunterian Museum) The British Museum, which unveils the origin, growth and development of human race and its culture, is situated in London. Within this context, the room number 1 or the Enlightenment Room is helpful to have deeper understanding on the Enlightenment Era or the cultural and artistic development within human history. On the other side, the Royal College of Surgeons of England, situated in Lincolns Inn Fields (London) is interconnected with the development of medical science in England. Within this context, the Hunterian Museum with medial collections is related to the development in the medical field. The historical significance of the Enlightenment Room (the British Museum) and the Hunterian Museum (the Royal College of Surgeons of England) The Enlightenment Room at the British Museum is symbolic of the spirit of reasoning which deeply influenced the human race. The objects that are displayed in the Enlightenment Room at the British Museum are helpful to recapture the historical development of reasoning and the human quest for knowledge. The mastermind behind the British Museum is not the monarchs or the legislators, but the common people (Edwards, 1969, p.5). The objects that are displayed in the Enlightenment Room are not limited to the sphere of British history, but it extends to the sphere of world history. For instance, the Fenton Vase (AD 600-800) displayed in the Enlightenment Room is symbolic of Mayan culture, Guatemala. On the other side, the historical significance of the Hunterian Museum at the Royal College of Surgeons of England is interconnected with the life history of John Hunter, who was a Scottish surgeon by profession. In the year 1799, the government handed over John Hunter’s collection to the Company of Surgeons (Rupke, 2009, p. 15). The core of the collection at the Hunterian Museum is the objects and the specimens collected by this Scottish surgeon. Later, more and more objects, specimens and surgical instruments were added to the collection displayed at the museum. The architectural significance of the Enlightenment Room (the British Museum) and the Hunterian Museum (the Royal College of Surgeons of England) As pointed out, the architectural significance of the Enlightenment Room is interrelated with the British Museum in London. The exhibition of the objects, divided into seven sections, is symbolic of reasoning and never ending human spirit to acquire knowledge. In addition, the Enlightenment Room was known as the King’s Library. Later in the 21st century, this room underwent renovation and was able to gain its past glory. For instance, Enlightenment Room’s floor and balcony underwent large scale repair and modification work. On the other side, the chief designers of the Hunterian Museum at the College of Surgeons of England were George Dance and Nathaniel Lewis. During the 19th and 20th centuries, the museum underwent large scale renovation work. Today, the Hunterian Museum is an integral part of the Royal College of Surgeons of England, which is helpful to have deeper understanding on the growth and development in the field of medical science. Summing, the historical significance of the Enlightenment Room at The British Museum is interconnected with the spirit of enlightenment. On the other side, the Hunterian Museum at the Royal College of Surgeons of England is interconnected with the life history of an enthusiastic specimen collector, namely John Hunter. The architectural significance of the Enlightenment Room at the British Museum is interconnected with a number of renovation works which transformed the King’s Library to a museum. Besides, the architectural significance of the Hunterian Museum at the Royal College of Surgeons of England is deeply related to the renovation work in the 19th and 20th centuries. References Edwards, E 1969, Lives of the Founders of the Briti sh Museum, Ayer Publishing, New York. Rupke, NA 2009, Richard Owen: biology without Darwin, University of Chicago Press, Chicago. 2. Report on Brigton-playtown of George the IV       Bridgton, located in England is famous for the royal residence of King George IV, namely the Royal Pavilion. The construction work of the Royal Pavilion was started in 1787. As a seaside retreat, the Royal Pavilion deeply influenced the personal life of George the IV. Besides, its historical significance is interconnected with the Royal family and its members, which made use of Brigton area as their seaside retreat. Its architectural importance is related to the Indo-Saracenic or Hindu-Gothic architecture in British India. 1. The Royal Pavilion and King George IV       As pointed out, the Royal Pavilion is deeply interconnected with the personal life of and King George IV (1762-1830), who was the king of UK and Ireland. He was most interested in extravagant lifestyle and leisure time activities. During his lifetime, he remodeled and rebuilt a number of palaces and castles. For the first time, King George IV (then Prince of Wales) visited Brigton in the year 1783 with his uncle, the Duke of Cumberland. His uncle shared similar interest in leisure time activities. King George IV’s later life was full of agonies (say, his inability to keep warm relationship with his father and wife). In the year 1786, King George IV decided to rent a farmhouse and lived with Mrs. Fitzherbert, another lady whom he did marry secretly. So, the history of Royal Pavilion is related to the private life of King George IV. 2. Historical significance       The historical significance of Royal Pavilion within British history starts from King George IV’s first arrival in 1783. As a seaside retreat, Royal Pavilion’s role in King George IV’s life as a prince and as the Prince Regent is interconnected with history of royal family and Britain in general. Besides, King George IV extravagant life at Royal Pavilion attracted contempt from the mass. From a different angle of view, King George IV considered life at the Royal Pavilion as an escapade from the monotonous life as the king of UK and Ireland. 3. Architectural significance       As pointed out, the architectural significance of the Royal Pavilion is interconnected with Indo-Saracenic style. Beyond ornamentation, the Royal Pavilion at Bridgton, England, is an advanced building (Jones, 2005, p.227).  In the year 1787, the Royal Pavilion was renovated by Henry Holland. Within this context, the Royal Pavilion acquired the elements of French and neoclassical architectural style. In the beginning of 18th century, the Royal Pavilion underwent renovation under the guidance of Peter Frederick Robinson. During the following years of 18th century, some areas of the Royal Pavilion underwent renovation under William Porden. During this time, the Royal Pavilion acquired the features of Indian architecture or Hindu-Gothic architecture in British India. Later, John Nash redesigned the Royal Pavilion and it became one of the best examples for the amalgamation of neoclassical, British and Hindu-Gothic architectural styles.       Summing, Brigton’s fame as a seaside town with plenty of leisure time entertainment is interconnected with the Royal Pavilion and King George IV. The Royal Pavilion’s fame as a seaside retreat is not limited to the sphere of entertainment but extends to the history of monarchy in England. Besides, the architectural significance of the Royal Pavilion is interconnected with the amalgamation of a number architectural styles (say French, British and Indian). In short, Birgton’s fame is indebted to the Royal Pavilion and King George IV. References Jones, NR 2005, Architecture of England, Scotland, and Wales, Greenwood Publishing Group, Westport.  Read More