Monday, 17 April 2017

Horniman House


Our journey to the Horniman Gallery took us away from the hustle and bustle of central London and gave us a chance to explore nature and music in a new a different way. We entered the building and first explored the natural history gallery. It was refreshing to step away from paintings and historical documents and artifacts and experience a different side of history in the form of taxidermic animals. One Villanova student commented that “It was nice to see a different side of London. So many of our excursions have been centered on art because there is so much great art in the city, but at the same time we can't forget the natural history side of London.” The Horniman Natural History Gallery was influenced by the Arts and Crafts movement of the time and we were able to make connections to the William Morris Collection.  Many of the original showcases remain the room is packed full of taxidermy, skeletons, and specimens preserved in fluid and even a giant walrus. 

From the natural history gallery, we visited the Hands on Base Gallery and were excited to delve into history. So rarely are we able to actual handle historical artifacts and investigate museum pieces up close and from such a wide variety of objects from Mexican masks to endangered animals. The Hands on Base Gallery was reminiscent of children’s discovery museums and made us feel like children again. After exploring the hands-on Space we went upstairs and viewed the music gallery. This was yet another unique experience for us as we haven’t been able to explore music in any other museums yet. There were thousands of instruments all around the gallery from all over the world. 

After our visits inside the galleries, we ventured outside to visit the gardens. Thanks to the beautiful weather we had that day we enjoyed the sunshine as we walked through the gardens. The flowers and conservatory reinforced the notion that we had seeped away from the busy city as we got to spend some time relaxing on the Horniman’s beautiful grounds.
For more information:
http://www.horniman.ac.uk/

Sunday, 16 April 2017

Churchill War Rooms

The Villanova gang and I took the tube to the Churchill War Rooms early on a Tuesday morning to avoid the crush of tourists that typically flock to the popular museum.  We stepped down into the bunker and were immersed in the world of wartime Britain.  Helpful audio guides led us through the maze of cramped, suffocating rooms while explaining what happened in each spot during World War II.  Specific rooms stood out to each of us: I liked the Map Room, Rowan and Marisa liked Winston Churchill’s bedroom, and Phil liked the disguised room which housed the direct line from the United Kingdom to the United States.  



Lisa was particularly enthralled by the Churchill War Rooms, as she is interested in history and politics, and Winston Churchill is one of her personal heroes.  “If I could pick anyone from history, living or dead, and have dinner with them,” Lisa remarked, “Winston Churchill is definitely in my top three.”


Walking through the War Rooms, it was nearly impossible to imagine the large number of people who lived in such a dark, confined place for so long.  Often, we learn only about the important wartime heroes and not the everyday people who did so much to help the war effort.  One of the best parts of the museum was listening to and watching interviews with the regular people who lived and worked in the bunker in various capacities.  To me, they are the true war heroes.


When we finished touring the museum and went to the gift shop, we were amused by pictures of Churchill seemingly throwing up the Villanova ‘V’ and by World War II propaganda pieces and quotations reminiscent of the Villanova fight song.  After a few quick edits, we were able to combine the two.

In all, our visit to the Churchill War Rooms was especially fun and informative, and everyone had a good time while learning a lot about World War II-era Britain.


Rowan Yeni ‘20 and Marisa Sully ‘20 repping Villanova at the Churchill War Rooms
(photo: Felicity Petruzzi)






Tuesday, 4 April 2017

William Morris Gallery

           We were a bit skeptical of the William Morris Gallery once we realized what a trek it would be to get there. We hopped on our usual tube stop, Queensway, and rode the central line to Oxford Circus. We then switched to the perpetually crowded Victoria line and rode it to Blackhorse Road. Very ominous, indeed. From there, we hopped on a bus which delivered us right to the gallery’s entrance. Upon arrival we were pleasantly surprised. The building and surrounding gardens were gorgeous, and spring had sprung in the form of yellow and pink tulips. Quite honestly, entering the museum and gallery we knew very literally of William Morris. We knew he was an early artisan and socialist and an important designer in 19th century England, but that was about it. By the time we left, coincidentally around the same time news of the Westminster attacks were surfacing, we were all experts on William Morris.

          Morris was a man of various talents. He was, again, a designer but also a poet, a craftsman, and a social activist. His ultimate goal was to transform and beautify the Victorian age. He loathed the effects of industrialization and saw the pollution, disease, and dilapidation that came with it as an assault to the potential beauty of his world. He also used his arts and crafts to further his dreams of socialism. He was, indeed, a socialist in the most traditional sense of the word. The house that now acts as a museum about him was his teenage home and now features some of his designs, and several of his most poignant quotes (my favorite part). I’ve included a few below.









          For the most part, these quotes encapsulate William Morris. Beauty was his first priority and ensuring that beauty as well as education, freedom, and health were accessible to all was a close second. A system which allowed the property-owning of society to benefit from the labor of working-class people infuriated Morris. He wanted revolution, not a gradual, pain-staking process, in order to transform the system and to ensure the distribution of goods and services did not lie solely in the hands of the powerful. He also cared about the environment. His dislike of industrialization extended to this end as well. He really had an opinion about every issue, but he’s known today most for his craftsmanship, his poetry, and his unrelenting love and fight for beauty. 



FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT WILLIAM MORRIS:


A site still selling the crafts of the original Morris & Co. and educating the masses on Morris’s legacy.


The Victoria and Albert Museum’s exploration of William Morris


The William Morris Society’s base in the United States advertising opportunities for involvement. Also representative of the man’s reach and influence.