The V&A

I think my favorite museum here in London is the V&A (the Victoria and Albert Museum). It's within walking distance, across Hyde Park/Kensington Gardens (I don't really know where the boundary between the two parks is), and basically it's really cool. There's a little bit of everything. This is probably too much information, but here are the names of the collections: Architecture, Asia (China, Japan, Korea, India, Southeast Asia), British Galleries (we definitely had class assignments to look a the Victorian and Renaissance sections), Ceramics, Fashion and Jewelry, Glass, Metalwork, Paintings (including Raphael tapestries), Photography, Sculptures (a bunch of Italian sculptures and cast courts)... okay. I'm going to stop now. But really, I like this museum a lot because there is seriously so much to look at. I went with a friend on Monday to do my assignments for class, and we definitely got sidetracked. I had been there before, but I did not object to looking at the Fashion exhibition again.

This dress is from the 1770s...

My favorite dress from the exhibit... from 1959

So, as we were walking along looking at all the cool stuff (especially the stuff we were required to see), I mused that I would love to see an exhibit on the history of instruments.  I looked at the map a little while later and... Voila!  Discovered that they had an exhibit on instruments.  I got pretty excited:

This picture is for Danny, the cello player (ps- I can't believe you just started 6th grade!!)

A "Cabinet Organ", 1610 (the keys are made out of bone)

A "Kit"- probably from 1670.  I don't think I ever knew these even existed.  Supposedly, dance teachers would keep them in the pocket of their coats, and would pull them out when demonstrating a step.

A piano, from around 1815

A flute from 1720, made from ebony

Obviously, I saw a lot more stuff, and not just dresses and instruments.  I love museums.  I'm really going to miss having so many in such close proximity.