Local history

Find out about the history of the British Museum and its development as both a national institution and a heritage site in the London Borough of Camden.

Classroom resources

Presentations: Easy to use slideshows showing the changing face of the British Museum during the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries.

Montagu house, an engraving by James Simon, AD 1714

British Museum in the 18th century

Download:  Slideshow (ppt 1266kb) 
Support notes  (pdf 32kb)

South front of Museum, AD1857

British Museum in the 19th century

Download:  Slideshow  (ppt 2197kb)
Support notes  (pdf 46kb)

 

Front of Museum, AD 2005

British Museum in the 20th century

Download:  Slideshow  (ppt 1225kb)
Support notes  (pdf 38kb)

 

Online resources

Online tour

Canaletto 'View of London from the north'London 1753
Explore the city in the year the British Museum was founded.


 

General information

Bomb damage during WW2The history of the British Museum
For adults. Discover more about the history of the Museum and its collection.

Installing Ramesses in 1834British Museum Explore
Find detailed information, background articles and images of many objects from the galleries.

 


Useful books

For adults.

Caygill, M. The Story of the British Museum (London, The British Museum Press)

Caygill, M. The British Museum: 250 years (London, The British Museum Press, 2003)

Wilson, D. The Collections of the British Museum  (London, The British Museum Press)

Teachers receive a 10% discount* when they quote teacher0910 in Museum shops.

For discount online, visit www.britishmuseumshoponline.org and enter teacher0910 on checkout.

*Discount cannot be used in conjunction with any other offers.

Primary school brochureBrochure for primary schools
(pdf 2.0 mb)

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