Oxford is a place rich with history. Not only does the city preserve its own through its Medieval buildings and stories, but it also seeks to explore other cultures, whether from today or from the ancient past.
In the middle of downtown Oxford stands the Ashmolean Museum. In 1683, the founder, Elias Ashmole, gave the museum to the University because he believed that "Nature is very necessary to human life and health."* The first collection was made up by pieces collected by travelers. Today, the museum holds thousands of pieces representing the diverse cultures down through the ages, and it is a center of research and the conservation of history.
This museum celebrates both the ancient and the modern. Upon entering, I saw statues from Greece and Rome. Most statues may have a broken off arm or leg, but some are still whole. Also, on the ground floor are Egyptian ruins, and Greek vases telling the stories of their gods and heroes (think the opening scene of Disney's Hercules, and you are on the right track). Going up the stairs, I was met by artwork from the Medieval Times. Some were secular, depicting scenes of hunts, royalty, and grand balls. Other paintings were religious, usually showing Mary and Baby Jesus, angels, and saints. I followed the artwork through the Renaissance era down to modern times. I would need a whole book to describe everything the Ashmolean has. It took me a couple hours over several days to complete the museum, but I hoped to share some of the highlights here.
Further south, The Bate Collection is tucked away behind a tall stone wall, not even visible to a common passerby. It is not very big either, but it is stuffed with instruments of all shapes and sizes. The Collection is also owned by Oxford University, and is used for research by the Faculty of Music.
This museum contains about 2,000 instruments from the Renaissance through to modern times. Harpsichords, clavichords, and square pianos line the walls and crowd the middle of the room. Every other type of instrument is packed behind glass cases: horns, drums, strings, and wind instruments, some being hundreds of years old. Paintings of Handel and Haydn hang above the keyboards (these two composers are shown in particular because of their times in England). The coolest (or nerdiest) piece in the museum was the manuals of an organ that was featured in the Sheldonian Theatre here in Oxford: it was played by both Handel and Haydn. This is the last picture in the gallery down below.
New British thing I learned:
British queue means American line.
Thank you, Nan! I have not eaten at the Randolph Hotel, but Dad and I ate at the cafe in the Ashmolean Museum the first week we were here. It was very good. I'll need to check out the Randolph Hotel though!
Enticing description, Hannah. A few years back I visited there & had tea with the warden of The Kilns (CS Lewis's home). I stayed at the Randolph Hotel right across the street. Do eat there sometime. I have a lovely scene there in my book. Many believe the hotel was named after Lord Randolph Churchill, Winnie’s father. Actually, it was Dr. Francis Randolph, a benefactor to the Ashmolean.” So glad you're enjoying yourself in Oxford's "wonderland."