They don't make things like they used to...the Victoria & Albert Museum...

In considering which museum I would return to for a second glance, so far the Victoria & Albert Museum of Art and Design in London is in first place. What you see there is the kind of history and creative writer, as opposed to a historical writer, would be interested in. What did people wear? What did people make? What did they keep in their houses and what were their houses like? What did they serve food in? What were their beds like? You can't imagine how hard it can be to find this information compared to finding out what war was fought when and who conquered what. The Victoria and Albert Museum contains an incredible amount of artifacts from very old times before everything was mass manufactured, when things were beautifully, painstakingly made and made to last (and only affordable if you were SUPER rich.) Many of these items belonged to European royalty, or were worn by them, or given by them to somebody. 

This is one of a few very old beds featured in the museum, back when the bed posts were carved into ornate shapes and everyone had a huge canopy, probably to keep bugs and rats from falling on you when you slept.

Boxes made of mother-of-pearl and gold...many of these were featured in the jewelry exhibit, which was probably my favorite part. Did you keep your dope in there? Probably.

The fashion exhibit was another favorite part. Here we see dresses from the era of the bustle. These were actually worn by women of the time and then gifted to the museum. By the way, people used to be TINY. I don't mean thin...I mean small, like children.

Another must see element of this museum are what's called the "cast courts." This is a massive hall filled with recreations of ancient sculptures and tombs from historical places around the world, such as Rome, Troy, etc...We actually didn't even get time to go in, so these photos were taken from above, but to get a sense of the size...see the actual person standing by the pillar there?

See the recreation of David there? I am about the size of his lower leg.

Another cool thing in this museum were the recreations of whole actual rooms, in which they replanted actual ceilings and walls from room of great properties of various eras. This was in the ceiling of a 18th century "music room."

Another 18th century room.

Many artifacts featured once belonged to the Church, including some very ornate objects made of very expensive materials.

There were also lots of bedazzled swords, and even some crossbows as seen here.

Many of these fans were made of ivory at the handle, and you have to look closely to appreciate the details. No 3-D printers or lasers in the 17th century!

Another from the jewelry exhibit...a pendant featuring lily of the valley...my birth flower.

This is one of several embroidery squares made by Mary Queen of Scots...it features a monkey. A lot of them featured exotic animals for some reason.

Here's the woman herself. There were also a lot of trinkets worn by or given by her famous relative Elizabeth I, of whom you may have heard.

Apparently this was a trend for a time...shadowboxes featuring the experience of death...this one is a soul in Purgatory.

SOOOO much silver. This is a teapot that again, you have to see closer to appreciate. Who cleans it??? (Danielle and I noted that is what our moms would ask.)

A vanity with more cool stuff reflected in the mirror. This kind of thing just can't be found anymore. Nor could any of us afford it. But imagine featuring it in a story.

Note for teachers: This is a must stop for Encounters, and certainly it raises questions about the way mass production has changed art, as well as the role of domesticity in inspiring art. I made it a required visit for my Women Writers students, but for the purpose of thinking about the domestic sphere and the relationship to women's writing, there's a place called the Museum of the Home, in the Shoreditch area, which might be more appropriate.