Hidden Gems Guide to London

Hidden Gems - Museums

London is a dream come true for art and
history lovers and there are so many excellent
museums and galleries to explore throughout
the city. Most visitors will head straight to the
British Museum, the National History Museum
or the Victoria and Albert Museum, as these
are the most well-known tourist attractions.
However, once you have visited the popular
major museums in London, there are many
other hidden gems museums to discover, each
one offering a glance into a different aspect of
history.
Look beyond the big names and explore some
of these other interesting museums for
insights into culture, art and history, such as:



The Library and Museum of Freemasonry
Freemasonry is a mysterious fraternal
organisation that originated in the 14
th

century. The organisation describes itself as a
beautiful system of morality and it is veiled
in allegory and illustrated by symbols. If you
are intrigued by the history of this group, you
can learn more about it at the Library and
Museum of Freemasonry in London.
This fascinating museum contains a collection
of interesting objects with masonic decoration,
including silver, glassware, furniture, clocks,
jewellery, pottery, regalia and porcelain. Many
of the items that belonged to Royal
Freemasons such as Edward VII and Prime
Minister Winston Churchill are on display here,
as well as many photographs, engravings and
other artefacts. The museum also contains a
large collection of items that relate to other
fraternal societies such as the Sons of the
Phoenix and the Oddfellows.





Hidden Gems Guide to London


The Fan Museum
This is the only museum in the UK that is
entirely devoted to every aspect of fans and
fan making. It is home to over four thousand
beautiful antique fans from all over the world,
dating back to the 11
th
century and to the
present day. Located in the heart of historic
Greenwich, it has won a number of awards
from the English Tourist Board and the
National Art Collections Fund. The exhibitions
are very well put together and they reveal the
sociological, historical and economic contexts
of the fans.
If you plan your visit to this museum on a
Tuesday or a Sunday afternoon, you can enjoy
a traditional afternoon tea in the elegant
Orangery and guided tours of the museum. The
temporary exhibitions rotate every four
months, so you if you go often you can see a
great selection of some of the most beautiful
(and rare) fans in the world.









































All images courtesy of the Fan Museum
Hidden Gems Guide to London


The Old Operating Theatre
This is one of the strangest and most
interesting museums in London. It is the oldest
operating theatre in Europe, originally part of
the old St. Thomas Hospital. The Old Operating
Theatre is located within the roof space of an
English Baroque Church and during the 1800s,
medical students would come here to watch
the sometimes brutal operations conducted by
the doctors there.
Many of the surgeries performed here were
amputations and other such major surgeries.
Before 1846 surgeons had no anaesthetics and
they depended on swift techniques, mental
preparation of patients and alcohol (and other
drugs) to dull the senses. Ouch!
















The Table image courtesy of Dazeley














Image courtesy of The Old Operating Theatre
Hidden Gems Guide to London


Leighton House
Frederic Leighton was one of the most famous
British artists in the Victorian era and he gained
renown internationally. He became the
President of the Royal Academy of the Arts in
1878 and was considered an expert on art and
culture at the time.
Leighton bought this land in 1864 and made
plans to create a house dedicated to artistic
appreciation. He continued to add to and
embellish his home for the 30 years that he
lived within it. Located in the Royal Borough of
Kensington and Chelsea, this is the only
purpose built studio home that is currently
open to the public in the UK.
It not only houses a stunning collection of art,
but this private palace also features truly
impressive architectural features including
intricate mosaics, a golden dome and ornate
detailing.
















































All Images courtesy of and copyright Leighton Museum
Hidden Gems Guide to London


Benjamin Franklin House
Learn about one of historys great minds at the
Benjamin Franklin House, the worlds only
remaining Franklin home. Known for being an
inventor, scientist, diplomat, founding father
of the USA and philosopher Dr Franklin lived in
this home for 16 years between 1757 and
1775. It has since been turned into a museum
and educational centre.
Tours of the home take place throughout the
day and there is also the Historical Experience
- a multimedia show that uses lighting, visual
projection, sound and live performances to tell
the story of Franklins London years.
The house itself was built around 1730 and it is
a Grade I listed Heritage Building. It still has a
number of its original features, including the
18
th
century panelling, the fittings, the bricks,
the beams and the central staircase. Visiting
this house at 36 Craven Street in the Heart of
London is a must for any history lover.

















The Benjamin Franklin House Historical Experience
images courtesy of Benjamin Franklin House




















The Benjamin Franklin House Historical Experience images courtesy of Benjamin Franklin House
Hidden Gems Guide to London


St. Johns Museum
From 11
th
century Jerusalem through to the
modern day, this museum tells the fascinating
story of the history of the Order of St. John, St.
John Ambulance and the St. John Eye Hospital
in Jerusalem. The Order of St. John originally
founded a hospital to care for sick pilgrims in
Jerusalem and has maintained this caring role
up until present day, working on many
humanitarian projects worldwide.
Historic tours around the museum are
available Tuesday, Friday and Saturday at
11am and 2:30am, lasting around 80 minutes.
This interesting museum is one of the great
hidden gems of London, tracing the history of
this well-known charity back over 900 years.
Visits to the museum are free of charge, but a
donation is recommended as the museum is
not government or charity funded and relies
totally on visitor support.



















The Link Gallery St John's Museum

The Order Gallery St Johns Museum















The Chapter Hall all images featured courtesy of St Johns Museum
Hidden Gems Guide to London


Ragged School Museum
This museum, located in the borough of Tower
Hamlets, was opened in 1990 on the historic
premises of the Copperfield Road Ragged
School, led by Dr Barnardo. The school was
created in 1877 with the purpose of serving the
children of Mile End with a basic education. It
was open until 1908 when the school boards in
London were established to take over the job
of providing an education for the students.
The museum gives visitors a glance back in
time to what a Victorian classroom would have
looked like at the turn of the century, as well
as a typical East End kitchen from 1900. There
are also interesting gallery areas and exhibits
about the local culture and history of the East
End at the time. The museum is open from
10am until 5pm on Wednesday and Thursday
and between 2pm and 5pm every first Sunday
of the month. The museum also holds historic
Victorian school lessons on the 1
st
Sunday of
the month. General admission to the museum
is free.

All Images courtesy of the Ragged School Museum



















Hidden Gems Guide to London


The Museum of Brands
This colourful and entertaining museum tracks
the history of consumer culture, revealing how
some of the most well-known brands have
evolved over the years in their use of
advertising and packaging. The museum begins
with brands and packaging from the 1800s and
continues up to the present day.
The Museum of Brands is located just around
the corner from the world-famous Portobello
Road Market and it is considered one of the top
10 attractions in the city of London. There are
interesting temporary exhibitions on display at
the museum, ranging from exhibits focusing on
beer and tobacco advertising to the role of
advertising during war time.






































All images courtesy of the Museum of Brands
Hidden Gems Guide to London


British Optical Museum
This eye-opening museum is dedicated to
the history of the eye care and optical
professions in London. It was founded in 1901
by J. Sutcliffe of the British Optical Association
and it has more than 20,000 impressive objects
and archival items related to the history of
optometry. Many of the objects in the
collection are rare and unique and there is also
an interesting display of art that depicts
optometry through the years.
The museum is free to visit for the public, but
you must make an appointment. You can also
book a tour of the meeting rooms of the
College of Optometrists. This museum is
thought to be one of the oldest optometry
museums in the world.








































All images courtesy of the British Optical Museum
Hidden Gems Guide to London


Geffrye Museum
You can learn a lot about the history and
culture of an era by looking at the way people
built and decorated their homes during any
period. This museum is dedicated to the
history of the home and it gives a historic
perspective into how homes and gardens have
changed throughout the years. The homes
reflect the evolution of society and changes in
style, taste and behaviour over the past 400
years.
Walk through a series of period rooms that
have been recreated in various styles, from
17
th
century oak furniture opulence to muted
Georgian elegance to 20
th
century modern
style. It is a great place to experience the
culture of England over so many different years
and periods.
The museum offers free entry and is open from
Tuesday until Sunday and on Bank Holiday
Mondays, from 10am until 5pm.















































Geffrye Museum exterior photography Richard Davies
courtesy of the Geffrye Museum
Room 5 A drawing room in 1830 photographed by Chris Ridley landscape courtesy of the Geffrye Museum
Hidden Gems Guide to London


Sir John Sloanes Museum
Architect Sir John Sloane was the son of a
bricklayer and was born in 1753. He had a long
and well-respected career. He designed his
home at 13 Lincolns Inn Fields as a place to
display all of the works of art and antiquities
that he collected. In 1833 he established the
house as a museum by creating an Act of
Parliament which required that the romantic
interiors be preserved the way they were at
the time of his death.
The museum offers expert-guided tours
around its wonderful interiors and there is lots
to see inside. Because the interiors must be
kept the same as they were at Sloanes death,
there are no labels and panels explaining each
of the objects and artworks. Therefore, it is
very valuable to have a knowledgeable guide
take you around the museum and give you
some informed insight into Sloanes life and
collections.
Horniman Museum
This museum is located in Forest Hill, London
and it opened in the year 1901. It was designed
in the Arts and Crafts style by Charles Harrison
Townsend. The founder of the museum was
Frederick John Horniman, who inherited his
fathers Horniman Tea Company. It was the
worlds largest tea trading company at the
time, so Frederick used the money from the
business to collect art, musical instruments
and cultural artefacts from all over the world.
He gathered a collection of approximately
30,000 items and the Horniman museum now
displays this great collection of anthropological
wonders and artwork which has now grown
to feature a total of 350,000 objects!
Some of the most well-known exhibits in the
museum include the large collection of historic
stuffed animals and the interesting and
beautiful aquarium. The museum is set within
16 acres of land and it also includes a nature
trail, an enclosure with small animals, an
ornamental garden, a bandstand from 1912
and a sound garden with large musical

instruments that visitors can play. Entrance to
the museum is free and it is open daily from
10:30 am until 5:30 pm except on Christmas.

These are just a few more of the interesting
London museums that you can discover while
exploring this great city!









































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