# / . 4 % 8 4 - ! 2 # ( '2!(!- 4)4% 4HE WHOLE WORLD IN A SINGLE ROOM 7ITH THE OLDEST AND LEAST CHANGED PART OF THE "RITISH -USEUM FINDING A NEW FUTURE AS THE %NLIGHTENMENT 'ALLERY THE MAGNIFICENT ROOM ITSELF IS THE CHIEF EXHIBIT )N $ECEMBER THE "RITISH -USEUM ADMITTED THE PUBLIC TO A PROJECT FIVE YEARS IN THE MAKING !S 3IMON $OUCH REPORTED IN #ONTEXT -AY THE COLLECTION OF BOOKS FORMED BY 'EORGE ))) WAS TRANSFERRED IN TO THE NEW "RITISH ,IBRARY SITE AT ,ONDON S 3T 0ANCRAS 6ACANT THE GREAT ROOM TO WHICH THE COLLECTION GAVE THE NAME @+ING S ,IBRARY POSED THE QUESTION OF ITS FUTURE USE 4HIS ROOM HAS BEEN RESTORED REORIENTED AND RESURRECTED TO FULFIL ANOTHER ROLE .OW BOOKS IN FINE BINDINGS DONATED FROM THE (OUSES OF 0ARLIAMENT FILL MUCH OF THE SPACE ON THE SHELVES "UT IN OTHER AREAS THE SHELVING IS USED TO DISPLAY A VARIETY OF OBJECTS INCLUDING WORKS OF ART 4HE FLOOR AREA OF THE YARD LONG ROOM M ALSO EXHIBITS WORKS OF ART CHIEFLY STATUARY AND PORTRAIT BUSTS FREESTANDING ON PEDESTALS AND COLUMNS 4HE THEME OF THE WHOLE DISPLAY IS %NLIGHTENMENT AN INTERNATIONAL MOVEMENT TO WHICH "RITAIN CONTRIBUTED IN THE TH AND TH CENTURIES AND WHICH CULMINATED AROUND THE TIME OF THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE +ING S ,IBRARY IN "LOOMSBURY 4HE ARCHITECT WAS 3IR 2OBERT 3MIRKE AND THE BUILDING WAS COMPETED BETWEEN AND DURING THE REIGN OF 'EORGE )6 4HE ARCHITECTURAL BACKGROUND AND RESTORATION SCHEME WERE FULLY DESCRIBED BY 3IMON $OUCH IN HIS #ONTEXT ARTICLE AND THE HISTORY OF THE LIBRARY AND OF ITS LIBRARY ROOM ARE THE SUBJECT OF TWO CHAPTERS OF THE BOOK PUBLISHED TO MARK THE REOPENING DETAILS AT THE END OF THIS ARTICLE 4HE PRESS VIEW WAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO MEET THE TEAM OF CURATORS WHO HAVE PLANNED AND EXECUTED THE NEW DISPLAYS ) MET #AROLINE )NGHAM RESPONSIBLE FOR DESIGN AND INSTALLATION ON BEHALF OF THE MUSEUM 4HE ROOM ITSELF WITH ITS ARRAY OF ORIGINAL FITTINGS IS REGARDED AS THE CHIEF EXHIBIT ! GRANT OF LISTED BUILDING CONSENT WAS SOUGHT FROM THE ,ONDON "OROUGH OF #AMDEN BECAUSE THIS HIGHLY IMPORTANT SITE WAS UNDERGOING CHANGES IN FABRIC AND CHANGES OF USE REGARDED AS BEING MATERIAL ALTERATIONS %NGLISH (ERITAGE WAS INVOLVED THROUGHOUT THE PROCESS #AROLINE )NGHAM EXPLAINED SOME OF THE FINER POINTS OF THE DISPLAY THAT MIGHT OTHERWISE HAVE BEEN LOST IN ABSORBING THE OVERWHELMING IMPRESSION THAT IT ALL MAKES 4HE BOOKCASES WERE FORMERLY ENTIRELY FILLED WITH THE VOLUMES COLLECTED BY 'EORGE ))) OR COLLECTED ON HIS BEHALF BY LIBRARIANS AND AGENTS .OW HOWEVER WITH MANY CASES LESS THAN FULL AND SOME CASES CONTAINING OBJECTS OTHER THAN BOOKS THE BOARDS BEHIND ARE VISIBLE 4HE CURATORS MADE A VISIT TO THE 3OANE -USEUM NEARBY (ERE A COLLECTION SIMILAR IN DATE AND STYLE TO THAT OF THE ORIGINAL "RITISH -USEUM SURVIVES IN A STATE LARGELY AS IT WAS LEFT BY 3IR *OHN 3OANE n 3OANE S SHELVES AND CASES HAVE A BACKGROUND COLOUR OF DEEP 0OMPEIAN 2ED 4HIS COLOUR HAS ALSO BEEN USED TO PROVIDE AN ORNAMENTAL BACKGROUND IN DISPLAY CASES AND SOME NON FULL BOOKSHELVES IN THE %NLIGHTENMENT 'ALLERY )T IS MOST EFFECTIVE A PERIOD EFFECT IS CREATED 4HE FLOOR AREA OF THE YARD LONG ROOM EXHIBITS STATUARY AND PORTRAIT BUSTS FREESTANDING ON PEDESTALS AND COLUMNS !LL PHOTOS IN THIS ARTICLE ¥"RITISH -USEUM
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