That blue expanse on the left of today"s homepage image is the roof of the British Museum"s Great Court and Reading Room in London. The oculus at the top of the dome is made of glass, and the ceilings within are papier-mâché. The Great Court opened in 2000, a new addition to a storied institution. Irish physician Sir Hans Sloane sold his personal collection of antiquities and books to Great Britain in the early 18th century. Sloane’s items included many books, rare manuscripts, and artifacts from around the globe, and he wanted them preserved and exhibited in public. This led to the creation of the British Museum, the world’s first national public museum, which opened this day in 1759. The collection has grown and changed significantly since then, but one detail remains: Admission to this London attraction is still free.
A personal collection becomes an institution
Today in History
More Desktop Wallpapers:
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Lighting it up for Vivid Sydney
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National Lighthouse Day
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World Population Day
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Native American Heritage Month
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Mountain goats
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Happy Juneteenth!
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Going with the floe
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Extraterrestrial Culture Day
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A Portuguese fort takes a star turn
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Pont dArcole over the Seine river, Paris, France
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International Day for the Conservation of the Mangrove Ecosystem
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World Water Day
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Jamaica celebrates its independence
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Gdańsk on the banks of the Motława, Poland
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Corona Arch near Moab, Utah
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A cliff-hanging complex of temples
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Brown bears in Lake Clark National Park and Preserve, Alaska
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National Cherry Blossom Festival, Washington, DC
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Palmyra Atoll National Wildlife Refuge
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harlem
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It s International Jazz Day
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A rock in a wild place
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Fall color sweeps across the West
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The artists come to Venice
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Horsetail Fall, Yosemite National Park, California
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Go Fly a Kite Day
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Jaguar in the Pantanal wetlands
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World Migratory Bird Day
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World Architecture Day
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Put your helmet on, we’re going for a hike