Vagina Museum

 When looking at directions to the Young V&A, I noticed an establishment close by. I did a double take on the name and decided to click and check out what I was seeing. I had read correctly: Vagina Museum, just a short 5 minutes walk from the Young V&A, free and open to the public. Why not stop in?

I have no regrets. 

The staff were lovely, the vibe was chill, and the entire museum was unapologetically feminist and pro-LGBTQ+. The brick and mortar location boasts that it is independent and the only of it's kind in the UK, while still remaining free to the public. The goal of the museum is to break stigmas surrounding female anatomy and health, and to bring systemic misogyny, in all its forms, under scrutiny.

The first exhibit I encountered was The Museum of Mankind, a satirical spin on museums and their artifacts traditionally "discovered" and described by men who may not be of the culture in focus. The collection was set up double sided: One side was a fictional future museum where a man badly described and categorized items dealing with women's health and trans rights. The other side gave accurate identification of objects while also supplying the viewer with information on real realms of historical studies where male researchers failed to take female views and ideas into account to their own, eventual, discredit. Additionally, little snippets of information was given pertaining to the history of centering the male experience as standard, especially White men, leading to faulty scientific and historical claims that were accepted as truth far too long. 

All images credit to The Vagina Museum, UK.

After this exhibit, I went upstairs to view the permanent installations. The From A to V installation is focused on female genitalia and all the forms it can take. This exhibit included a wall of explicit photographs that were freely taken, yet which I did not feel comfortable taking. Helpful felt models of both internal and external genitalia were accompanied by labels and information. Information on health and proper care was provided, along with notes about how this information should be standard and freely accessible without any taboo or stigma involved.  

 All images credited to The Vagina Museum, UK.

There was another, much smaller room dedicated to cervical screenings, their importance, and how they can be redesigned to make patients feel more comfortable. Included in this room was a copy of a current NHS letter to a patient alerting them that it was time for a cervical screening, formerly known as a pap smear. Not far away was a mock up of a new letter, one that was jovial and inviting, that said the same basic things but in a less off putting manner. Cervical screenings can save lives, and anything that encourages and promotes this, while actively working to improve patient care, has my approval

My only disappointment with this museum is that I cannot bring it back to the US with me. I am hopeful that despite past, and current, hardships, the museum finds its foothold in this community and continues to offer community support and education. While not much, I did make a purchase in their shop during my visit, both to commemorate this and to offer a bit of support. 

Young V&A

 The Young V&A is a Victoria & Albert museum dedicated to the study of childhood. This free museum serves as both a children's museum, with play areas and spaces to move about, and a research museum, with countless artifacts behind glass. I found the collection to be reminiscent of the Strong Museum of Play in Rochester, New York, which I had the pleasure of visiting five years ago. 

"Small Worlds" exhibit, Young V&A

"Small Worlds" exhibit, Young V&A

"Small Worlds" exhibit, Young V&A

This museum featured items related to childhood and play that came from many cultures and eras, and covered a variety of topics. Individual collections looked at dress up and the history of performance costume, or games and the progression of board games over the ages. One room was a variety of dollhouses of many styles and ages, which combined to make a whole city. Another room held a variety of artifacts related to letters of the alphabet or colors of the rainbow, surrounded by soft toys and play spots for young children. 

Artifacts listed by alphabet, accessible on multiple levels for multiple stages of being. Exhibit in the Young V&A.

This is a museum I would love to return to, for multiple reasons. I enjoy games, gaming, and all things childhood, both as a mother and a perpetual child myself. Even more than that, I feel that play and "childish things" are too rarely given the respect they need. Childhood is very literally the start of life and the formative time for all humans. Society exists because childhood exists, and impacts made on childhood heavily impact society. This can be seen through sociological studies, through shared nostalgia, and through people's held mindsets over what they were or weren't taught as children. In my mind, the study of childhood is vital to the study of humankind and all of its works. The imagery a child sees becomes the art an adult produces. The words a child hears, or doesn't here and wishes to, become the words of an author. The songs a child sings with friends become the bonding joke for a group of adults just meeting. This work is important and I am beyond thrilled to have had the opportunity to take a short trip into this beautiful space. 

The design book for Settlers of Catan, otherwise known as one of the games I always win. Exhibit at the Young V&A.

The Landlord's Game, progenitor of Monopoly! I have heard of this game but never seen a copy in real life. I was incredibly excited to view a thing of legend. Exhibit at the Young V&A.

An Introduction to the Incredible Mind of Beatrix Potter

 Today our group did things a little differently. We met early as normal, but for the second time on this trip we stayed in the building, heading into Marylebone Hall to attend a lecture in a classroom. Our guest today was Andrew P. Wiltshire, who greeted everyone with a handshake and a, "hi, I'm Andrew." Mr. Wiltshire has given many speeches about Beatrix Potter, her code writing, and the family friend Leslie Linder who broke the code and published Beatrix Potter's journals. 

Over the course of his lecture, Mr. Wiltshire discussed Beatrix Potter's life, including her family background, childhood, education, and upbringing. Her code writing began in her young teens and continued on over the years, concealing her thoughts on family friends, relations, trends at the time, and other such items that could have gotten her in trouble should anyone be capable of reading it. By breaking the code and translating her journal, this offered not just an insight to the mindset of a famous author, but also another view on that time period and the people she came in contact with. On top of her famous stories, her code writing, and her beautiful art style, Beatrix Potter was also scientific and did independent research along with her art. 

One part that struck me during this lecture was a story about Beatrix Potter attempting to submit a paper on mycology to the Kew Research Center, which was headed by known misogynist William Thistleton. Potter's paper has been lost to time (whether accidentally or not), however Mr. Wiltshire noted that scientists looking at Potter's mycological research felt that should she have continued with support, she may have discovered penicillin well before the world wars, saving countless lives. This continues a theme we find throughout history, where oppression of one group hurts all groups yet still occurs so those in power can keep the status quo. 

After discussing Beatrix Potter, Mr. Wiltshire went on to discuss researching Leslie Linder and his sister Enid Linder. He made many points about connections: their connections with the Potters, his connections with them, his connections with Kew, and Potter's connections with Kew. We will be seeing Mr. Wiltshire again in a couple days for our tour of Kew Gardens, and I am sure he will have many fun tales to tell us at that time! 

Note: Because of the nature of copyrighted materials, I did not take photos during today's lecture. Instead I have included links to publicly available websites and images. 

A few hours in Oxford

 Today's excursion involved a bus trip to Oxford to visit Christ Church and have a few hours to explore the city. Tour guide Gary again accompanied us, discussing some of what we were seeing, answering questions, and leading us around locations. Unfortunately, the unending heat and large crowds made it difficult for many people in our group to make the most of their trip today. Even so, we were able to view quite a bit of history and some local flair as well. 

The city of Oxford is an important location for a variety of fan bases and scholarly groups. This is the site of the Bodleian Library and the History of Science Museum, which helped to set the standards for libraries and museums respectively. For fans of classic literature, this area produced J. R. Tolkien, C. S. Lewis, and Lewis Carroll, all of whom developed their famous tales while residing in Oxford. Fans of Harry Potter can find sections of Christ Church and the Bodleian Library that served as inspiration or actual filming locations. The city is rife with significance for so very many people, all within a walkable distance.

Our official tour began at Christ Church, with audio headsets allowing us to listen and wander at our own pace. We were unable to see every bit of the normally public area as exams are happening. It had not occurred to me beforehand that this was still very much a working University, with people living, studying, and simply existing in an historic building open to tourists. I was glad that the tour prioritized student needs over tourist desires and kept some areas closed off as needed. 

After our tour of Christ Church, we took a walking tour around the streets of Oxford. The main goal of this tour was the Bodleian Library, which we could not enter as a tour. Our guide did lead us around and tell us the significance of places we were seeing, which was very helpful. Even walking past old buildings and graves was enough to place this area as historic and important!

After the official walking tour, we were free to discover Oxford for ourselves for a few hours. All of us had made plans earlier on what we would do with our time, in a place with so much to see. Ultimately though, the day was hot and we were tired. The historic covered market drew most of us in for shopping, snacks, or lunch. Some classmates headed to museums, but a large number of us found our way to Blackwell's, home of the largest book basement in the UK. This shop also contained many rare and famous books, including a first edition Lord of the Rings for 20,000 pounds. 

Our scattered group made their way back together again by 3pm for the ride back to London. This trip was certainly more touristy than academic, but that is needed sometimes and I enjoyed myself. I would love to take another, longer trip to Oxford, perhaps in a cooler month, to explore the city at my leisure. For now, this taste of Oxford was enough. 

It was sunny....

It was hot

We had a goal. Christ Church. 

Our tour guide, who got to try to lead us while also trying to secure our entry.

The ante-hall at Christ Church. These steps were one of many filming locations for Harry Potter, as well as other shows and movies. 

The Great Hall, which inspired the Hall in Harry Potter. It still serves as a meal room today, after 500 years of use.

The Cathedral was covered in stained glass. 

The oldest stone spire in the UK.

This particular duck was posing for us. 

This particular crow was also posing for us. 

People were burned here after refusing to renounce their faith.

Bridge of Sighs. 

The Radcliffe Camera, an historic location hosting a modern protest aimed at ending the Palestinian genocide. 

A teapot as inspired by the Alice stories, in the covered market.

First edition Lord of the Rings. 

The Black Cultural Archives

In the afternoon of Sunday, June 23rd, we had the opportunity to visit the Black Cultural Archives. This was not a formal visit, and so we were allowed to choose whether we attended and when. This museum was small and sparse, yet the history of the area is rich and the mission of the BCA is vital to the non-white community that has been living in London for generations. 

Built in Brixton in South London, the BCA celebrates and amplifies Black British history. The museum sits in Windrush Square, so named for the Windrush Generation, a whole generation of Caribbean immigrants who were promised a good life in England but instead were met with racism and resistance. The displays available for viewing by the public at the time of our visit were focused on stories from the Windrush Generation and their descendants, as well as other Black, frequently Caribbean immigrants. The stories told of casual racism, housing discrimination, and police brutality are hauntingly similar to those we here in the US. The multi-modal way of telling stories, with art, poetry, recorded videos, and spoken word, created an impact. The current exhibition, Ties that Bind, exemplifies this well, telling a story of pain, fear, resilience, and healing. 

My only complaint was not being able to see more of the physical archives and a dearth of digitized materials available off site. I may see if I can find a way to access any of their holdings before the week is up. 

A statue dedicated to Claudia Vera Jones. 

Out front sits one of the 103 globes created by The World Reimagined. 

A visual on mental health impacts on the Windrush Generation.

One of many covers turned into posters in the halls. 

Information on further research.