Crossrail’s Portals To The Past Exhibition
Crossrail have opened another exhibition called Portals To The Past, showing the various archaeological discoveries they have made.
It wasn’t as large as last year’s exhibition, but nevertheless, if you’re in the area it’s worth a look.
There was also a knowledgeable engineer answering questions.
Crossrail Are Running Another Archaeology Exhibition
Last year Crossrail showed off all of their archaeological finds. now they are running another exhibition, to show the latest discoveries.
If it’s half as good as last year’s event, it will be unmissable.
Crossrail Don’t Just Dig Tunnels
This report on the BBC, gives the latest progress on the archaeology program, that runs alongside Crossrail. Similar reports have also turned up all over the world including this one from India. So perhaps Crossrail is showing the world how to dig in more ways than one!
You have to congratulate Crossrail on their attitude to the past, which seems to be much better than other projects.
I suppose you could also be cynical, and say that they see the public relations as beneficial to getting the project done on time, as it minimises objections.
But who cares, if the project comes in on or under budget? Everybody!
The Mary Rose And The Vasa Compared
In many ways comparing these two preserved ships is a bit like being asked to judge between two great actors, artists or musicians, who is the best.
In some ways to appreciate either, you must see the other one, as I have done in the last few weeks.
The Vasa is obviously more complete and in a better state, due to being a hundred or so years younger and being in the less destructive waters of the Baltic. Compare my pictures of the Vasa with those of the Mary Rose.
One big difference, is that when the Vasa sunk, it was almost an empty ship as it had not been fully victualled, whereas the Mary Rose was a ship full of supplies and artefacts, so it gives valuable insight into Tudor life. The two museums reflect this difference.
In some ways though it is best to almost consider the Vasa and the Mary Rose as two separate galleries in the same museum. Add in HMS Victory and HMS Warrior, with perhaps a visit to HMS Belfast and you have an almost complete living history of warship design.
In some ways though, those that work on both the Mary Rose and the Vasa are very close and a lot of the preservation techniques have been used on both vessels. If we ever find and raise another ancient wooden ship, we probably have the knowledge and competence to show it to everyone’s advantage.
The design and architecture of both museums may also find applications in other areas of archaeology, where we need to show delicate items.
If You Want Good Publicity, Black Death Is A Surprisingly Good Idea
I have a Google News alert for Crossrail and today, it flagged up nine stories on the web.
Eight of these were about the story I reported on yesterday, about the finding of a cemetery for plague victims.
Usually, companies try to disassociate themselves from death and other dark stories.
If you’re wondering the other story, was about Crossrail driving up residential property prices. But then rising property prices are a good news story in many peoples’ minds.
Tunnelling Through Black Death
Crossrail has come across some unusual going on its tunnelling throuygh London. According to this article, they have hit a Black Death burial pit. Here’s a couple of paragraphs.
A burial ground was known to be in an area outside the City of London, but its exact location remained a mystery.
Thirteen bodies have been found so far in the 5.5m-wide shaft at the edge of Charterhouse Square, alongside pottery dated to the mid-14th Century.
Analysis will shed light on the plague and the Londoners of the day.
You have to admire the way that Europe’s biggest project is handling the archaeology.
Strangely, I can’t remember any of the excavations finding any unexploded ordnance from the Second World War.
Crossrail Is Not Just About Digging Tunnels
Crossrail in my view is a rather unique project. This report on the BBC shows an archaeological side.
Judging by the large number who turned up at the pop-up exhibition, it would appear to be money well spent.
Bison to Bedlam or How To Make Friends
CrossRail is the biggest project in Europe and sometimes I get annoyed with it, as the works in the City around Liverpool Street do cause a lot of diversions to the 21 and141 buses I use to get to a lot of places. Sometimes, I call the project AngryRail as that’s how it makes me feel.
But they know the problems they are causing and they do their best to mitigate them, be it by green walls or other means.
I have just received an e-mail from the company about the staging of their pop-up exhibition; Bison to Bedlam for a month in October.
They are giving talks on the Wednesdays and offering prizes for visitors.
Prize 1:
A Young Friends pass from the British Museum – includes annual YF Membership (the child receives magazines, a birthday card etc), two tickets to sleepover in the museum, two tickets to attend an activity event organised at the museum.
Prize 2:
An annual family membership card that covers entry into the Tower of London, Hampton Court Palace, the Banqueting House Kensington Palace and Kew Palace.
They don’t seem to me to be bad prizes.
My only worry about the exhibition is that if the numbers who turned up at the pop-up version is anything to go by, is a month long enough?
When they have completed the railway, and collected a lot more valuable finds, they all need to be properly displayed, together with displays about the engineering. Perhaps there should be a CrossRail museum at Whitechapel?
CrossRail’s Archaeology Exhibition Is Back By Popular Demand
I saw CrossRail’s pop-up archaeology exhibition; Bison to Bedlam, a few month’s ago and it was one of the most interesting exhibitions I’ve ever seen. Especially, as it was put together at short notice.
They have now decided to bring it back by popular demand. Here’s an extract from their press release.
The exhibition will be held at the Crossrail Visitors Information Centre at Tottenham Court Road from 2 October to 27 October on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 11am to 7pm and Saturdays from 10am to 5pm. Crossrail’s Tottenham Court Road Visitor Information Centre is located at 16-18 St Giles High Street, WC2H 8LN.
It will be worth going again.
I suspect this exhibition could run and run.
Bison to Bedlam
This was the archaeology story for CrossRail, that I mentioned earlier. I took these pictures.
The sad thing was that it is an exhibition for one day only. The work done deserves to be seen by many more. And it would be if it was shown again, as it really drew in the crowd.
The Anonymous Widower 