1936 On the Continent

costumes and masks, ivory carvings, wrought silver and gold, Italian sculptures, whole streets of shops representing the commerce of past centuries, form an apparently endless spectacle, and when the visitor thinks he has seenmost of it he may find himself only at the beginning. There are people who visit the Victoria and Albert Museum once or twice every week of their lives, and are after decades still not in a position to say that they have seen everything. How, then, could a visitor to London who has only a limited amount of time at his disposal for the purpose undertake the task of “doing” everything? The visitor cannot do better than select a small section that appeals to him most, and enjoy the immense wealth stored in this mightiest of treasure-houses through a small portion of it.
    The Victoria and Albert Museum must not be omitted from your programme; but there are other museums in South Kensington among which you may make a choice according to your particular interests or predilections. If you are interested in natural history, there is the Natural History Museum; if technical development is close to your heart, you will be attracted to the Science Museum; lovers of the Far East can revel in the exhibits of the India Museum. The latest accretion to the museum district is the Geological Museum, which was transferred from Jermyn Street only a few years ago.
Imperial Institute
    There is one museum, the Imperial Institute, that could only exist in London. The Institute, with its vast collections, embodies the greatness of the British Empire. It represents the life and work of all the countries and nations in the five continents that are united in one vast commonwealth under the British Crown.
    The Imperial War Museum, which was originally in this district, has been transferred to a new home in Lambeth Road, south of the Thames. The museum is also a memorial of the Great War.
Other Museums
    But this by no means exhausts the number of London’s museums. The purpose of the United Services Museum and the Naval Museum in Greenwich is sufficiently described by their names. Then there are a few museums, like the Wallace Collection in Manchester Square and the Soane Museum in Lincoln’s Inn which, with theircollections of pictures and art treasures, are among the most attractive of London’s multitude of museums owing to their private and intimate character. These collections have been left in their original environment where they had been accumulated by their artistically minded owners.
    In contrast to these patrician houses of Old London, the Horniman Museum, which is situated in Forest Hill, rather far from the centre of London, makes an impression of modernity. This museum is devoted to exhibits relating to Natural History, particularly Anthropology and Zoology and, in addition, to the arts and crafts of primitive peoples. The Ken Wood Museum, which lies hidden in Hampstead Heath, was the private residence of Lord Iveagh, and was, together with its art treasures, including some fine portraits by English painters of the nineteenth century, presented to the nation, like the other private museums mentioned above.
Guildhall Museum
    The history of London is represented in the collections of the Guildhall, in the City, and the London Museum. The latter is housed in a fine building, which was formerly known as Lancaster House, and was purchased by the first Lord Leverhulme and presented to the nation.
    No other city in the world can boast of anything like the generosity of the citizens of London, where voluntary donations and foundations have in many cases relieved the State of expensive tasks. The London Museum, whose most interesting treasures include a collection of Coronation robes, and a touching collection of toys, is unique among London museums, in that its lovely rooms are sometimes used for State functions and first-class concerts of chamber music. As the visitor will be sure to be wandering about in the vicinity of St. James’s Palace he should not omit to pay at least a brief visit to the London Museum which gives such a vivid picture of London’s past.
National Gallery
    Among the picture galleries, the leading place belongs to the National Gallery in Trafalgar Square, which with its collections of English, Dutch and Italian masters, is one of the most complete picture galleries in existence.
    The Tate Gallery, Millbank, is one of the finest collections of modern paintings, though the word “modern”