In this intriguing insight into the work and history of a museum, V&A director and historian Dr Tristram Hunt brings together ten renowned V&A curators to tell the stories behind ten of their most treasured objects. ‘Tipu’s Tiger’ (an almost life-size wooden semi-automaton mauling a European soldier), the ‘Great Bed of Ware’ (an Elizabethan bed for 8 people) and a Shakespeare First Folio are among the featured highlights whose route to the V&A collections are entertainingly revealed.
Through these stories, this insightful history of museum curation – a world of careful study and sometimes remarkable fortuity – shows how the priorities of a museum are shaped and change over time.
Published to explore in more depth some of the stories featured in the BBC six part series, Secrets of the Museum
- ISBN: 9781851779727
- Editor: Tristram Hunt
- Measurements: 19.4 x 3.1 x 23.4cm
- Format: Hardback
- Pages: 256