#OnThisDay in 1936 The #CrystalPalace in #london burned down. Here is a plan of the layout of the site & photos by A Talbot before & after the fire from @britishmuseum #archive #britishmuseum

#EYAYourArchive @britishmuseum #archive documents the entire 270+ years’ history of the Museum, from its building, its staff, its collections & so much more. #britishmuseum #exploreyourarchive

#EYAAnimals The first time camelopards (giraffes) were seen in England was @britishmuseum in the 1830s. Here they are on the staircase of the Museum, & a description of their display in 1835 from the #britishmuseum guidebook. #archives #ExploreYourArchive

Just found this - #ErnestShackleton requested access to the @britishmuseum Reading Room in 1900 to research whirlpools before his Discovery expedition in 1901! #BritishMuseum #archive #ExploreYourArchive

#EYAhuge #ExploreYourArchive The biggest thing in @britishmuseum #archive is this phased site plan for archaeological investigations at Mucking in the 1970s. (Staff legs/feet for scale!) #BritishMuseum #archive

The smallest item in the #archive @BritishMuseum is a note written by Sir Hans Sloane, whose collection founded the Museum, requesting payment for a bill in 1723. It is about 75mm x 50mm - & we don’t know what the bill was for! #ExploreYourArchives #EYATiny #BritishMuseum

Preparing to present archive material at a big work event on Wednesday - @britishmuseum #roundreadingroom #britishmuseum #archives #archivesdisplay #exploreyourarchive

The first illustrated guide to @britishmuseum was created by Jan (John) van Rymsdyk & his son Andrew in 1778. It’s filled with engravings & descriptions of objects in the #BritishMuseum, which then included @NHM_London & @britishlibrary collections. #museum #library #archive

The @britishmuseum had a #clowder of #cats, brought in to manage the pigeons, for many years until they became more of an issue than the birds! They traumatised visitors on occasion by catching pigeons & eating them on the forecourt… #NationalCatDay #BritishMuseum #archive

In 1852 the @BritishMuseum had to make representations to #Parliament to request more space for the collections. In the #archive, the bound volume of papers include plans & drawings of what was required, including designs for the Round Reading Room. #britishmuseum #BritishLibrary

#NationalCatDay @britishmuseum once had many 🐈‍⬛ on the premises & had its own Cat Society for almost 90 years. Here are a selection from the 1980s, but not forgetting the famous Mike c.1920. #britishmuseum #archive #cats

The Trustees of @britishmuseum agreed their new seal at a meeting in April 1755. Here is a plaster cast of it, with an explanation of its design on the back, and an impression of its early use in 1760 by Museum Secretary Charles Morton #BritishMuseum #archive #exploreyourarchive

The @britishmuseum , as a Government building, was required to hoist a flag on officially designated flag days, such as the #KingsBirthday. Here is the official guidance, given to the #BritishMuseum trustees in 1913. #TroopingTheColour #FlagDays #archives

#BritishMuseum #archive for #pigeonappreciationday @britishmuseum has a complicated and sometimes difficult relationship with #pigeons. These images show pigeons in the forecourt in the 1940s, where they were being appreciated!

This is a page from one of Sir Hans Sloane’s catalogues of his collection - part of the founding collection of #BritishMuseum in 1753. I particularly like the reference to a philosopher’s stone! #HarryPotter #archives @britishmuseum #exploreyourarchive

It’s #SirDavidAttenborough ‘s 98th birthday today! A former Trustee of @britishmuseum , here he is with #KingCharlesIII at an event at the Museum in the 1980s. Happy Birthday Sir David! #BritishMuseum #archive

#Archive30 #WhyArchives @britishmuseum #archive is vast & of exceptional importance. Without it we wouldn’t know about our history or the history of the collection: who visited the reading rooms, records of our collection & history of our building #britishmuseum

#Archive30 #PopularItem This lovely early 20th C plan showing the arrangement of the #library collection of the @britishmuseum in the Round Reading Room has been very popular recently! #britishlibrary #BritishMuseum #archive @britishlibrary