The British Museum can’t catch a break. Following the scandal around an alleged huge theft, it’s also beset by room closures due to their poor condition. This month it is 10 years since the museum’s famous library, housed under the dome in the centre of the Great Court, closed its doors and became a storage and handling space for the museum’s archives.
Historian Simon Schama is among those missing it. “That Reading Room made me an historian,” he said. “So many powerful memories.” The room was a favourite of figures including Karl Marx, Lenin and Arthur Conan Doyle. We hear that bosses are frustrated, and have recently started small public tours. Meanwhile, rival reading rooms are getting better press: The London Library welcomed actor Tom Hanks for a visit this week.
Elsewhere, the galleries housing the Parthenon marbles are closed this week, with a sign outside describing planned maintenance work. Leaks have been reported in the past.
Caprice and Piers discuss Brand at awards
Russell Brand was the talk of the Sun’s Who Cares Wins awards in Camden last night. Katherine Ryan, who has criticised the comic, was there, as was model Caprice, whose MTV interview with Brand was in the Dispatches show as an example of his lewd behaviour.
Caprice told us she now “can’t remember” the chat, but that culture now and then is like “night and day”, with more accountability, but with less “freedom of speech”. Piers Morgan weighed in, too, telling us: “Criminal allegations are being made… and the women should be respected.” He also warned against a “tribal” social media response, arguing that due process should take its course. Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer and his wife Victoria also went.
Ukrainian fashion hits capital
With its Kyiv billing cancelled indefinitely by the ongoing war, Ukrainian Fashion Week relocated to the capital again to coincide with London’s fashion extravaganza. We noticed particularly good use of blues and yellows.
Three Ukrainian designers — Ksenia Schnaider, Nadya Dzyak and Elena Reva — showcased their work on a catwalk in the Selfridges building yesterday. “This show is our manifestation of will,” boomed a voiceover as the models, right, emerged and the show began.
“All these clothes are created in Ukraine,” Dzyak told us, adding: “our people are very talented and brave.” Reva said: “I would like to introduce to people our culture.”
Schnaider explained she’d used new tech for inspiration. “We took all our designs for 13 years and we put it into AI and it somehow recreates new designs based on our silhouettes,” she added. They warmly thanked London for the hospitality. There in support were Ukrainian popstars the Bloom Twins.
