The UK’s first dedicated LGBTQ+ museum is to open in London this summer. Peter Parker considers what aspects of queer history it will put on show.
In 2017, the 50th anniversary of the partial decriminalisation of homosexuality was celebrated in several British museums, galleries and libraries. Tate Britain led the way with its ‘Queer British Art’ exhibition, while there were smaller displays of historical artworks, objects, books and documents at the British Museum, the British Library, Senate House Library and other venues. Major galleries and museums in Britain now actively encourage visitors to explore LGBTQ+ art and history. The British Museum provides an ‘object trail’ for visitors to follow, taking in such items as the Warren Cup, a piece of Graeco-Roman silver graphically depicting two pairs of male lovers, and a pair of 18th-century chocolate cups commemorating the Ladies of Llangollen. Tate similarly invites us to ‘Discover LGBTQ+ artists and art’ online, with images from the collection and stories to go with them, including an online video aimed at children. Equivalent initiatives have been adopted by other leading museums and galleries in Brighton, Liverpool, Glasgow, Belfast and Cardiff.
The charity Queer Britain is now opening this country’s first LGBTQ+ museum in London’s Granary Square. Apart from a press release announcing that the museum ‘aims […] to be a fully inclusive space that celebrates the stories, people and places that are so intrinsic to the queer community in the UK, and beyond’, no one is yet talking to the press about what exactly it might do or display in its four galleries...Keep reading on Apollo Magazine.
In 2017, the 50th anniversary of the partial decriminalisation of homosexuality was celebrated in several British museums, galleries and libraries. Tate Britain led the way with its ‘Queer British Art’ exhibition, while there were smaller displays of historical artworks, objects, books and documents at the British Museum, the British Library, Senate House Library and other venues. Major galleries and museums in Britain now actively encourage visitors to explore LGBTQ+ art and history. The British Museum provides an ‘object trail’ for visitors to follow, taking in such items as the Warren Cup, a piece of Graeco-Roman silver graphically depicting two pairs of male lovers, and a pair of 18th-century chocolate cups commemorating the Ladies of Llangollen. Tate similarly invites us to ‘Discover LGBTQ+ artists and art’ online, with images from the collection and stories to go with them, including an online video aimed at children. Equivalent initiatives have been adopted by other leading museums and galleries in Brighton, Liverpool, Glasgow, Belfast and Cardiff.
The charity Queer Britain is now opening this country’s first LGBTQ+ museum in London’s Granary Square. Apart from a press release announcing that the museum ‘aims […] to be a fully inclusive space that celebrates the stories, people and places that are so intrinsic to the queer community in the UK, and beyond’, no one is yet talking to the press about what exactly it might do or display in its four galleries...Keep reading on Apollo Magazine.