Lives of the Founders of the British Museum, Part 2 of 2: With Notices of Its Chief Augmentors and Other Benefactors, 1570-1870.Edwards, Edward
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Lives of the Founders of the British Museum, Part 2 of 2: With Notices of Its Chief Augmentors and Other Benefactors, 1570-1870.
Edwards, Edward
Book collectors -- Great Britain; British Museum
XL. _Hall_, fifty-six feet by seventeen.—Here might be an entrance
from Charlotte Street, which on many occasions would furnish a
convenient relief to the principal entrance to the Museum. It would
open immediately into the Rotunda, and through the vista beyond would
be seen, in the distance, the cast of the colossal head from
Abousimbul. Within the two abutments of the Rotunda would be recesses
for the attendants to sell catalogues, receive umbrellas, &c.
[Sidenote: SECOND ROMAN ROOM.]
XLI. _Second Roman or Iconographical Room_, fifty-four feet by
twenty-eight, without the alcoves.—This would contain the series of
portrait statues and busts, in chronological order. The west, or dark
side of the room, could only be used for very inferior sculptures.
[Sidenote: THIRD ROMAN ROOM.]
XLII. _Third (or Anglo-) Roman Room_, the same size as the preceding,
for Roman monuments found in this country. The rude character of many
would admit of placing them on the west side.
[Sidenote: FOURTH ROMAN ROOM.]
XLIII. _Fourth Roman or Sepulchral Room_, eighty-two feet by
twenty-six, containing Roman sarcophagi for which the west side might
be partially available, and sepulchral cippi, and inscriptions. At the
north-east angle would be a Columbarium, twenty-three feet by
fourteen, fitted up like that in the present Sepulchral Basement Room,
but with the advantage of a skylight.
[Then follows a Summary of Accommodation provided in the plan for
Roman Sculptures, amounting to a superficial area (without alcoves) of
eight thousand five hundred and fifty-eight square feet, and seven
hundred and seventeen linear feet of wall-space.]
[Sidenote: MEANS OF FUTURE ENLARGEMENT.]
The first three rooms, when their contents sufficiently increased,
would admit of an easy alteration, which would not merely increase the
wall-space, but much improve the lighting, by simply inserting
transverse walls between each window. Against these walls the
sculptures would have a true side light, whilst those against the east
wall would be protected from double lights. It may even be doubted
whether such an arrangement should not be adopted in the first
instance, without waiting till the additional accommodation is
actually required.
[Sidenote: PHŒNICIAN ROOM.]
XLIV. _Phœnician Room_, twenty-six feet square.—Here would be the
_stelæ_ and bas-reliefs from Carthage and its vicinity, with the few
Punic inscriptions which we possess. The room contains six hundred and
seventy-six superficial feet, and eighty-eight of wall-space.
[Sidenote: SUPPLEMENTAL ROOM.]
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