A MUSEUM VISIT

Oxford has its share of curious and grand museums, although my two favorites are closed for renovation -- the Pitt Rivers and the Ashmoleum. I wrote about the Pitt Rivers in my previous blog: www.eurospring05.blogspot.com. My son and I decided to try a different one recently -- the Museum of the History of Science, located next to the remarkable round structure of the Sheldonian Theatre. It turns out this ancient building was the site of the original Ashmoleum, but it now houses a fascinating and rather bizarre collection of scientific instruments and other technological gadgets, some almost 1000 years old.

What I found most moving was how beautiful many of these items are. They seem to have been designed and produced in an era that celebrated the artfulness of science. They could be proudly displayed in someone's living room (or drawing room, as the case may be). I've included photos of a few of the items we saw.