Ukuvuselelwa KweBritish Museum

NGUMLOBELI WE-PHAPHAMA! EBRITHANI

IBritish Museum yaseLondon yamukela izivakashi ezibalelwa ezigidini eziyisithupha minyaka yonke. Esikhathini esingangonyaka esidlule, yandiswa ngamaphesenti angu-40 ukuze ikwazi ukwamukela lezi zixuku. Kwenzeka kanjani lokhu?

Umtapo wezincwadi waseBritish Museum kanye nayo iBritish Museum kwavulwa ngo-1759 ukuze umphakathi ukwazi ukukusebenzisa. Isakhiwo okukuso manje saqedwa ngo-1852. Kodwa ngo-1997, umtapo wezincwadi, owaziwa ngokuthi iBritish Library, wathuthela esakhiweni esisha esiseduze, wahamba nezincwadi eziyizigidi ezingu-12 namashumi ezinkulungwane zemibhalo yesandla nezigxivizo. Lokhu kuthutha kwavulela iBritish Museum indlela yokwanda ngokuvula igceke eliphakathi—elalivaliwe ukuba umphakathi ungene kulo cishe iminyaka engu-150!

Indawo evelele yaleli gceke elingasenalutho, ebizwa ngokuthi iGreat Court, kwakuyigumbi okuthiwa iReading Room elinophahla oluyindingilizi. Kusukela yaqala ukuba khona ngo-1857, le Reading Room iye yaba yindawo enhle yokusebenza kubacwaningi abavela kuwo wonke umhlaba. UMohandas Gandhi, uCharles Darwin noKarl Marx bangabanye babantu abadumile abake basebenzela kulo mtapo wezincwadi wodumo onokuthula. Umphakathi ubuqala ngqá ukuvulelwa leli gumbi. Manje lineqoqo lemiqulu engu-25 000 yalo mnyuziyamu.

Uphahla oluyindingilizi lwaleli gumbi lodumo luye lwavuselelwa. IGreat Court, kuhlanganise neReading Room, manje kunophahla oluhle lwangaphakathi olunesisindo esingamathani angu-800. Luwuphahla lwensimbi olunonxantathu bengilazi abangu-3 312, ubukhulu bukanxantathu ngamunye buye baklanywa ngokucophelela nge-computer.

KuyiReading Room, manje iBritish Museum yenza ukwazi ukufinyelela ezinkulungwaneni zamagugu ayo abizayo nge-computer. I-Times yaseLondon yabiza lesi sikhungo esivuselelwe ngokuthi ubuciko. Izivakashi nazo ziyavuma!

[Imithombo Yesithombe ekhasini 31]

Center top and bottom: Copyright The British Museum; all others: Copyright Nigel Young/The British Museum