Science Museum London

March 16 2025

Science Museum has Brought Versailles to London – Versailles: Science and Splendour Exhibition

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Open until the 21^st April, 2025, Science Museum London is hosting an includible exhibition about how the development of scientific knowledge was used to extend influence and prestige of France in the world during the 17^th and 18^th centuries.

@urbanadventurerldn

𝓥𝓮𝓻𝓼𝓪𝓲𝓵𝓵𝓮𝓼: 𝓢𝓬𝓲𝓮𝓷𝓬𝓮 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓢𝓹𝓵𝓮𝓷𝓭𝓸𝓾𝓻 – exhibition at @sciencemuseumlondon 🌞 [MORE INFO IN BIO] The exhibition offers a unique opportunity for visitors to discover hundreds of original items, paintings, scientific objects and instruments, over 40 of which are borrowed from the collections of Versailles #versailles #sciencemuseum #france🇫🇷 #frenchhistory #scienceexperiments #historytok #exhibition #londontiktok #CapCut

♬ This Madame is Versailles – Antoinebn

Artworks and Scientific Objects Straight from the Collections of Versailles

Photo: Urban Adventurer

‘Versailles: Science and Splendour’ offers a unique opportunity to discover hundreds of original items, paintings, scientific objects and instruments, over 40 of which are borrowed from the collections of Versailles.

Photo: Urban Adventurer

Many artefacts, such as Louis XV’s rhinoceros, have never been exhibited in the United Kingdom before.

The World Most Famous Watch and a Map of the Moon by Cassini

Visitors have a rare opportunity to admire the world most famous watch designed for Marie Antoinette, and an incredibly detailed map of the Moon created by Jean-Dominique Cassini.

Who was Cassini

Image Source: sciencemuseum.org.uk

Jean-Dominique Cassini was an Italian born French astronomer. Cassini made a number of remarkable scientific discoveries, including being the first to discover and observe four of Saturn’s moons, he discovered the ‘Cassini Division’ (he discovered that Saturn’s ring was not just a giant ring, but was composed of multiple smaller rings with gaps between them), and he shared the credit with Robert Hooke for the discovery of Jupiter’s Great Red Spot in 1665.

Hearing Cassini’s discoveries, Louis XVI invited him to Paris in 1699 to join the newly formed Académie des Sciences.

In 1997, a sophisticated robotic spacecraft was sent to study Saturn, its ring and Moons. This was Cassini – Huygens, named after Jean-Dominique Cassini and Christiaan Huygens, a Dutch astronomer, mathematician, engineer and inventor.

The World’s Most Famous Watch

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In 1783 a clockmaker, Abraham-Louis Breguet was given an unlimited budget to design and craft an exceptional watch for Queen Marie Antionette. Although, no records confirm, it may have been commissioned by a Swedish soldier-diplomat and close friend to the Queen, Axel von Fersen.

The timepiece was crafted from the finest materials, such as gold and sapphires. The watch was being worked on over 40(!) years, it has 823 parts, and beyond basic functions, Breguet added a range of additional features, including self-winding mechanism, calendar for date, day and month (corrected to account of leap years), and bimetallic thermometer.

Unfortunately, the crafting was interrupted by the French Revolution and the watch was not completed until the 1820s, long after Marie Antionette’s death in 1793.

Science as a Tool of Political Power and Prestige

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The exhibition dives deep into the chronicle of 120 years of scientific evolution and showcases scientific marvels that have had significant influence over the modern world.

The exhibition reveals how Versailles – that had already been the beacon of scientific experimentation – became the centre of scientific research during in the 17^th and 18^th century.

Science in that time, however, was not just about mere curiosity, but a tool of political power and prestige.

A Voyage Around the Globe

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Visitors will learn about the voyage of discovery around the globe, led by Jean-François de Galaup, Count of La Pérouse.

La Pérouse had caught Louis XVI’s attention as a naval officer participated in the action against England in the American War of Independence.

In 1785 Louis XVI commissioned him to lead the voyage of scientific discovery around the world.

Louis XVI was fascinated by the discoveries of Captain James Cook so much that he even had a French translation of ‘A Voyage Towards the South Pole, and Round the World’ originally by James Cook, Tobias Furneaux, and Johann Reinhold Forster. This book is on display at the exhibition.

Two ships set sail for the extraordinary adventure in 1785, each with 110 crew members, sailors and scientists, 350 barrels of food and 1,000 tons of equipment.

They were expected to return to France in the Summer of 1789, however, the King received no information about the ships’ whereabouts after they left Botany Bay in Australia in March 1788.

Louis XVI send a rescue mission, however, no avail.

It was not until 1826 when the shipwrecks discovered in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, near the Solomon Islands.

Photo: Urban Adventurer

‘Versailles: Science and Splendour’ exhibition features a ‘Map of the Pacific’ by Jean-Nicolas Buache de La Neuville (1785). The map was used to follow the journey and discoveries of La Pérouse while the court received updates. The map is also crisscrossed with lines showing previous European expeditions, including Captain Cook’s thee voyages.

Pioneer in Reducing Infant Mortality

Image Source: National Institutes of Health

Visitors will also meet Madame du Coudray, one of the first midwifes to teach the mechanics of giving birth using a teaching mannequin of a womb and a baby.

Madame du Coudray was hired by King Louis XV to travel across France and train midwifes to boost declining population and give capable soldiers to the country.

Madame du Coudray became the national midwife in 1759 and earned 8,000 lives a year.

Practical Info

Photo: Urban Adventurer

Address

Science Museum London | Exhibition Rd, South Kensington, London SW7 2DD

(Special Exhibition Gallery 2, Level 2)

Opening Times

Until 21 April 2025

Open daily: 10am – 5:40pm

Tickets

Tickets available on Science Museum London’s official website

Adult ticket is £12 WITH donation | £10.80 WITHOUT donation

Recommended Age

12+

Ready for your next adventure? Japan House London has recently opened their new exhibition: ‘The Craft of Carpentry: Drawing Life from Japan’s Forests’. The exhibition guides visitors through thousands of years of woodworking traditions behind teahouses, temples, shrines and the art of Japanese wood joinery famous for not using a single nail.

February 27 2024

Zimingzhong 凝时聚珍: Clockwork Treasures from China’s Forbidden City at the Science Museum London

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Major exhibition opened at the Science Museum London showcasing a unique collection of intricate clockworks collected by Chinese emperors. ‘Zimingzhong 凝时聚珍: Clockwork Treasures from China’s Forbidden City’ is a ‘pay-what-you-can’ exhibition with a minimum ticket price of £1.

@urbanadventurerldn

🤩 [BLOG POST IN BIO] You can visit this remarkable exhibition at Science Museum for just £1 @sciencemuseumlondon ‘𝘡𝘪𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘻𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘨 凝时聚珍: 𝘊𝘭𝘰𝘤𝘬𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬 𝘛𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘴 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘊𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘢’𝘴 𝘍𝘰𝘳𝘣𝘪𝘥𝘥𝘦𝘯 𝘊𝘪𝘵𝘺’ is showcasing a unique collection of intricate clockworks collected and cherished by Chinese emperors The collection counts 23 mechanical clcocks that have been kindly loaned from The Palace Museum in Beijing to be exhibited at the Science Museum London for a limited period of time 📍 Science Museum | Exhibition Rd, South Kensington, London SW7 2DD (Special Exhibition Gallery 2, Level 2) 📆 Until 2nd June 2024 🕰️ Open daily 10am – 6pm 🎟️ Science Museum understand that many are affected by the cost-of-living crisis these days. That’s why, this exhibition is operating on a pay-what-you-can basis with a minimum ticket price of £1 (with optional donation) #zimingzhong #sciencemuseumlondon #forbiddencity #clockwork #china #exhibition #londonmuseum

♬ original sound – Urban Adventurer

Mechanical Marvels Collected by Chinese Emperors

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‘Zimingzhong 凝时聚珍: Clockwork Treasures from China’s Forbidden City’ is a unique collection of 23 rare mechanical clocks, known as ‘Zimingzhong’ (translated as: ‘bells that ring themselves’) displayed exclusively together in the UK for the very first time.

These rare treasures were collected and cherished by Chinese emperors over the centuries and now the collection has been kindly loaned from The Palace Museum in Beijing to be exhibited at the Science Museum London for a limited period of time.

Photo: Urban Adventurer

The exhibition invites visitors to discover flamboyant aesthetics, intricate mechanics, sophisticated musical technology, and technical innovation.

The history of ‘Zimingzhong’ dates back to the Ming Dynasty (1368 – 1644) when, in the early 16^th century missionaries began presenting beautiful automatic clockworks to emperors seeking to ingratiate themselves in Chinese society.

Some of the first ‘Zimingzhongs’ were brought by Italian missionary, Matteo Ricci in the early 16^th century. Decades later emperors went on collecting those ‘foreign curiosities’.

Trade, Mechanics, Making & Design

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The exhibition has four different sections to cover: trade, mechanics, making and design.

The ‘Trade’ section explores the long trade route from London to China. The journey took a whole year for merchant ships to later return to London packed with sought-after goods, such as silk, tea, and porcelain. Beyond goods exchange, this was a unique cultural exchange of ideas and skills between the Eastern and the Western world.

Make sure you don’t miss the porcelain tea bowl and saucer found on a merchant ship that had sank in 1752 in the South China Sea.

As the demand of Chinese goods were extremely high, English merchants wanted to develop their own merchant trades by providing British-made luxury goods, such as ‘Zimingzhong’ as an exchange. As the British realised there were real interest in Zimingzhong, they started producing them in the hope to appeal the emperors.

Photo: Urban Adventurer

In the ‘Mechanics’ section luxurious mechanical clockworks are on display, including a beautiful piece of clock with mechanical lotus flowers that were made using Chinese and European technology.

The ‘Making’ section discovers the artistic and technical skills required for making ‘Zimingzhong’. In this section visitors have a chance to discover the inner working of the clocks and even touch and manipulate some of exhibition items.

Photo: Urban Adventurer

The ‘Design’ section explores how British craftsmen would produce ‘Zimingzhong’ for Chinese market. Often times, however, these craftsmen did not know much about Chinese culture. That’s why some of the clockworks reflect the lack of cultural understanding in their designs.

Photo: Urban Adventurer

Beyond the elaborated design, ‘Zimingzhong’ had a sophisticated music technology. The clocks often played popular European or Chinese songs, such as Chinese folk songs or ‘Jasmine Flower’ or ‘Rinaldo’ (1711) from George Frideric Handel. These songs are being played at the exhibition.

The decline of the ‘Zimingzhong’ begun in 1796 when Emperor Jiaqing decided that collecting and maintaining ‘Zimingzhong’ were waste of money. As a result, trade of these amazing clocks faded. China’s elite rulers in the Forbidden City, however, still continued using the clocks.

Practical Info

Photo: Urban Adventurer

Address

Science Museum | Exhibition Rd, South Kensington, London SW7 2DD

Special Exhibition Gallery 2, Level 2

Opening Times

Until 2^nd June 2024

Open daily 10am – 6pm

Tickets

Science Museum understand that many are affected by the cost-of-living crisis these days. That’s why, this exhibition is operating on a pay-what-you-can basis with a minimum ticket price of £1 (with optional donation).

Tickets can be purchased on the Science Museum’s website.

Recommended age 12+

Children under 11 go free

Ready for your next adventure? Fashion City exhibition at the Museum of London Docklands explores how Jewish designers shaped London to become a fashion capital by founding the biggest high street brands and dressing the most famous celebrities, such as Mick Jagger and David Bowie.

November 3 2022

Science Fiction: Voyage to the Edge of Imagination

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Science Museum recently opened their new immersive exhibition: ‘Science Fiction: Voyage to the Edge of Imagination’ to lead visitors through a scientific adventure.

MISSION GOAL: To investigate how scientists and sci-fi 
creators have inspired each other to visualize and 
build new worlds and explore future possibilities human world may hold.

Watch video tour here.

DEPARTURE

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Your journey starts in a spaceship taking you to an adventure to discover how fiction and science have inspired each other.

You’ll learn more about the first sci-fi movies about travelling to outer space as well as how movies inspired scientists to build hibernation capsules allowing humans to travel far across the universe.

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You’ll see original and replica space suits used in movies and real life, such the space suit worn in 2007 movie, ‘Sunshine’ or the replica space suit worn in the iconic 1979 ‘Alien’ movie directed by Ridley Scott.

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There is also a replica of U.S.S. Enterprise from ‘Star Trek’ created for the show’s 30^th anniversary in 1996. The replica is signed by actors, George Takei who played Sulu and Nichelle Nichols who played Uhura in the movie series.

THE MISSION

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You are guided through your galactical journey by an artificial intelligence, called A.L.A.N.N (Algorithmic Artificial Neutral Network). The mission is to observe humans, objects, items, and stories from the perspective of both science and science fiction and deeply analyse how the two fields have impacted human lives on Earth and figure out what future may hold for our species.

Photo: Urban Adventurer

Visitors are guided through scientific discoveries and more movie props and replicas to showcase how real science and imagination have impacted and inspired one another over the decades.

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Throughout the journey, the exhibition is seeking answers to ‘what if?’ questions and presents visions by digital artists on how they imagine our world could look like in the near or far future. Us humans, will we be wise enough to make the right decisions to fight against climate change and other catastrophes or will we face a dark future?

MISSION COMPLETE…?

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There are lots of different scenarios leading to different outcomes. It is impossible to tell where our future will take us. Humanity has the power to either save or destroy their planet. Our future lays in our hands.

Ready for your next adventure? Want to lean more about how imagination shaped the real world and vice versa? Visit Imperial War Museum’s (IWM) free immersive exhibition: War Games: Real Conflicts | Virtual Worlds | Extreme Entertainment.