Notes and Comments. , 199 



arrangement or classification, in the new ' London Museum 

 at Kensington Palace.' The objects exhibited include an 

 umbrella used by the Prince of Wales, shoes and socks worn 

 by the late King, and similarly instructive relics ; while a 

 distinct Madame Tussaud flavour is given by the exhibition 

 of a model of Jack Sheppard* in his cell, and other similar 

 exhibits. Among the collection, of course,, are many really 

 valuable and appropriate exhibits. We bought the guide 

 in order to get information about some of the specimens which 

 were not labelled, but the objects were not even mentioned, 

 nor could reference to the cases be found at all. On the title 

 page we are told to ' Notice. — This catalogue and guide are 

 copyright, and immediate proceedings in Chancery will be 

 taken against any infringers thereof.' The punishment would 

 certainly fit the crime ! 



AND ITS CATALOGUE. 



The guide itself is a fair model of what such a guide should 

 not be. It is badly printed, with ancient type, on poor paper. 

 The details of the cases are mixed up with the history of the 

 Palace, and with a catalogue of the pictures, and there is no 

 index ; so that it is really a difficult matter to find anything 

 in it. Many of the cases are not numbered at all, and we read 

 Case No. (long),' 'Case No. (side),' 'Case No. (centre)' 

 Case No. (side long),' and so on. An idea of the scheme of 

 classification ' can be obtained from the following particulars 

 of the first few cases, in which, if anywhere, an attempt at 

 classification has been made : — ' Case i. Stone Ages, Bronze 

 Age, late Celtic Period. Case 2, Ceramic Art. Case 3 [No 

 heading at all! but apparently contains objects of the first to 

 fifth century, A.D.], Case 3 (continued) Saxon Period, " Relapse 

 to Barbarism " [sic]. Case 4, Early Mediaeval Pottery. Case 5, 

 Battle Axes, Swords, etc. Case 6, Wine Bottles. Case 7, 

 Lighting Appliances. Case 8, Prehistoric Mammalia, etc. 

 [the " etc." includes all sorts of things that ought to be miles 

 away]. Next is a ' Green Coloured Bust ' [sic] and a ' Bell in 

 Case.' Then.' Case No. 9, Mediaeval London,' and so on to case 

 12. Then follows a description of ' Queen's closet,' and ' Pic- 

 tures of Old London,' followed by ' Nos. 20 to 34,' which are 

 apparently pictures. After all this, oddly enough, we come to 

 a heading in large type, ' London Museum Exhibits,' and calmly 

 proceed to a hst of the contents of case No. 13. And the guide 

 ends up with ' A Condemned Cell, Old Roman Galley, Mantel- 

 pieces, etc.. Panoramic Models of Old London, Lobby for 

 Various Exhibits, Old Jacobean Room.' It was with some 

 such remark as ' A Condemned Cell ' that we closed the ' Guide,' 

 and thought of what might have been done with that shilhng. 



* Even the name of this Great Hero is spelt wrongly in the catalogue ! 

 iipi2 July I. 



