That Bloke In The Big Smoke

New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art contains over 2 million works of art, including a unique collection of over 5000 musical instruments from around the world. The Met is worth every cent of the $20 entrance fee, even though I managed to wangle half-price as a student despite the fact my ID had expired last month! The audio guide is an essential companion for $7.50. You can get there by taking the green-coloured (Lexington Avenue/IRT East Side) subway lines served by the "4, 5 and 6 trains" and getting off at 86th Street station. It's about a 5-10 minute walk from there. The museum is located on the eastern edge of Central Park, along what is known as Museum Mile with its entrance on 82nd Street. It's very hard to miss once you're walking towards it along Fifth Avenue. There's also free Wi-Fi inside.


The world's oldest piano. Bartolomeo Cristofori invented the piano in 1698 but the one pictured is the oldest of three surviving items from 1720, 1722 and 1726. Cristofori called it "gravecembalo col piano e forte" (large harpsichord with soft and loud [sound]).

( More Musical Instrument Goodness )

A museum for political cartoons, comic strips and books. Founded 2006. Featuring an exhibition of Ronald Searle's life works. Located near the British Museum. Entry £5.50 or less depending on concessions. Verdict, small but bursting with potential and already well worth a visit. A gentle reminder of the perks of living in one of the world's greatest cities. I've decided to visit a 'different' museum on my Tuesday day-offs.

THOUGHTS:
I must admit I didn't know much about Searle before visiting the Museum, but it became quickly obvious that he is a living legend. Wiki describes him as being best known for creating St Trinian's School, but it's fair to say his work which spans seven decades has touched on every aspect of life. His 400+ cartoons drawn in secrecy as a POW during WWII while incarcerated in Singapore and River Kwai are phenomenal. The humour conveyed is subtle yet far-reaching, even in some of the more depressing illustrations. Several lighter-hearted cartoons are also on display, including a humourous take on cricket which I particularly enjoyed. The Museum also has a section detailing the chronological history of political cartoons which is worth the entry fee alone. A few familiar names such as George Cruikshank, Le Charivari, Punch and Private Eye featured prominently. I was surprised to learn that Henry Mayhew, the great Victorian London social reformer founded Punch, or that George III was nicknamed Farmer George by satirists to mock his interest in matters non-political, though in reality he did enjoy a bit of gardening. For more little surprises like that do pay a visit. It's just a block away from the British Museum.