Florence Nightingale named 'first media celebrity'

It is of course the General Election that has dominated the news this week. The coverage of the British election has spawned numerous comparisons to politics of the past, from the Ancient Greek concept of democracy to British hung parliaments of the 20th century.

Outside the election, it is museums that have made the headlines. Marking the 100th anniversary of her death, an upgraded Florence Nightingale Museum has re-opened on London’s South Bank, charting the life of the ‘first media celebrity’ and her work during the Crimean War.

Elsewhere in London another anniversary, that of Lambeth Palace Library, is to be celebrated by the display of a wealth of previously unseen national treasures. Doctor’s reports on the declining mental state of King George III and handwritten notes from Elizabeth I and Henry VIII are to be among the displayed items, amassed over the library’s 400 year history.

In Germany, Berlin opened the doors to the Nazi terror headquarters last Thursday. The Topography of Terror museum occupies the space that was previously home to the SS and Gestapo and aims to give the visitor an insight into the machinery of the dictatorship.

For those not near London or Berlin, the annual ‘Museums at Night’ celebration is to be held this weekend. Museums and galleries around the UK will hold over 300 events throughout the night, including film screenings and workshops.

Commemoration of the Second World War has also featured largely this week. A VE Day Service was held at London’s Cenotaph to commemorate the 65th anniversary of the end of the conflict, while the release of a new set of stamps will honour the vital role of the Women’s Land Army on the home front.

Finally, questions surround the fate of Swansea’s historic copperworks site, as the development of the 12-acre space is put up for debate, and there are concerns about the silverware of 'priceless historic importance' stolen from a stately home.