Hello, we are Ismael and Jake, and we have come from Haberdashers’ Borough Academy and Bacon’s College for our work experience here at the Brunel Museum.
During our time here, we have learnt a lot about the history of the museum and the artifacts it contains.
When we first arrived, we learnt about the Thames Tunnel. This tunnel, opened in 1843 and located in Rotherhithe, was the first tunnel under a navigable river anywhere in the world. This meant it attracted visitors from many different countries in Europe.
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We also learnt about medals and coins from the nineteenth century. Medals were awarded to the wealthy upper class for their successes as they acted as a way of self-promotion and increased an individual’s social ranking. One of our favorite collection object is the Marc Brunel Medals commemorating his achievement in creating the Thames Tunnel. The medal features a side profile of his face, which is unusual as most medals typically display a front profile, However Brunel chose this style to mimic the royal portraiture seen on coins. The other side of the medal contains an image of the tunnel, highlighting his success. Beneath the image, there are facts about the tunnel, such as its width, height, cost of £413,000, and the opening date of March 25, 1843.
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