Showing posts with label london. Show all posts
Showing posts with label london. Show all posts

Monday, April 30, 2012

Tate Museums


Tate Museums

The Tate is an institution that houses the United Kingdom's national collection of British Art, and International Modern and Contemporary Art. It is a network of four art museums: Tate Britain, London (previously known as the Tate Gallery, founded 1897), Tate Liverpool (founded 1988), Tate St Ives, Cornwall (founded 1993) and Tate Modern, London (founded 2000), with a complementary website, Tate Online (created 1998). There are plans to open a TATE in Southampton in 2020. It is an executive non-departmental public body of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.




Tate Museums

Tate is used as the operating name for the corporate body which was established by the Museums and Galleries Act 1992 as The Board of Trustees of the Tate Gallery.

Tate Museums

The gallery was founded in 1897, as the National Gallery of British Art. When its role was changed to include the national collection of Modern Art as well as the national collection of British art, in 1932, it was renamed the Tate Gallery after sugar magnate Henry Tate of Tate & Lyle, who had laid the foundations for the collection. The Tate Gallery was housed in the current building occupied by Tate Britain which is situated in Millbank, London. In 2000, the Tate Gallery transformed itself into the current-day Tate, or the Tate Modern, which consists of a federation of four museums: Tate Britain which displays the collection of British art from 1500 to the present day; Tate Modern which is also in London, houses the Tate's collection of British and International Modern and Contemporary Art from 1900 to the present day. Tate Liverpool, in Liverpool has the same purpose as Tate Modern but on a smaller scale, and Tate St Ives displays Modern and Contemporary Art by artists who have connections with the area. All four museums share the Tate Collection. One of the Tate's most publicised art events is the awarding of the annual Turner Prize, which takes place at Tate Britain.

Tate Museums

The original Tate art gallery was called the National Gallery of British Art, situated on Millbank, Pimlico, London at the site of the former Millbank Prison. The idea of a National Gallery of British Art was first proposed in the 1820s by Sir John Leicester, Baron de Tabley. It took a step nearer when Robert Vernon gave his collection to the National Gallery in 1847. A decade later John Sheepshanks gave his collection to the South Kensington Museum (later the Victoria & Albert Museum), known for years as the National Gallery of Art (the same title as the Tate Gallery had). Forty years later Sir Henry Tate who was a sugar magnate and a major collector of Victorian art, offered to fund the building of the gallery to house British Art on the condition that the State pay for the site and revenue costs. Henry Tate also donated his own collection to the gallery. It was initially a collection solely of modern British art, concentrating on the works of modern—that is Victorian era-painters. It was controlled by the National Gallery until 1954.

Tate Museums

In 1915, Hugh Lane bequeathed his collection of European Modern Art to Dublin, but controversially this went to the Tate, which expanded its collection to include foreign art and continued to acquire contemporary art. In 1926, and 1937, the art dealer and patron Joseph Duveen paid for two major expansions of the gallery building. His father had earlier paid for an extension to house the major part of the Turner Bequest, which in 1987 was transferred to a wing paid for by Sir Charles Clore. Henry Courtauld also endowed Tate with a purchase fund. By the mid 20th century, it was fulfilling a dual function of showing the history of British art as well as international Modern art. In 1954, the Tate Gallery was finally separated from the National Gallery.

Tate Museums

During the 1950s and 1960s, the visual arts department of the Arts Council of Great Britain funded and organised temporary exhibitions at the Tate Gallery including, in 1966, a retrospective of Marcel Duchamp. Later, the Tate began organizing its own temporary exhibition program. In 1979 with funding from a Japanese bank a large modern extension was opened that would also house larger income generating exhibitions. In 1987, the Clore Wing opened to house the major part of the Turner bequest and also provided a 200 seat auditorium. (The "Centenary Development," in 2001, provided improved access and public amenities)

Tate Museums

In 1988, an outpost in the North West England opened as Tate Liverpool. This shows various works of modern art from the Tate collection as well as mounting its own temporary exhibitions. In 2007, Tate Liverpool hosted the Turner Prize, the first time this has been held outside London. This is an overture to Liverpool's being the European Capital of Culture 2008.

In 1993, another offshoot opened, Tate St Ives. It exhibits work by modern British artists, particularly those of the St Ives School. Additionally the Tate also manages the Barbara Hepworth Museum and Sculpture Garden, which opened in 1980.

Tate Museums

Neither of these two new Tates had a significant effect on the functioning of the original London Tate Gallery, whose size was increasingly proving a constraint as the collection grew. It was a logical step to separate the "British" and "Modern" aspects of the collection, and they are now housed in separate buildings in London. The original gallery is now called Tate Britain and is the national gallery for British art from 1500 to the present day, as well as some modern British art. Tate Modern, in Bankside Power Station on the south side of the Thames, opened in 2000 and now exhibits the national collection of modern art from 1900 to the present day, including some modern British art. In its first year, the Tate Modern was the most popular museum in the world, with 5,250,000 visitors.
Sir Nicholas Serota has been the director of the Tate since 1988, when he took over from Sir Alan Bowness.

Tate Museums

Tate Museums

Tate Museums

Tate Museums


Tate Museums

Tate Museums

Tate Museums

Courtesy By: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tate

Sunday, April 29, 2012

London Eye

London Eye

One of the most visited places in London is the London Eye. It is actually a Ferris wheel, the biggest of its kind in Europe and was the biggest wheel in the world when it opened in 1999. Currently known with the official name The Merlin Entertainments London Eye, it is also called the Millenium Wheel since it was opened at the start of the 20th century. The Eye stands 135 feet above the waters of the river Thames. From the eye, you can view other popular tourist attractions such as the Westminster Bridge, Hungerford Bridge and the Houses of Parliament. It is considered one of the most significant structures in the world that puts the British flag in history once again.









London Eye

The Ferris wheel was so big that it took weeks for it to be raised in its upward position. The Eye looks like a big bicycle wheel from a distance and weighs around 1800 tons. There are 32 passenger capsules weighing almost ten tons and are attached to the circumference of the wheel. The egg-shaped capsules are air conditioned and are big enough to accommodate 25 persons who can roam around the capsule, although there are also seats provided. The diameter is so wide that it takes around thirty minutes to complete one revolution. The wheel does not normally stop to take in new passengers but sometimes it does to accommodate elderly and disabled persons to safely embark and disembark.

London Eye


London Eye was designed by architects David Marks and Julia Barfield, Nic Bailey, Malcolm Cook, Steven Chilton, Mark Sparrowhawk, and Frank Anatole. It was officially opened by then British Prime Minister Tony Blair on December 31, 1999 but due to technical problems it was not made public until March of 2000. It was originally owned by the British Airways, the Tussauds Group and the architects Marks and Barnfield family and was bought by Merlin Entertainments in 2007. The London eye changed its name to its current official name The Merlin Entertainments London Eye in 2009.

London Eye
London Eye

London Eye

London Eye

London Eye

London Eye

London Eye

London Eye

London Eye

London Eye

London Eye



Courtesy By:  http://ezinearticles.com/?The-London-Eye-Ferris-Wheel&id=4390395

Saturday, April 28, 2012

Tower of London

London is a traditionally desired destination which never leaves its visitors dull or apathetic. There is a special place for everybody here so the city appeals to people of different ages and backgrounds. London's places of interest can be divided into two types - those which date back to centuries ago and the modern ones. When there, you should savour both types of places but with a hint of precaution. We have an apprehension that following the beaten track you will not get the real flavour of London.

Tower of London:
Tower of London




The Tower of London is one of the world’s most famous fortresses and has seen service as royal palace, prison, armoury and even a zoo. The ancient stones reverberate with dark secrets, priceless jewels glint in fortified vaults and pampered ravens strut the grounds.

Constructed over 900 years ago by William the Conqueror, the Tower of London is steeped in a rich history. This fortress was expanded by many medieval kings and is a grand structure used by Royals through the years as a refuge and power base.

Tower of London

The Tower of London is still home to her majesty's Crown Jewels, on display for visitors to see, and the infamous Beefeaters tasked with the job of guarding them as well as showing visitors some of the attractions highlights.

The White Tower is the huge and beautiful stone building in the middle of the sight. Currently it hosts the exhibition of Tudor, Stuart, Hanoverian and Windsor arms and armour “Fit for a King”. This vast collection begins by exploring armour created for both the battle and sports fields with an unmissable chance to see Henry VIII’s and Charles 1’s spectacular armour.

Tower of London

Situated in central London just a stones throw from the River Thames, the Tower of London is the one of the city's premier attractions. With so much on offer it's no wonder it's popular with visitors.

Tower of London

Tower of London

Tower of London

Tower of London

Tower of London

Tower of London

Tower of London

Tower of London

Tower of London

Tower of London

Tower of London

Tower of London

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Tower of London

Tower of London

Tower of London


Courtesy By:
http://www.londonpass.com/london-attractions/tower-of-london.html