Department No. I · Attendance
One room, 48 objects, about an hour
Most people come expecting to be through in ten and stay considerably longer. There is a bench.
Service information
- Open
- Thursday to Sunday, 11.00 to 17.00
- Closed
- Monday to Wednesday, and the whole of February
- Admission
- Free. No booking
- Address
- Floors 1 and 2, above the launderette. The street door is next to it, not through it; the Porter logs all arrivals at the lodge on Floor 1
- Access
- Stairs only. A full photographic catalogue is kept at street level and can be brought down on request
- Donations
- Considered on Thursdays, 11.00 to 14.00
What to expect
The room is small and lit from one side. The objects are on shelves at eye height with their notes beside them, printed at a size that can be read without leaning in.
Three items may be handled: the pebble, the doorstop, and the hex key. They are marked. Everything else is behind glass, not because it is valuable but because handling changes the wear, and the wear is the record.
Photography
Allowed, without flash. Visitors are asked not to photograph other visitors, who often look as though they are thinking about something.
Groups and schools
Groups of more than eight should write first, since the room holds about a dozen comfortably. School visits work best with a single task: pick one object and write down three things nobody else will have noticed.
Getting in touch
There is no telephone. Write to the Institute at the address above, or knock on a Thursday.