A copper-lined room that blocks electromagnetic signals — and therefore stops you from sending and receiving emails and messages — can be found in London's newest library.
Southwark Heritage Centre and Walworth Library — which opened in May near Elephant and Castle — is home to the Faraday Room, a study space named after locally-born scientist and inventor Michael Faraday. One of Faraday's inventions was the Faraday cage — of which this study room is a particularly swish (and innovative) example.
That's not the only surprise you'll find in the library. As well as 20,000 new books, it contains a permanent collection of 300 curious artefacts. These include The Hunter God — a carving from between 150 to 250 AD, discovered during excavations of a well in the grounds of Southwark Cathedral in 1977, and thought to have elements of deities such as Maponus, Apollo and Mithras.
There's also a 'World Wall', where you'll find 'Cree Dolls' made in 18th century Europe and sent to Canada to be dressed in traditional Cree costume, before being sent back to Europe for sale as gifts.
Like many objects here, the Cree Dolls were part of the Cuming Museum collection, established by avid collectors Richard Cuming and his son Henry Syer Cuming, in the late 18th and 19th century.
The museum building — which is a few yards down the road from the new library — suffered a devastating fire in 2013 and never reopened. This is the first chance in eight years to see many of the fascinating objects that survived the blaze.
Permanent collection aside, Southwark Heritage Centre and Walworth Library is currently hosting a Myth Making exhibition. Using writing, paintings, sculpture and objects from the Cuming collection, artistic studio Wignall & Moore worked with the local community to look at what is true and what is myth in museums, literature and art — creating some new myths for Southwark along the way.
Southwark Heritage Centre and Walworth Library is open Monday-Saturday. Anyone can view the collections, but you'll need a library card to book study spaces and to borrow books.
