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Published: March 22nd 2006
Museum Downtown
Although not imposing, there is much behind those walls!Today I did my first little solo expedition to Eastern Baltimore. With the aid of my uncle, I purchased an all-day transport pass and set off to The Great Blacks in Wax Museum. It’s in a real random place - the corner of a street among throngs of abandoned dilapidated buildings.
It’s a Madame Tussauds-like museum on the history and heritage of African American people.
I’ve heard a lot of the history before, but seeing the life-sized wax figures made the realities so stark. The first part of the museum was a tour through a replica slave ship. The conditions that people lived and died in were absolutely diabolical. These people that suffered could have been the brothers, sisters & cousins of my great great great grandparents. Really brings it home. The next parts of the museum took me through the slave era, Civil Rights Movement and accomplishments of African Americans past & present. I was very impressed to see the African Americans who had contributed to science and innovation. Funnily enough their names are never really heard in the public arena. There was also an exhibition on famous Ancient Africans such as Hannibal and Makeda the Queen of
Slave Ship
We entered through the little door and down some stairs into the gallows. Sheba.
Overall this is good place to visit. I had a great time!
Afterwards I decided to check out this part of town. I followed the main road along heading towards what I thought would be the shopping centre. Instead I found more abandoned buildings with broken windows and boarded up doors. At the end of the main road was a funky looking castle. As I got closer it turned out to be a cemetery. How bizarre! It was somewhat eery, but also cool. Since it was on top of hill I got a great view of the city.
As I walked back to the bus it started to snow a little bit. At first I thought random bits of polystyrene were falling on my head!
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Aunty Sue
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Infamous Slave Trade
If you are not all "historied-out" there is a history of the slave trade with particular reference to the Liverpool Traders and personal testamonies at the Albert Dock - we could go when you are here. And of course imigrants to US, from all over, arrived in Liverpool as a staging post - perhaps you remember the Museums from your British childhood? This is a real voyage of discovery and good photos too!