May 1, 2017 - It was supposed to thunderstorm today (It didn't ). So we went to the Victoria & Albert Museum.
It is in a beautiful building with a very eclectic collection. Everything from vintage theatre posters to DaVinci notebooks.
The picture above shows the "Tippo Tiger". It is a large (about 6 feet long) mechanical toy that still works. It shows a Bengal tiger attacking a British colonial soldier. If you were to turn the handle the soldier would flail his arm and scream.
It belonged an Indian Sultan named Tipu (1750-1799). He was a well educated and powerful man. He could see the British East India Company was swallowing up India so he aligned himself with the French and fought several battles against England.
In the end he was killed by the Brits in 1799 and his palace was ransacked. They took everything including this toy.
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