Latest museums reviews

The British Library's new exhibition, Propaganda: Power and Persuasion takes the journey from propaganda's known origins up until its modern manifestations. The exhibition is fun and informative – if only the curators had examined a little more about exactly who employs propaganda and rhetoric today.

In Fine Style brings together a beautiful collection of regal portraits and items of clothing that allow the visitor to take a tour through the high fashion of the 16th and 17th centuries. The rare textiles almost steal the show, but there are also more understated treasures to discover.

The Natural History Museum's four-part display Art of India tackles the fascinating subject of botanical and zoological drawings commissioned and collected by members of the East India Company in the 18th and 19th centuries. Aside from its size, this display is a rather missed opportunity to explore the subjects of colonialism and cultural exchange in greater depth.

Chelsea may have a reputation as the Sloane set's back yard, but there is an enormous swathe of it, off the embankment, that seems to have been frozen in time. A few minutes' walk from the vast Royal Hospital grounds lies a little gem, hidden behind high, red-brick walls: Chelsea Physic Garden.

Life and Death: Pompeii and Herculaneum at the British Museum is a major new exhibition on two of the most important towns that were subsumed in the pyroclastic flows from Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD. It provides a detailed, honest and frank insight not only into citizens' lives, but also into their lifestyles and attitudes. 

The 99 nominees for Designs of the Year 2013 at the Design Museum offer innovative inventions, sublime aesthetics and attractive frivolity. From life-changing medicine to magazines, 3D printers to solar-powered lighting, recycled stools to extra-slippery ketchup bottles, this exhibition never ceases to pleasantly shock and surprise. 

Bringing the study of biology and natural science to the public, the Natural History Museum in London has something for everyone. Featuring interactive and hands-on exhibits over a wide range of subjects – including dinosaurs, the planets, creepy-crawlies and volcanoes – the Natural History Museum will not fail to educate, enthral and entertain.

Ragged Schools were set up during the 19th century to educate poor children, and provided a community hub that offered both free meals and moral education. This museum in Tower Hamlets provides fascinating information and exhibits from the Victorian era. You can even attend a Victorian lessson – but make sure to come with your hands clean!

The Voice of the BBC: 90 Years of Public Broadcasting gives a brief and basic overview of early BBC broadcasting at the Science Museum. While you won't get a comprehensive history, there are a few gems to browse in this modest exhibition.

The Fan Museum is a hidden gem that should not be overlooked; stimulating, engaging and an aesthetic marvel. The Fan in Europe 1800-1850 deserves close attention; there is more to these fans than meets the eye.