Secrets of the Museum

Behind the scenes at the Victoria and Albert Museum, priceless Raphael paintings give up their secrets. Keeper James gets hands on with Beyonce’s ring and Queen Victoria’s coronet.

Behind the scenes at the V&A, a Mary Quant mini-dress needs a deep clean for a new exhibition. Queen Victoria's writing case goes on show, and curators acquire the banners of Extinction Rebellion.

Deep in the museum stores, curator Keith is trying to breathe life into an object of extraordinary craftmanship, an original Stormtrooper costume from the Star Wars sequel `The Empire Strikes Back', from 1980.

At the V&A, Frankenstein's monster must be brought back to life. Curators discover photographs of the real Alice in Wonderland, and Shakespeare's First Folio is repaired.

Behind the scenes at the V&A, transporting a unique car is a struggle, a rare medieval jewel undergoes a deep clean, and a work of mosaic art has experimental surgery.