British Museum Celebrates its 250th Anniversary
Home of the Elgin Marbles, the Rosetta Stone and 7,000,000 Exhibits
Jan 15, 2009
On 15 January 1759 the British Museum, the world's first national museum, opened its doors to the public. 250 years later the Museum continues to play a vital role in exploring human history. The museum's popularity continues to grow. In the early days visitor numbers reached 5,000 per annum. In 2009 visitor numbers will probably exceed 6,000,000.
The History: British Museum and Sir Hans Sloane
The British Museum was set up thanks to a bequest from Sir Hans Sloane (1660-1753). Sir Hans, a keen collector, naturalist and physician, had amassed a comprehensive collection of objects, as well as a library and herbarium. These he bequeathed to King George II to be preserved for the nation and this formed the basis for the British Museum's opening exhibition.
A New Type of Institution
From the start, the British Museum was a new type of institution. Its collections belonged to the nation, admission was free for everyone, and its activities were guided by a Board of Trustees responsible to Parliament.
Famous Acquisitions
The collection started to grow with the purchase of Sir William Hamilton's collection of Greek vases in 1772. In 1802 the Rosetta Stone, together with a number of other antiquities, came from Egypt. In 1816 the museum took possession of the controversial Elgin Marbles, the sculptures that originally decorated the Parthenon. The Greek government regularly asks for the sculptures to be returned to Greece, and the Egyptians would like the Rosetta Stone returned, but so far the museum has managed to hold on to these treasures.
Iraq Museum - Survival Project
Collaborations with other museums are on-going around the world. For example, the British Museum has an outstanding collection of antiquities from Mesopotamia. Neil MacGregor, Director of the BM, together with a team of experts from some of the world's leading museums, including Dr Donny George, (formerly Head of Research at Baghdad's Iraq Museum), has been working to ensure the survival of Mesopotamian museums following the damage caused by war in the region.
A Wealth of Knowledge Available to All
The museum's 7,000,000 artefacts, which span 2,000,000 years of human history, are available for examination by anyone, be they students, academics or members of the public. The collections are held in ten departments from the Department of Africa, Oceania and the Americas, with some 350,000 objects representing the cultures of indigenous peoples around the world, to the Department of Coins and Models with approximately 1,000,000 items.
Events at the British Museum
The BM offers an exciting choice of public events many of which are suitable for families. Building Babylon is linked to the exhibition Babylon: Myth and Reality. The event, which will take place from 16th to 20th February 2009, will explore the people and buildings of the ancient city. In addition, there are lectures and discussions for adults on subjects ranging from Weapons and Warfare to Horemheb and the Throne of Egypt.
Full details of all events and exhibitions can be obtained from the website of the British Museum.
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