British Museum

British Museum
Name	British Museum
Caption	The main entrance façade
Established	0 1753
Location	Great Russell Street, London
Type	History museum
Collection size	8 million objects
Visitors	5.8 million (2023)
Director	Nicholas Cullinan
President	George Osborne
Publictransit	Tottenham Court Road, Holborn, Russell Square
Website	https://www.britishmuseum.org

British Museum. It is a public institution dedicated to human history, art and culture, located in the Bloomsbury area of London. Its permanent collection of eight million works is among the largest and most comprehensive in existence, documenting the story of human culture from its beginnings to the present. Founded in 1753, it was the first national public museum in the world and its expansion over the centuries has been shaped by the Age of Enlightenment, the British Empire, and evolving global scholarship.

History

The museum was established by an Act of Parliament in 1753, largely based on the collections of the physician and scientist Sir Hans Sloane. It first opened to the public on 15 January 1759 in Montagu House. The museum's holdings grew significantly through the Napoleonic Wars, with the acquisition of artifacts like the Rosetta Stone and sculptures from the Parthenon known as the Elgin Marbles. The 19th century saw major expansions, including the construction of the iconic Smirke Building designed by Robert Smirke, and the relocation of natural history specimens to the Natural History Museum in the 1880s. The 20th century was marked by events such as the damage sustained during The Blitz and the later creation of the Great Court with its glass roof designed by Norman Foster.

Collections

The museum's vast collections are organized into departments covering vast geographical and chronological spans. Key departments include Ancient Egypt and Sudan, which houses the famed Rosetta Stone and the mummy of Katebet; Greece and Rome, home to the Elgin Marbles and the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus sculptures; and the Middle East, which holds treasures from Mesopotamia like the Standard of Ur and reliefs from the Assyrian palaces of Nineveh. Other significant collections encompass Asia, featuring the Admonitions Scroll; Africa, Oceania and the Americas, with highlights like the Benin Bronzes; and Prints and Drawings, which includes works by Albrecht Dürer and Michelangelo.

Building and architecture

The main building, the Smirke Building, is a Grade I listed building and a landmark of the Greek Revival architecture. Its most famous element is the south front with its 44 Ionic columns. The central Queen Elizabeth II Great Court, opened in 2000, transformed the museum's internal courtyard with a spectacular glass and steel roof designed by Foster and Partners, becoming the largest covered public square in Europe. The complex also includes the Round Reading Room, once part of the British Library, and the World Conservation and Exhibitions Centre, a modern addition opened in 2014.

Governance and management

The museum is a non-departmental public body sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. Its supreme governing body is a Board of Trustees appointed by the Prime Minister. Day-to-day management is led by a Director, a position held by figures such as Neil MacGregor and the current director, Nicholas Cullinan. The museum's operations and acquisitions are supported by the British Museum Friends and the British Museum Company.

Controversies and debates

The museum has long been at the centre of international debates concerning the ownership and repatriation of cultural artifacts. The most prominent cases involve the Parthenon Marbles, claimed by Greece, and the Benin Bronzes, claimed by Nigeria. These debates intensified following the 1970 UNESCO Convention and have been influenced by movements like Black Lives Matter. Other controversies have included the museum's historical sponsorship ties to the BP oil company and internal issues such as the 2023 thefts of items from its collection, leading to the resignation of director Hartwig Fischer.

Public access and facilities

Admission to the permanent collection is free, a policy in place since 1759. The museum attracts millions of visitors annually, with major exhibitions held in the Sainsbury Exhibitions Gallery. It offers extensive educational programs, research facilities like the British Museum Study Room, and digital initiatives such as the online Collection online database. The site includes multiple shops, cafes, and restaurants, and is served by nearby London Underground stations including Tottenham Court Road and Holborn.

Category:British Museum Category:Museums in London Category:National museums of the United Kingdom