The British Museum is not only among the most visited tourist attractions in the country, but is also the trusted custodian of a good number of the country’s most prized artifacts. He has acquired an enormous international reputation for the breadth of his collection and for his scholarly research.
However, this has been threatened by extraordinary revelations about the disappearance of more than 1,500 items, some of which have been put up for sale online.
While the police are investigating the possibility of criminal activity, there are other issues regarding the administration and governance of the museum that need to be addressed.
The management was alerted a few years ago to the appearance on the market of objects that seemed to come from the museum. Ittai Gradel, a Danish antique dealer, provided information in 2021 suggesting that gems from the collections had been listed on eBay.
Although the British Museum apparently opened an investigation, it quickly came to the conclusion that nothing untoward had happened. We now know that this was not the case.
It is true that all museums are vulnerable to these types of incidents and are reluctant to admit them. But the whistleblower gave the British Museum the chance to stop the disappearances without publicity. His alleged failure to take any action was a breach of duty and has made it more difficult to argue against demands to repatriate important parts of the collection, such as the Elgin Marbles.
Why are those accused of ignoring warnings still in office? If they refuse to resign, then George Osborne, the museum’s president, should fire them for tarnishing the reputation of a great institution.
The British Museum is not only among the most visited tourist attractions in the country, but is also the trusted custodian of a good number of the country’s most prized artifacts. He has acquired an enormous international reputation for the breadth of his collection and for his scholarly research.
However, this has been threatened by extraordinary revelations about the disappearance of more than 1,500 items, some of which have been put up for sale online.
While the police are investigating the possibility of criminal activity, there are other issues regarding the administration and governance of the museum that need to be addressed.
The management was alerted a few years ago to the appearance on the market of objects that seemed to come from the museum. Ittai Gradel, a Danish antique dealer, provided information in 2021 suggesting that gems from the collections had been listed on eBay.
Although the British Museum apparently opened an investigation, it quickly came to the conclusion that nothing untoward had happened. We now know that this was not the case.
It is true that all museums are vulnerable to these types of incidents and are reluctant to admit them. But the whistleblower gave the British Museum the chance to stop the disappearances without publicity. His alleged failure to take any action was a breach of duty and has made it more difficult to argue against demands to repatriate important parts of the collection, such as the Elgin Marbles.
Why are those accused of ignoring warnings still in office? If they refuse to resign, then George Osborne, the museum’s president, should fire them for tarnishing the reputation of a great institution.