King Tut in Houston

Houston Museum is hosting the final leg of the King Tut exhibition before returning to Cairo.

Tutankhamun: The Golden King and the Great Pharoahs features 100 artefacts including the golden sandals found with the mummy, gold statues of gods, jewellery, a gold collar, stone statues, canopic jars and a seal.  Furthermore, CT scans have been used to replicate a model of Tutankhamun's mummy.

For further details, click here for a report by Nicole Gabler.

More on the Truro Mummy...

More details and pictures of the CT scan carried out by the Duchy Hospital on the mummy from the Royal Cornwall Museum can be found here.

Egyptian Mummies and Modern Science-Rosalie David Lecture

The Egypt Centre in Swansea will be hosting a lecture by Professor Rosalie David from Manchester University on 4th April 2012.

Entitled 'Egyptian Mummies and Modern Science: The Investigation of Takabuti, Lady of Thebes', Professor David will share the story of Takabuti's mummy which was brought to Belfast in the 1800s and has since been the subject of multidisciplinary research.  The work has been the feature of a televised documentary.

The lecture begins at 7pm and details can be found here.

The Man who Discovered Egypt-Documentary

The Man who Discovered Egypt - a documentary about WIlliam Flinders Petrie - will be aired on Wednesday 28th March on BBC 4 at 21.00 hours.

Chris Naunton, Director of the Egypt Exploration Society, presents this hour long documentary about one of the greats of Egyptology.

Cleopatra in Milwaukee

The touring exhibition, Cleopatra: The Search for the Last Queen of Egypt is now at the Milwaukee Public Museum until 22 April 2012.  Visitors can see nearly 150 objects from the period of Cleopatra on display and experience their own search for the mysterious queen.

Objects' Journeys Explored in Sheffield

The Treasure's gallery at Weston Park Museum in Sheffield has undergone a revamp and a new display of objects from the World's Cultures collection is now active.  The display has been the project of young people aged between 14-24 who have explored objects and their links to the city through looking into the stories behind how they came to arrive in Sheffield.

Among the items chosen from the World Culture collection's 2000 objects, are a skull of a crocodile, 19th century Japanese dolls and Egyptian mummies.

To view the article in the Sheffield Telegraph which describes this great example of community participation, click here.

Memorial to Collector Rev. William MacGregor

The Memorial Bust of MacGregor

Further to my previous post, I wanted to share with you news of an important project!  Tamworth Heritage Trust are in the process of raising funds for the purchase of a magnificent wooden bust of the Reverend William MacGregor which has been made by a local wood sculptor Andrew Mather.

£2000 is needed to buy the bust which the Trust then intends to donate to Tamworth as a lasting memorial to the town's benefactor.  There has been no fitting memorial for MacGregor despite his good deeds to both Tamworth and to Egyptology.  I wish the Trust every success!

On a further positive note, a wonderful painting of MacGregor has also been completed by Peter Reeds, a Rochester artist.  The painting was on display on Friday night alongside the bust at St. Editha's during my talk.

These two remarkable pieces of art are fitting tributes to an amazing man.

Me and Peter Reeds.

Twitter

My Twitter name has now changed to CollectingEgypt.
Please follow me for updates in regard to this blog.

Sir John Soames Museum

I am going to London!  A conference place is booked and a ticket has been purchased.

I love London...I always feel like a tourist there...so much to see, so many places to visit.  I will of course be going to the British Museum (it would be rude not to!); then to the Petrie Museum (for the fifth time...I never tire of it); then to Sir John Soames Museum...what?...you have never heard of it???  Then let me recommend it to you enthusiastically!!!!

It is an amazing place.  An ecletic mix of collections brought together in the home of the former architect.  Soame (1753-1837) lived alone in the house after the death of his wife in 1815.  His home became the backdrop for his extensive antiquity and art collections.

A visit there is a must do...the amount of items within the house are amazing and you feel as if you are stepping into another time when you enter through the door.  Roman busts compete with architectural sketches and models; paintings and drawings are neighbours with Neoclassical sculpture.  Standing proudly centre stage in the basement is the actual alabaster coffin of Seti I discovered by Giovanni Belzonni.   The museum holds monthly candlelit evenings at the museum echoing those days when Soames would light up the sarcophagus with lamps.

It is located at 13 Lincoln's Inn Fields and amazingly it is still free to go in.  If you ever find yourself in London with time on your side, take a look...I promise that you won't be disappointed!

Story of MacGregor Collection retold through Tamworth Talk

Friday night saw me travel to Tamworth in Staffordshire to give a talk on my Egyptology PhD topic- the Reverend William MacGregor.

An impressive turn-out arrived to hear about the town's greatest benefactor and his involvement in the growth of modern Egyptology.  I was also able to share information about his Egyptian museum at nearby Bolehall Manor and show some of the photographs that I have acquired over the years.  The venue was the impressive St. Editha's Church in the middle of Tamworth - the parish which MacGregor once looked after.  It was very surreal to stand next to the pulpit where the great man himself once stood. 

Tamworth Heritage Trust, who had organised the event, looked after me wonderfully; it was lovely to meet so many people who had not only heard of MacGregor but equally shared my enthusiasm for his story.

I can't wait to go back!

Me (right) with members of the Tamworth Heritage Trust

Albany Mummies to undergo scan

TheWall Street Journal reports that two Egyptian mummies acquired in 1909 are to undergo scanning before being placed on display in a new exhibit.

The exhibition - "GE Presents: The Mystery of the Albany Mummies" will open in 2013.

Story of the Leeds Mummy

For more on the Leeds mummy Nesyamun featured in this blog on the 11 February 2012, click here for an article by the Leeds Evening Post.

Do mummies make a museum?

As you will have gleaned from a previous post , my 'library' of books is getting a little out of hand.  The converted attic which I lovingly refer to as my study is heaving with all things Ancient Egypt (as well as those 'need to keep in case they come in handy' items).

Feeling a little overwhelmed with stuff, I decided to clear some space (much to Mr R's relief).  Books have now been reduced, old notes have been thrown away and tatty posters have been taken down (although not my treasured photo of Indiana Jones...that stays!)

It's amazing what you come across when you are having a clear-out though.  The process took much longer than it should have because I kept stopping to read old articles and newspaper clippings that I have been keeping over the years.  One piece particularly caught my eye because I remembered that the reason I had kept it was that the subject very nearly became the theme of my undergraduate thesis.

'How to...visit a Museum' by Guy Browning appeared in The Guardian Weekend on 9 April 2005.  Talking about museums as the 'jumble sales of history', Browning went on to say:

'There are three types of museum: natural, transport and historical.  The measure of a really good one is whether it has a tyrannosaurus, Spitfire or mummy respectively.'

Is this now really the case however?  Do people still evaluate an Egyptian mummy with a good museum experience?  In light of recent publicity concerning the display of human remains and the ethics of bodies as artefacts, have we become less inclined to expect to see a mummy in a glass case when we visit the Egyptian area of a museum?

On a recent visit to a museum I was stopped and asked the way to the mummies and the visitor's face fell when told there wasn't any on display...!  The reaction surprised me a little.

I think I will keep that article a little longer...

What do you think?

Robert Hay Collection

In 1870, the Crystal Palace was host to a large and impressive collection of Egyptian antiquities, amassed over a fifty year period by the late Mr Robert Hay of Linplum.  Hay (1799-1863), a Scottish traveller, had acquired over 1300 objects during his lifetime and the responsibility for their display at the exhibition became that of Mr Joseph Bonomi, then curator of Sir John Soanes' Museum.  The objects which the London Daily News of 10 October 1870 described as being obtained 'with labour and difficulty' were varied; many in fact were considered at that time to be unique.  The collection contained objects of bronze and other metals, marble and alabaster, limestone and sandstone, wood, terracotta, 'porcelain', amulets, emblems and trinkets, domestic objects, glass and papyri.  All had been brought together, the newspaper report stated, in the first half of the 19th century, during a time 'when it was not the fashion to regard the Pyramids as a mere pic-nic resort'!  


Objects from Hay's collection now reside in the British Museum and Boston Museum of Fine Art.

London Daily News - 1870

'The wonderful history that attaches to the land of the Pharaohs always invests Egyptian antiquities with a peculiar interest.  While other collections of time-worn relics are left to the exclusive inspection of the dryasdusts, the most ordinary object from the banks of the Nile, attracts the curious of all ranks and classes.'

London Daily News (10 October 1870)

Secret Egypt at Carlisle

Tuille House Art Museum and Gallery have a new exhibition called Secret Egypt: Unravelling Truth from Myth.  The exhibition, which runs from 10th March 2012 until 10 June 2012, has approximately 200 objects on display, loaned from Museums such as Manchester, the Ashmolean and Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery.  

For details of the exhibition, which has been developed by the Herbert Art Gallery and Museum in Coventry, click here.

Hidden Between the Pages...

I have just bought another book.

Nothing unusual with this you may think and yes, if you know me, you will know this happens to me all the time...I am a book addict.  What was special about this find however, was hidden within the pages and was only discovered when I got it home.  Counting my luck on having found a new addition to my already bulging 'library', over a cup of tea with one eye on the rugby international, I found treasure.  Nestled between the pages of my Treasures of Tutankhamun (1972) was the London Evening News' report dated 11 April 1972 of the Tutankhamun Exhibition.  'At the Golden Court of Tutankhamun' heralds the headlines followed by a huge photograph of the boy king's mask.  On another page, 'Treasures Beyond Belief' spotlights ten of the top attractions to be found and where visitors could locate them.  A brief history of the king and the tomb's excavation accompanies the piece.  I was delighted...still am in fact.  It is a snapshot of social history when once again, Britain was overtook with Egyptomania.  I was never lucky enough to go to the 1970s event...too young I hasten to add...but the West's fascination with Ancient Egypt has enthralled me since starting this Egyptology journey of mine.

My hidden treasure is now sitting on my desk as I write this; I am going to find a frame for it to be displayed.  Thank you to the person who placed it there...it brought the catalogue to life... and also made my weekend!

Manchester Museum - Mummies in Medicine and the Imagination

Mummies in Medicine and the Imagination sounds like it is going to be an interesting talk on 17 March 2012.  Local historians Neil Pemberton and Jo Baines will be investigating how mummies and archaeology have been reinterpreted in light of changing medical investigation.

See Manchester Museum Blog site for full details!

Mummies in Minerva Magazine

I have just picked up a copy of the recent Minerva magazine (March/April 2012) and came across an article by Murray Eiland entitled "The Fascination of Life Everlasting".  Eiland talks about the mummies in the National Museum of Scotland's new exhibition (see blog post dated 13th February 2012.  Some great photos accompany the article!

Story of Town's Egyptian Mummies

Press release for my MacGregor talk can be seen here.

Rev. William MacGregor and his Egyptian Collection

I am so excited to be able to post that I have been invited to do a public lecture on my research next Friday (16th March).  Whilst I am always enthusiastic to talk about the Reverend William MacGregor, an Egyptologist and collector of Egyptian antiquities, the reason for my added happiness is that I will be giving the talk at his own parish - St Editha's Church in Tamworth, Staffs.  To be able to stand where he once stood and talk about the huge contribution he made to not only Tamworth itself, but to the world of Egyptology, will be a surreal but wonderful experience.

The talk will begin at 7.30 (doors open at 7pm) and tickets can be obtained from the Tamworth Information Centre or at the door on the night.

His is an amazing story to share and I hope that some of you are able to join me on the night.
I will be the one with the huge smile on my face!

Museum Sleepover

I read an article today about the National Museum of Scotland's recent innovative event at its Chambers Street venue.   The Night of the Mummy included an evening of music, comedy and history, all done with an Egyptian theme.  Guests were able to enjoy the entertainment whilst wandering around dinosaur skeletons and ancient artefacts.  Fun activities included dancing, face art, making mummy accessories and experiencing a mummy unwrapping!  The interactive evening was a roaring success, with a sell out of the 2000 tickets available.

The article bought back fond memories of a night I spent back in 2001 at the Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery as part of the Egypt Revealed exhibition.  My Mom, my Aunt and myself packed an overnight bag and excitedly left home for a 'Ladies Sleepover' in the Museum galleries.  That evening we were treated to Egyptian themed jewellery workshops, belly dancing classes (which was subsequently broadcast on the next day's news complete with a close-up of my bottom!) and lectures; all was enjoyed after hours and in the company of newly made friends.  To help us to sleep, we then huddled around to listen to a mesmerising story-telling session.  The sixty of us then settled down to camp on the museum floor among the exhibition artefacts, including 'Gingerella' - a mummy on loan from the British Museum.  Some of the ladies were really keen to sleep alongside the mummy, whilst others kept a discreet distance.  Not much sleeping was done, but oh did we have great fun!


Such events as the National Museum of Scotland and the Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery are, I believe, tremendously important in helping to bring history alive.  Interactive exhibits and 'thinking outside of the box' events can inspire passion for a subject that at times can be difficult to get people to engage with.  Reaching out to people by using a selection of different platforms of learning helps ignite enthusiasm.  It worked for me -not long afterwards, I left my job, left Birmingham and travelled to Swansea to study for a degree in Egyptology.  I am now in my final year of a PhD.


Thank you Birmingham Museum for inspiring me!

Smithsonian Museum of Natural History

The Smithsonian Museum of Natural History is showcasing an exhibition called "Eternal Life in Ancient Egypt".


The exhibition examines the ancient Egyptian views and preparations for the afterlife and includes four human mummies and a number of mummified animals including a bull. 


For Aaron Leitko's article in the Washington Post, click here.

Egyptian Theatre Celebrates its 90th Birthday

I am really wishing that I could visit The Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood for its 

birthday celebrations.  It sounds like it is going to be an amazing night!!!

Lost Egypt: Ancient Secrets, Modern Science - Iowa

The travelling exhibition Lost Egypt: Ancient Secrets, Modern Science at The Science Centre of Iowa and Blank IMAX Dome Theatre is running until 29 April 2012.

The exhibition is described as bringing together ancient history and modern science and incorporates items on loan from the Brooklyn Museum.

For full details of the exhibition and the activities, plus the extended opening hours, click  here.

Ancient Egypt Magazine

The February/March 2012 edition of Ancient Egypt has once again some great articles and photographs.

This edition I was particularly interested to read about the Neues Museum in Berlin from Mark Walker and the background on Sir Grafton Elliott Smith's contribution to the Archaeological Survey of Nubia
by Professor Rosalie David.

Magpies, Squirrels & Thieves

I have been doing an enormous amount of background reading in preparation for writing my thesis.  I seem to have piles of books everywhere...on the desk, at the side of the bed, by the bath!  Some are a real effort to plough through, but one has really surprised me by holding my attention for long periods of time...no mean feat I may tell you!!

Jacqueline Yallop's Magpies, Squirrels & Thieves: How the Victorians Collected the World (2011) tells the tale of five very different collectors - John Charles Robinson, Charlotte Schreiber, Joseph Mayer, Murray Marks and Stephen Wootton Bushell.  All have very different stories behind them but each is as fascinating as the the next one.  Equally helpful is the way that Yallop provides well researched background information on how collecting developed, on changing trends and how the roles of dealer, curator and collector emerged and changed.

For those interested in collecting Egyptian items (and if you are on this blog than I suspect you may be!) the chapter on Mayer will especially draw you in.  The whole book however is a worthwhile addition to anyone interested in collecting during this period.

Now onto the next one...now where did I put that book?