Common questions about British Museum

Short answers, pulled from the story.

When was the British Museum founded and who established it?

The British Museum was founded in 1753 by Sir Hans Sloane, an Anglo-Irish physician and naturalist who bequeathed his life's work to the nation. The institution opened its doors to the public on the 15th of January 1759 within the converted Montagu House in Bloomsbury, London.

What significant artifacts did the British Museum acquire in the early 19th century?

The British Museum acquired the Rosetta Stone in 1802 and the Elgin Marbles in 1816, which were marble sculptures from the Parthenon transferred from Athens to the UK. The museum also obtained significant Egyptian sculptures following the defeat of the French at the Battle of the Nile in 1801.

How did the British Museum protect its collections during World War II?

The museum began relocating selected items to secure basements, country houses, Aldwych tube station, and the National Library of Wales on the 24th of August 1939. Many items were moved to Westwood Quarry in Wiltshire in early 1942 to protect them from wartime bombing.

When did the British Museum open the Queen Elizabeth II Great Court?

The Queen Elizabeth II Great Court opened in December 2000 and is the largest covered square in Europe. It features a roof of glass and steel built by an Austrian steelwork company with 1,656 uniquely shaped panes of glass.

What is the largest collection held by the British Museum outside its country of origin?

The British Museum possesses the world's largest and most important collection of Mesopotamian antiquities outside Iraq, numbering some 330,000 works. This collection includes the Royal Library of Ashurbanipal with around 130,000 cuneiform tablets and the Cyrus Cylinder from Babylon.

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