Visiting the world's first national public museum
The British Museum in London was founded in 1753, making it the first national public museum in the world. The museum houses extensive collections from ancient Egypt and Sudan, including the Rosetta Stone, which was part of the first major collections of sculptures acquired by the museum. In the 19th century, Lord Elgin embarked upon an extremely controversial endeavor to obtain marble sculptures from the Parthenon in Athens. The Parthenon Marbles, now housed in the British Museum, continue to be a subject of controversy as many scholars and much of the public believe they should be returned to Greece. This writer gives tips for visiting the vast holdings of this world class museum.
By Roslyn Sulcas
March 1, 2017
The New York Times