Abstract
The fiftieth anniversary of the discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb by Carter and Carnarvon was celebrated at the British Museum in 1972 by an exhibition “the Treasures of Tutankhamun”. Fifty items from Tutankhamun’s collection were selected to be displayed on this occasion in London; seventeen pieces were being displayed outside Egypt for the first time. The exhibition had a humanitarian purpose as it helped in the heritage conservation in Egypt; its proceeds were devoted to the UNESCO fund project for moving the temples of Philae to a higher ground. Special Agreements were signed between the British and the Egyptians regarding the exhibition items and its security.
Highlights
The fiftieth anniversary of the discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb at Luxor by Howard Carter and Lord Carnarvon was commemorated in London by an Exhibition “the Treasures of Tutankhamun” at the British Museum in 1972
The exhibits were fifty items from the collection of Tutankhamun, flown to London for a six-month display as it was firstly agreed. It was the largest exhibit from this collection, seventeen pieces of them were being displayed outside Egypt for the first time (Edwards, April 1972), smaller exhibits were shown in Tokyo in 1965 and in Paris in 1967 (Tutankhamun collection, 25 January 1972)
This article focuses on the importance of this exhibition, the inter-government negotiations regarding the Egyptian Government approval of displaying those items at the British Museum, the security measures, the exhibition publicity, its unveiling and its visitors’ intensity
Summary
The fiftieth anniversary of the discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb at Luxor by Howard Carter and Lord Carnarvon was commemorated in London by an Exhibition “the Treasures of Tutankhamun” at the British Museum in 1972. This exhibition was considered one of the most comprehensive and valuable displays of Tutankhamun objects ever to leave Egypt (Gift of relic to Britain, 22 March 1972). The exhibits were fifty items from the collection of Tutankhamun, flown to London for a six-month display as it was firstly agreed. The article depends on the original documents related to the exhibition which are archived at the National Archives of the United Kingdom in London in addition to the newspapers as well
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