BCRPM warmly welcomes Professor Nikos Stampolidis, the very eminent archaeologist and previous director of the Museum of Cycladic Art, on his appointment as General Director of the Acropolis Museum, working with the President, the well respected Professor Pandermalis. This statement appeared in To Vima:

Nikos Stampolidis acknowledges the challenges he has to face with regards to the continued division of the sculptures from the Parthenon and adds: "The Parthenon is a global symbol. It is the material imprint of the classical world from where Western civilization came, we would say the home of all the states of Europe, of all humanity. (…) Is it not the body of a divine communion from which everyone should partake? It is a whole born in a specific time, space and environment, under a specific light. And all people under this light and the air and the environment should visit the Parthenon and be baptized again in their roots."

To view the original article in To Vima, follow the link here and to read the letter sent to Professor Nikos Stampolidis from BCRPM, see the attached.

George Osborne was appointed on Wednesady 24 June 2021 as the new chair of the British Museum and joined the board of trustees, today, Wednesday 01 September. He will, succeed Richard Lambert as chair from 04 October 2021.

The British Museum has added George Osborne's biography on their web site, you can follow the link here to read it. 

A long-time member of the Conservative Party, George Osborne began his political career working on John Major’s 1997 re-election campaign. He was elected as MP for Tatton, Cheshire, in 2001 and was a crucial part of David Cameron’s cabinet during the coalition government of 2010-2015.

After the Brexit referendum, Prime Minister David Cameron stepped down and George Osborne returned to the backbenches under Terresa May’s leadership.

In 2017, he announced he would not stand for re-election in the general election of the same year, and instead moved to journalism, serving as editor of the Evening Standard newspaper until 2020.  He is currently a partner at Robey Warshaw investment bank and chair of the Northern Powerhouse Partnership.

Hartwig Fischer, Director of the British Museum said, “I am very happy to welcome George Osborne as our Chair. George Osborne knows the Museum well and values the trust the Museum enjoys around the world. He understands the active role the British Museum is playing in the recovery of the country, creating opportunities for everyone to discover the collection as their own - onsite, through loans to their local museums and online.

Under the current leadership of Sir Richard Lambert, we have laid the groundwork for the masterplan, to embark on the biggest transformative project in our history, and to renew our displays. Together with my colleagues I look forward to working with George to continue to ensure that the British Museum is the most innovative, accessible and inspiring museum of the world, for the world.”

George Osborne, Incoming Chair of the British Museum said, “I am absolutely thrilled to be joining the team at the British Museum - and so honoured to have had the opportunity to apply for this role, and to have been chosen by the Trustees to become their Chair. All my life I have loved the British Museum. To my mind, it is quite simply the greatest museum in the world. It’s a place that brings cultures together and tells the story of our common humanity. Richard Lambert will be a very hard act to follow, but I look forward to working with Hartwig and the impressive team he leads at the museum. I hope to bring my experience, energy and passion to this incredibly exciting role.”

The British Museum’s Board of Trustees
The Museum’s Board of Trustees comprises up to 25 members. One Trustee is appointed by Her Majesty The Queen, fifteen are appointed by the Prime Minister, and five appointed by the Trustees themselves. The remaining four Trustees are appointed by the Secretary of State for DCMS on the nominations of the presidents of the Royal Academy, the British Academy, the Society of Antiquaries of London, and the Royal Society. The Chair is elected by the Board independent of government.
https://www.britishmuseum.org/about-us/governance

The British Museum
Founded in 1753, the British Museum was the first national public museum in the world. The collection tells the stories of cultures across the world, from the dawn of human history, over two million years ago, to the present. Objects range from the earliest tools made by humans and treasures from the ancient world to more recent acquisitions from Africa, Oceania and the Americas, the Middle East, Asia and Europe, as well as the national collections of prints and drawings, and coins and medals. In addition to work in London, the Museum takes part in an extensive programme of loans, tours and collaborative work, both across the UK and throughout the world.

To read the Museums Association article on George Osborne's appointment follow the link here and the article in the Evening Standard, here

On the 20th of June, eight supporters for the reunification of the Parthenon Marbles including for the firrst time, the Chair of the British Committee Janet Suzmann, stood outside the British Museum, handing out leflets and repeating slogans: BM Come Clean, Reunite the Parthenon Marbles, Tell The Story,Time is Now, Renite the Marbles in the Acropolis Museum in Athens. In the queue to get into the BM there were those that were looking forward to seeing the sculptures from the Parthenon too. They emerged disappointed. The Parthenon Galleries were closed.

The telephone call to the museum on the Monday, the 21st of June to ask how long the closure would last was met with: "not long, as the sculptures are a popular treasure of the museum." When asked when to call back, the reply was 'in a week's time'. That week became 8 weeks and then the article in the Art Newspaper: 'Is it raining again in the British Museum’s Parthenon gallery? A leaking roof has delayed the reopening of seven galleries of Greek art', written by Cristina Ruiz and published this Wednesday, 11 August 2021.The article was updated today, Friday 13th August to include a statement by Greece's Minister of Culture & Sport, Dr Lina Mendoni.

The statement from Minisiter Mendoni can be read in the Art Newspaper article, as well as on the official Greek Ministry's portal and below:

"This is not the first time that photographs have been published revealing that the conditions for exhibiting the Parthenon Sculptures at the British Museum are not only inappropriate, but also dangerous. In September 2019, when similar photos were published, we had stressed that these images fully strengthen the legal, ongoing and non-negotiable request from Greece for the reunification of the sculptures. The Parthenon Marbles, one of the greatest monuments of Western civilisation, must return to their homeland."

The leak that occured on 21 December of 2018 was questioned by Ta Nea's UK Correspondent Yannis Andritsopoulos and published in an article in January 2019, where he asked the Director of the British Museum, Hartwig Fisher, this question: 'There were several media reports last month regarding a leak in the Duveen Gallery where the Marbles are housed. As you can imagine there was a negative reaction. What’s your explanation about what happened?'

Dr Fisher's reply was: "We had a tiny leak in one area of the roof in the Parthenon Sculptures’ galleries. A small quantity of rain entered the gallery, but did not touch any of the Sculptures and this was fixed right away."

As the leak was fixed right away and was only 'tiny', 2 years and 5 months later, another leak? And why is this one taking months to repair ? With no date for when Room 18, the Parthenon Galleries at the British Museum, might be re-opening.

Many question the climate controls of the gallery even when there are no leaks. In the winter large blow heaters are positioned in the room to provide heating and in the hotter summer months, the Fire Exit doors are kept open for ventilation.

Whatever the long term prospects for the sculptures still in London (unnecessarily divided from the their surviving halves in Athens' Acropolis Museum), the lack of dialogue between two friendly nations, Greece and the United Kingdom, on this cultural matter, continues to be long overdue. All the efforts made by Greece since their independence over 200 years ago and at other key times, including in the 80's when the then Minister of Culture, Melina Mercouri visited the British Museum and vowed to keep campaining for ever or until the Parthenon Marbles were returned.

BCRPM began campaigning in 1983 and Emanuel Comino's Australian Committee started even earlier. The calls have not diminished and are echoed by the International Association supporting the Greek governments efforts. There is no time like the present to start a dialogue that would result in a long awaited reunification of a peerless collection of sculptures, which still belong to the Parthenon (as their name suggests).

The Parthenon still stands, with the Acropolis Museum in Athens offering an exceptional opporunity for all to see the sruviving pieces displayed the right way round, with direct views to the Parthenon. This context is one, which the ancients that created such an iconic building, would be proud to 'see' humanity respect.

Janet Suzman's commented on the current closure of Room 18: "Aware as we were of this, what is going on? Is the British Museum trying to Anglicise the Parthenon Marbles by covering them in damp? BCRPM is a little bit concerned. They would be much happier in that Attica light."

Additional statement made by Dr Mendoni, Greek Minister of Culture and Sport, 15 August 2021, in response to the conditions and ongoing closure of the Greek galleries in the British Museum:

"For decades, the main argument of the British, for the Parthenon Sculptures to remain in London, was that in the British Museum these masterpieces are exhibited in more suitable conditions than those that Greece could offer.

For 12 years, the Acropolis Museum in Athens, one of the best museums in the world, exhibits the Parthenon Sculptures in the most appropriate way, with direct views to the Parthenon itself. The sculptures in Athens await their final reunion with those illegally looted by Elgin. The British argument has long since been refuted.

Today, the conditions for exhibiting the Parthenon Sculptures at the British Museum are offensive and dangerous. The Sculptures cannot be expected to wait in Room 18 for the completion of the "masterplan" of the British Museum, which does not match those of the Parthenon Gallery, here in Athens.

Greece's constant and fair request for the return of the Sculptures to Athens is non-negotiable and today is absolutely relevant."

Good to know that UK also sent firefighters to Greece to help the battle against the wildfires. Teams from Merseyside, Lancashire, south Wales, London and the West Midlands fire services flew out to Athens at the weekend.

More than 400 wildfires broken out across Greece in the last days, with the island of Evia and areas of the Peloponnese region particularly badly affected.

Meanwhile many hoping and praying that the strong winds that had fanned the flames will stop long enough to give the firefighters a better chance of stopping the fires spreading. Greece is experiencing its most intense heatwave in 30 years and our  thoughts are with many at this time.

For  those interested in helping with a fundraising appeal, do check out this one, created by one of Mrs Cubitt's granddaughters, Kate Eastop,: Relief for Rovies, Evia, Greece.

On this year’s August Full Moon, the Acropolis Museum in Athens will offer visitors the opportunity to enjoy the Museum's exhibits on both Saturday 21 August and Sunday 22 August. The details for each day are listed below.

Saturday 21 August 2021: the Museum exhibition areas will remain open from 8am to 8pm with free entry to all visitors, this is i conjunction with the  Museum’s contribution to the "Greece 2021" initiative. The Museum second floor restaurant will be open until 12 midnight and visitors will be able to enjoy the moon from the terrace.

Sunday 22 August 2021:  the Museum exhibition areas will remain open from 8am to 10pm. The second floor restaurant will be open during the same hours. Visitors will have the opportunity to join in the gallery talk ‘Afternoons in the Acropolis Museum’, with an introduction into the fascinating stories hidden in the treasures of the Museum’s galleries.

English: 6 p.m. (2 simultaneous talks)
Greek: 8 p.m. (2 simultaneous talks)
Duration: 60 minutes

Health protection measures: It is necessary to wear a mask (not provided by the Museum) and to use the whisper guide system headsets (provided by the Museum).

Cost: The general admission fee to the Museum is required (10 euro).

Morning Saturday and Sunday gallery talks will be held as usual. More information can be found by visiting the museum's website or using this link: https://theacropolismuseum.gr/en/gallery-talks 

William St-Clair brought his profound appreciation of the Romantic writings of the early nineteenth century to his study of the Parthenon Marbles. It was this literary expertise in the world of the Godwins and the Shelleys, Byron and Keats, that imbued his work on the building with unusual qualities. Inspired by the poets’ passionate devotion to Greece, he was especially shocked by Elgin’s careless desecration of the Parthenon and dedicated a lifetime of research to the circumstances that had permitted it.

As early as 1967 he published Lord Elgin and the Marbles. The controversial history of the Parthenon Sculptures, which was revised in two subsequent editions and translated into several languages. In 1998 the third edition incorporated the discoveries he had made concerning the treatment of the Marbles by the British Museum. Following the trail for reliable information, he prised open detailed accounts of the cleaning that whitened but disastrously damaged their surfaces.

By questioning the arrangements Elgin made with the local Ottoman authorities, William had revealed much greater detail of their illegality, which also sparked increased attention to the British Museum’s acquisition and guardianship of the Parthenon Marbles. He presented his research in numerous lectures including the annual Runciman lecture at King’s College London in 2012, when Nicholas and Matti Egon hosted a brilliant dinner in his honour. He was Chairman of Open Book Publishers, who also republished his classic study That Greece might still be free. The Philhellenes in the War of Independence’ (1972) in a revised edition in 2008.

We salute William’s determination to unravel the circumstances of the Parthenon Marbles’ journey to England and the significance of the removal of such vital symbols of Greek culture. We will miss his unmistakable presence and enthusiasm at events to celebrate the Marbles and to campaign for their reunification, and we mourn his untimely passing. With deepest condolences to his family and many friends among the giants of the UK literary world. 

BCRPM's Honorary President Anthony Snodgrass knew William St Clair since the 60's and writes:  

'At times, William St.Clair seemed to have lived more than one life. Even in our supposedly 'globalised' age, it came as a revelation to many of his fellow campaigners for the reunification of the Parthenon Marbles, to learn that he was also an acclaimed literary and historical authority on the Romantic Era - to the point where, on the strength of this, he had been elected a Fellow of the British Academy back in 1992. The same may have been partly true in reverse; and to both parties, it was surprising to find that he had served for years as a senior civil servant in the Treasury, whose research was at first a side-line. His later academic appointments are too numerous to list in detail here, but they covered Trinity College, Cambridge, All Souls at Oxford, the School of Advanced Study in London, Harvard and the Huntington Library in California.'

To read all of Anthony's tribute to William, kindly see the attached here .

You can also hear William speaking to student Nina Kelly in September of 2020 on a subject that he loved to speak about, the Parthenon and its sculptures.

In October 2017, the debating society at UCL schedule a debate for the evening of the 23rd  with the motion: 'This House believes the Elgin Marbles should be repatriated'. The evening, part of society's weekly debate series, was held at the Bloomsbury campus in London  and the speakers for the motion included William St Clair, Tom Flynn and Alexi Kaye Campbell. Below all three speakers pictured with Chair of BCRPM, Janet Suzman. The motion was carried in favour of repatriation.