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Why did the British take the Elgin Marbles?
According to the British Museum, Elgin was granted a firman (letter of instruction) granting him permission to take away the pieces… … “as a personal gesture after he encouraged the British forces in their fight to drive the French out of Egypt, which was then an Ottoman possession”.
When did the Elgin Marbles come to England?
In 1810 Elgin published a defense of his actions that silenced most of his detractors. The final shipment of the Elgin Marbles reached London in 1812, and in 1816 the entire collection was acquired from Elgin by the crown for the sum of £35,000, about half of Elgin’s costs.
What is the Elgin Marble controversy?
The Elgin Marbles have been controversial for over 200 years, with the Acropolis Museum in Athens – which houses the remaining sculptures – keeping a space empty for them amongst its current display. Greece considers the Elgin Marbles stolen goods and has frequently demanded that they’re returned.
Will England return the Elgin Marbles?
The British Museum in London has refused to return the sculptures – roughly half of a 160-metre frieze that adorned the 5th century BC monument – saying they were acquired by Elgin under a legal contract with the Ottoman Empire. It says they “are part of everyone’s shared heritage”.
Why are the Elgin Marbles famous?
Lord Elgin (Thomas Bruce) was the seventh Earl of Elgin and became the British ambassador to the Ottoman sultan in 1799. The term Elgin marbles refers to the collection of marbles that Lord Elgin took from the Acropolis in 1801, that are now housed in the British Museum in London.
Why are the Elgin Marbles called marbles?
The Elgin Marbles receive their name from the British lord who craftily spirited them away from Greece. Despite objections that Lord Elgin had “ruined Athens” by the time his work was done in 1805, the British Government purchased the marbles from him in 1816. They’ve been housed at the British Museum ever since.
Why did Elgin sell the sculptures to the British government?
The excavation and removal was completed in 1812 at a personal cost to Elgin of £74,240 (equivalent to £4,700,000 in 2019 pounds). Elgin intended to use the marbles to decorate Broomhall House, his private home near Dunfermline in Scotland, but a costly divorce suit forced him to sell them to settle his debts.
Where are the Elgin Marbles?
They were brought to Britain by Lord Elgin in the early 19th century, with the permission of the then rulers of Greece, the Ottomans. A long-running campaign to return the marbles to Athens claims that their rightful place is in the new museum next to the Acropolis.
How much did the British pay for the marbles?
Parliament decided to purchase the marbles for the “British nation” in 1816 by a vote of 82–30 for £35,000. They were deposited in the British Museum, where they were displayed in the Elgin Saloon (constructed in 1832), until the Duveen Gallery was completed in 1939.
Should the Elgin Marbles be moved to the Acropolis Museum?
The Trustees of the British Museum make the following statement on the Museum website in response to arguments for the relocation of the Elgin Marbles to the Acropolis Museum: “The Acropolis Museum allows the Parthenon sculptures that are in Athens to be appreciated against the backdrop of ancient Greek and Athenian history.
Are the marbles in the British Museum legal?
Legality of the removal from Athens. Further, that written permission exists in the form of the firman, which is the most formal kind of permission available from that government, and that Elgin had further permission to export the marbles, legalises his (and therefore the British Museum’s) claim to the Marbles.