London Museums Report Nearly 1,700 Stolen or Lost Artworks
Numerous Artifacts Missing from Greenwich Royal Museums
The Greenwich Royal Museums, which house a range of historical artifacts including the Royal Observatory and the National Maritime Museum, have reported the disappearance of 245 items from their collection. Among the missing items are telescopes, cannonballs, maps, compasses, an azimuth ring, and a law.
The museum attributed the losses to errors in their computer systems and incorrect information entries. However, they also announced that 560 works previously thought to be lost have been discovered as a result of recent inspections.
The Natural History Museum, renowned for its vast collection of approximately 80 million artifacts, also reported several missing fossils. These include the loss or theft of a 200-million-year-old reptile’s jawbone fragment, 180 fish bones, and a crocodile tooth. Additionally, the museum noted that some of the missing items were destroyed due to incorrect conservation practices.
The Science Museum in London and the Royal Military Museum have also reported unknown whereabouts of certain items in their collections. Meanwhile, the Imperial War Museum announced the disappearance of 550 artifacts, including a calendar containing photographs of former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein, camouflage drawings, and notes of British commanders. The museum stressed that these items were of low financial value and mass produced.
In a shocking development, the British Museum revealed that many historical artifacts in its warehouses were stolen, lost, or damaged. It was reported that a curator responsible for maintaining the works for academic research purposes, rather than for public exhibition, has been dismissed. Some of the missing works have even been found being sold on the online marketplace eBay, with some items not even having photographs in the museum’s catalogues.
Archaeologist Dorothy Lobel King expressed concern over the museum’s loss, stating that it is difficult to determine which works are missing. The scandal has led to the resignation of the museum’s director, Hartwig Fischer, who had been in the position for 8 years.
Furthermore, countries with works in the British Museum, including Turkey, have taken action to investigate the fate of their artifacts and ensure their return.
The disappearing artifacts have raised questions about the security and management of these prestigious museums, prompting calls for greater transparency and accountability in their operations. The loss of these invaluable historical items has left the museum community and supporters of cultural heritage deeply concerned.
