This lecture about the development of Museums, and I took the British Museum as an example.

1. “The British Museum”
Presented by: Asmaa Hassan Ahmed El-Rabat
2. introduction
 The British Museum, Great Russell Street, London.
 The British Museum was founded in 1753, (eighteenth century) as
the first national public museum in the world.
 The physician Sir Hans Sloane (1660–1753) collected more than
71,000 objects, he wanted them to be preserved after his death, so
he bequeathed the whole collection to King George II.
 The British Museum opened to the public on 15 January 1759 in a
house Montagu House in Bloomsbury.
3. Board of Trustees
 The Board of Trustees comprises up to 25 members.
 One Trustee is appointed by Her Majesty, 15 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 Culture, Media and Sport on the nominations of the
Presidents of: The Royal Academy - the British Academy - the
Society of Antiquaries of London- the Royal Society.
 The full Board of Trustees meets four times a year, usually at the
British Museum.
 (Why) to discuss Role of the Board Meeting Setting strategic
direction, approving a plan and budget Managing, Appointing the
Board of Trustees.
Notice: I sent email to MS Claire Messenger curator in the
department of Egyptian and Sudan at British Museum
about: How can the board of Trustees Communicate with
the director of the British Museum, and the staff of

2. curators?
she replied: The Museum’s Trustees meet regularly –
sometimes as a whole group (Board meetings) and
sometimes as smaller working groups on specific areas
(Committee meetings) – with the Director and other Senior
Managers (Senior Managers include the Deputy Directors,
Heads of Departments and Keepers).
The Director will also have a close relationship with the
Chairman of the Trustees (the most senior Trustee) and
they will be in contact too.
The Trustees and Senior Managers also keep in contact with
the rest of the BM staff through the minutes of their
meetings being shared (via e-mail) and the Trustees and
Director give Staff breakfast talks.
4. 1-Strategy & Planning
 Strategy – Towards 2020
 Statutory responsibilities
 Care of the collection
 Making the collection available
 Three-year Operating Plan & Budget 2012-2015
4.2-Policy
 The Board & Director
 Acquisitions
 Loans
 Storage
 Partnerships
 Investment e.g. building projects
 Government

3.  programs
 Law e.g. Human Remains Act
 Museum sector
 Standards and ethics
5. How the British Museum manages the employee?
 The Director on the top. Deputy Directors for each group, the
groups for example: Head of Marketing, Head of Security…etc.
 The numbers of the staff 1000 plus more 500 volunteers.
6. This is the model of the survey question, Employee opinion on the
work system, it to engage for success with their directors.
7. The British Museum divided into 77 galleries, which contains 8
million objects.
 Notice: I brought a simple for the plan of the British Museum,
and this is the scanning.
8. This the very important gallery in the British Museum “Egyptian
gallery”, the objects are considered as the masterpieces.
9. They put in their mind the context of the collections, for example on
the display of Presynaptic period.
10. These are collections from different countries like Iraq, Greek and
Roman Sculpture, and Mesopotamia ancient civilization in Iraq.
11. Africa, another variety on display, the context in display explaining
the nature of the country.
12. Different view in display in each gallery, look how they arrange
the small pieces.
13. There are different Stores in the British Museum for Example
Sudan Store. The purpose of a museum store to Store objects safely,
cleanly and securely, that is well documented.
14. Look how they arrange and preserve the objects, also the
materials that they used to storing

4. 15. The Basement of the British Museum and Papyrus Store.
16. This is a model of a Serving, which explaining the work system
inside each store.
17. The Restoration in the British Museum not a section, but a high
building divided into sections as the material of the objects.
18. Stages of restoration for coins.
19. This small room in the restoration building to talk shoots before
and after restoration.
20. On the left the elementary condition report for the object, on the
right the final condition report.
21. They are working to preserve the objects by some steps: -
 Environmental Monitoring.
 Monitoring equipment.
 Environmental control of the temperature and humidity.
 Reporting problems.
22. There are some steps for Preservation: -
 Cleanliness: Housekeeping who to maintain the museum
environment in a clean and safe manner.
 Deny and thing Harmful to antiques like food, dust...etc.
23. There are some steps for documentation: -
 Inventory which contains (object number, name, image…etc..).
24. The curators make a research and studying to ensure that all the
information is correct.
 Enter all information to the data Base program of the Museum.
25. This is the Internal Report for the Database Record.
26. Finally, they put new information into the website, which the
visitor numbers are over than 35 million.
27. scientific publishing is a very important role for the curators.
Notice: I brought a publishing for curator Dr. Daniel Antoine and
others about “The regarding the dead: Human remains in the
British Museum, and this is the scanning.

5. 28. This place which the exhibitions are prepared, on the right, he is
making the bases for the objects.
29. Transfer the objects to the restoration building.
30. These are the steps for Writing effective text on Panels and labels.
10 text tips –
 Start with a hook
 Tell stories within the big idea
 Refer to what you can see
 Appeal to the senses
 Make it about people
 Make it flow
 Make it active
 No jargon
 Write as you would speak
 Admit uncertainty
31. Study rooms and libraries, each Museum department have public
research facilities including study rooms, also a library for scholars
and employees.
32. There are a lot of activities for the children to develop them,
behind drawing, that they doing different shows to be engaged with
the topic of the collections.
33. Notice: I brought a magazine that shows how they doing
marketing and advertisements about their exhibitions in the kids’
magazines, and this is the scanning.
34. There are some Self-guided tours, it is funny, creative challenges
which the children will explore the collection through Audio child.
35. The British Museum Excellent care to the Audience, it shows
through: -
The information desk, which offer a lot of services to them like
getting information, maps, flyers...etc.
36. Notice: I brought some of them as a simple, and this is the
scanning.

6. The top 10 to see in the British Museum, new event.
37. What’s in the monthly object, evolution by telling us about your
visit.
38. There are 260 expert commentaries on highlight objects from the
Museum: Audio, video, text and images, providing in-depth
information.
39. Plasma screen: it shows the mummy with a lot of information
about (the age, Gender, Male or Female, what are the Diseases he
suffered from…. etc.
40. This is a place that high ground level for easy moving for the
people with disabilities.
41. They are arranged some programs for older Adults, which Over
than 500 volunteers haven't received any reward for their work.
42. The Interpretation team works on exhibitions and galleries to
ensure that specialist museum knowledge is clearly accessible to
all visitors.
43. There are Places to rest, sign boards in each gallery.
44. The British Museum care about the Gift shops because it is
important to the Audience to shopping and enjoying.
45. In the same time the Gift shops are very important to the British
Museum for Marketing and funding the Museum.
46. Notice: I brought a small catalogue “your Handy Guide to London”
as a simple, which show how the British Museum marketing for the
master places in the UK,
47. plastic form shows the marketing for the all Museums in the UK,
and this is the scanning.
48. The cafe and restaurant, they make it different to suit all tastes to
families, and children.
49. Another method to bring income to the Museum through the
contribution.
50. The British Museum arranges every year an International training
program (ITP), this training for the scholarships, which more than 20
countries participate to exchange of cultures, and learning museum

7. studies.
 The main targets of this program at the British Museum are
Marketing, and to obtains a new knowledge and ideas to
develop their system.
 It is my pleasure to participate this program ITP 2014.
51. The Visitors to the British Museum in 2016 (their latest figures)
totaled “6,420,395” which puts them as the top visitor attraction
in the UK.
 I brought this number by emailed Ms. Clair Messenger,
Curator in The British Museum.
 The question is how the British Museum Know the numbers of
the visitors, although the Museum for free?
 Visitors are counted through sensors on the front and back
doors of the museum (with a percentage deducted for staff
entering and leaving).
 Notice: I sent email to MS Claire Messenger curator in the
department of Egyptian and Sudan at British Museum about:
How the number of the visitor on (in Museum story) on the
website of the Museum 8 million, and in the same time the
number you gave me 6 million.
 She replied that she isn't sure where the number of 8 million
comes from but she has double checked and she can confirm
that in the BM Annual Review – our official publication – the
most recent visitor figures (for 2016) were 6,420,395.
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