department of greek and roman antiquities. 53 



Department of Greek and Roman Antiquities. 



I. — Arrangement. 



All the collections of the Department had been returned to the 

 Museum from their places of safety by February 10th. 



1. The Sculpture Galleries. — The removal of sandbags and 

 other protections was begun immediately after the armistice, and 

 the rooms were re-opened as soon as their condition allowed. The 

 Nereid and Mausoleum Rooms were re-opened to the public on 

 January 6th ; the Phigaleian Room on January 27th ; the three 

 Graeco-Roman Rooms during March and April. The Gallery of 

 Casts and the Grseco-Roman Basement were re-opened on May 27th. 

 All sculptures in the round had been replaced throughout the 

 Galleries by June 27th. 



In the Elgin Room the protective covering was removed from 

 the metopes in January. The frieze was brought back from the 

 Post Office Tube and unpacked during February and March. The 

 reconstruction was completed in October. The pedimental sculptures 

 were brought back and replaced during May and June. The Elgin 

 Room was repainted and completed in November. 



Throughout the galleries the sculptures have been cleaned ; they 

 were moved in the Phigaleian Room, the Ephesus Room, and three 

 Grseco-Roman Rooms and Basement, to allow for the re-painting of 

 the walls. 



Archer's Picture of the Elgin Room in 1819 lias been mounted 

 in the Elgin Room. In the Cast Gallery the labels have been 

 remounted. Six inscriptions have been mounted ; and six sculptures 

 from Salonica have been mounted and placed on exhibition in the 

 Archaic Room. The store casts which during the war had been 

 exhibited in lieu of the originals have been replaced and arranged 

 in the Basements. 



2. The Upper Galleries. — The Terracotta Room was re-opened 

 on January 27th ; The Exhibition of Greek and Roman Life on 

 March 31st ; the Gold Ornament Room on April 21st ; the Bronze 

 Room and Third and Fourth Vase Rooms on April 28th. In the 

 First and Second Yase Rooms the vases were unpacked and 

 stored in the wall cases pending the return of these rooms from 

 occupation by the Registry of Friendly Societies. A temporary 

 exhibition of typical vases of the First and Second Rooms has been 

 installed in the Third Vase Room. The rings and gold ornaments 

 have been rearranged, and the Franks collection has been 

 incorporated in the general series. The Terracotta Room Annexe 

 has been fitted with additional cupboards. The Exhibition of 

 Greek and Roman Life has been rearranged in part, and revised. 



Progress has been made with a Catalogue of Silver Plate and 

 with a new edition of the Guide to the Exhibition of Greek and 

 Roman Life. A Finding-list for the Gold Ornament Room has 

 been compiled. 



