250 years on: What does it mean to be a world museum?
On 15 January 1759, the British Museum opened its doors for the first time to the public. Set up by Parliament six years earlier it was the first national museum in the world. 250 years later it is still one of the enduring achievements of the European Enlightenment and its collection has played a major part in shaping our understanding of human history. To mark this significant date in the history of the Museum its Director, Neil MacGregor, gives a special free public lecture examining the Museum’s enduring commitment to making its collection available worldwide.
This event took place in January 2009.
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