Ian Jenkins
Senior Curator
Ancient Greece
Department: Greek and Roman
Antiquities
Telephone: +44 (0)20 7323 8414
Email: ijenkins @ thebritishmuseum.ac.uk
Ian Jenkins has responsibility for the ancient
Greek collections. He joined the Museum in 1978 from the University
of Bristol, where he read ancient Greek with archaeology and
ancient history. While working at the Museum he wrote his PhD
thesis on the collection history of its Egyptian, Assyrian and
Classical sculptures. This thesis was published in 1992 as
Archaeologists and Aesthetes in the Sculpture Galleries of the
British Museum 1800-1939 (British Museum Press).
As well as writing their history, Dr Jenkins
has published widely on the archaeology and art history,
restoration and conservation history of the collections. His
special interests include Greek architecture and sculpture, Ancient
Greek social history, plaster casts after the antique and the
collections of prints and drawings in the Department, notably the
Paper Museum of Cassiano dal Pozzo, Townley archive and
topographical drawings by various artists.
Dr Jenkins has completed a number of
exhibition projects. These include: in 1983 the permanent
exhibition of Greek and Roman Life (Room 69); in 1992 the permanent
display of the Bassae Sculptures (Room 16); in 1995 the
Hellenistic World (Room 22); in 1996, with Kim Sloan, the temporary
exhibition, Vases and Volcanoes - Sir William Hamilton and his
Collection; in 1998 the Parthenon Information Galleries (Rooms 18).
In 2004-6 he led the refurbishment of the displays in the Greek
galleries on the ground floor of the Museum (Rooms 13 - 20)
In 1998 Ian Jenkins was the Samuel H.
Kress lecturer in ancient art for the archaeological Institute of
America. He was also visiting professor at Cornell University.
Dr Jenkins has recently published a major new
history of the Greek architecture and architectural Greek sculpture
in the Museum. He leads the British Museum’s excavations at Cnidus
(Knidos) in south-west Turkey and is currently preparing a loan
exhibition about the ancient Greeks and their ancient Olympic games
to travel to China in 2008.
Current British Museum projects
The ancient Greeks and their Olympic Games:
loan exhibition for China 2008.
The Parthenon Sculptures: book with
photographs by Dudley Hubbard and Ivor Kerslake to mark the two
hundred year anniversary of the first exhibition of the sculptures
in London.
Previous British Museum projects
As above
External fellowships/ honorary positions/ membership of professional bodies
Fellow of the London Society of
Antiquaries
Corresponding Member of the German
Archaeological Institute
Trustee of Sir John Soane’s Museum
Member of the Consultative Committee of The
Burlington Magazine
Member of the Committee for the publication of
the Paper Museum of Casssiano dal Pozzo
Publications
I. Jenkins, Greek Architecture and its Sculpture (
British Museum Press 2006)
I. Jenkins, Cleaning and Controversy: The
Parthenon Sculptures 1811-1939. British Museum Occasional
Paper 146 (British Museum Press 2001)
I. Jenkins, Second Sight of the Parthenon
Frieze, with S. Bird and F. Levi (British Museum Press
1998)
I. Jenkins, Vases and Volcanoes: Sir
William Hamilton and his Collection - exhibition catalogue
with K. Sloan (British Museum Press 1996)
I. Jenkins, The Parthenon Frieze
(British Museum Press 1994)
I. Jenkins, Archaeologists and Aesthetes
in the Sculpture Galleries of the British
Museum 1800‑1939 (British Museum Press 1992)