Top of wooden goldsmith's box, painted with scenes of Qajar princes hunting and other courtly or historical scenes

Press releases

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Read our press releases, featuring Museum news, acquisitions and exhibition announcements.

Browse recent press releases or for more information, review tickets and interview opportunities, image and filming requests, visit our Press page or Contact us.

2021

March

British Museum reveals exciting rare finds to be acquired by museums across the UK as the latest Treasure report is published
(DOCX, 87.99 KB)
Lampedusa Cross to tour the UK for the first time
(DOCX, 209.43 KB)

February

New project launched to engage youth in arts and culture across the UK
(DOCX, 82.59 KB)

January

Entire 800-year-old stained glass window from Canterbury Cathedral to be centrepiece of British Museum's 'Becket' exhibition
(DOC, 108.5 KB)

2020

December

The British Museum celebrates over a decade of collecting contemporary art of the Middle East and North Africa with a major new exhibition
(DOCX, 66.92 KB)
Garden finds boost numbers of archaeological discoveries recorded during lockdown
(DOCX, 85.09 KB)

November

British Museum forthcoming exhibitions 2021
(DOCX, 149.6 KB)
The Legacy Restoration Trust, Nigeria, the British Museum and Adjaye Associates announce details of major archaeology project
(DOCX, 109.91 KB)
Announcement of the winners of the 2019 Marsh Volunteer Awards
(DOCX, 72.06 KB)
British Museum receives its largest single grant in a decade from Arcadia
(DOCX, 92.52 KB)

October

Surge in demand sees British Museum expand Samsung Virtual Visits for schools
(DOCX, 83.28 KB)
Rare Glazed Tiles to be returned to Uzbekistan following work by the British Museum and Border Force
(DOC, 83.5 KB)

September

The British Museum helps to return rare Sumerian plaque to Iraq
(DOCX, 80.36 KB)
Final group of museums announced for Museum Futures, creating entry level routes into the sector
(PDF, 153.41 KB)
The Citi exhibition 'Arctic: culture and climate'
(PDF, 180.08 KB)
The 'rebellious spirit' of Tantra to be explored for the first time at the British Museum
(PDF, 268.21 KB)
103 'lost' drawings by Japanese artist Hokusai acquired by the British Museum
(PDF, 155.54 KB)

August

Grayson Perry unveils unseen edition of 'Tomb of the Unknown Craftsman' at its 'spiritual home' the British Museum
(DOCX, 63.85 KB)
British Museum to reopen 27 August
(PDF, 170.14 KB)

July

1.5 million archaeological objects have been unearthed by the public, British Museum reveals
(DOCX, 83.43 KB)

June

British Museum adds 5 LGBTQ+ objects to display
(DOCX, 67.64 KB)
Samsung and British Museum release new online learning resources to inspire digital creativity
(DOC, 107.5 KB)

May

British Museum and Border Force crack down on emerging market in faked Middle Eastern antiquities
(DOCX, 74.65 KB)
British Museum brings its ground-breaking Pompeii Live exhibition to YouTube and Facebook
(DOCX, 65.41 KB)
British Museum discovers bitumen for the first time in ancient Nubia
(DOCX, 82.88 KB)

April

British Museum revamps online collection of over 4 million objects
(DOCX, 63.35 KB)

March

New Trustee appointment: Professor Mary Beard
(DOCX, 58.11 KB)
Circulating Artefacts - British Museum-led project launches global platform to counteract looting and trafficking of cultural artefacts
(DOCX, 70.02 KB)
The British Museum sees surge in online visitors as museums across the world close their doors
(DOCX, 17.21 KB)
Edmund de Waal’s library of exiled writers goes on display at the British Museum
(DOCX, 75.32 KB)
Boost in amount of finds discovered by public in another highly successful year
(PDF, 131.48 KB)

February

Rare Sixteenth-century drug jar from Italy acquired by the British Museum through Cultural Gifts Scheme
(DOC, 98 KB)
British Museum acquires internationally significant 3,000-year-old gold pendant, found in Shropshire
(PDF, 183.67 KB)
British Museum’s world-class collection of French prints to go on show for first time in 40 years
(DOC, 92.5 KB)
300th anniversary of Piranesi’s birth marked by exhibition of his work as a draughtsman
(PDF, 208.63 KB)

January

The British Museum and the Art Loss Register help to return important Kushan sculpture to Afghanistan
(DOCX, 71.55 KB)
One of the largest Ming porcelains from the British Museum will go on loan
(DOCX, 70.08 KB)
Tantra at the British Museum press release
(DOC, 98.5 KB)
New discoveries in Iraq to be presented alongside British Museum objects
(DOCX, 78.86 KB)
British Museum announces major exhibition on the Arctic
(DOCX, 70.86 KB)
British Museum saves Nainsukh of Guler’s masterpiece from export
(DOC, 2.4 MB)
International 2020 Press Release
(DOC, 87.5 KB)

2019

December

British Museum acquires rare 1,000-year-old seal on third attempt
(DOCX, 58.52 KB)
2020 programme commemorating the murder of Thomas Becket unveiled
(DOCX, 62.33 KB)
Living with art: Picasso to Celmins
(DOCX, 73.05 KB)
The Asahi Shimbun Displays Disposable? rubbish and us
(DOCX, 64.46 KB)

November

British Museum Year Ahead 2020 Final
(DOCX, 149.8 KB)
Troy press view_for sign off
(DOCX, 80.27 KB)

October

Google Maya Press Release
(DOC, 88 KB)
First ever travel guidebook at the British Museum PRESS RELEASE
(DOC, 86 KB)
Inspired by the East Press Release FINAL
(DOC, 97 KB)

September

Notgeld Press Release final
(DOCX, 57.27 KB)
Nara at the British Museum Press Release
(DOCX, 60.18 KB)
Rossetti British Museum Acquisition Press Release
(DOC, 1.09 MB)
EMKP Press Release Final
(DOC, 77.5 KB)
Sir Stamford Raffles: collecting in Southeast Asia 1811-1824
(PDF, 138.97 KB)
British Museum and Samsung offer 35,000 school pupils the chance to virtually visit the Museum
(DOC, 88 KB)
First exhibition of Kollwitz's work in nearly 25 years comes to London following successful UK tour
(PDF, 148.43 KB)

August

British Museum helps return cuneiform tablets seized by HMRC to Iraq
(DOCX, 53.99 KB)
Contemporary drawings to tour UK in first-time co-curated exhibition
(DOCX, 76.16 KB)
Largest coin hoard of the post-Conquest period found near Somerset
(DOC, 97 KB)

July

Annual Review 2018-19
(DOCX, 63.08 KB)
Inspired by the East: how the Islamic world influenced Western art
(DOC, 96.5 KB)

June

British Museum and Samsung renew partnership for further 5 years
(DOC, 90 KB)
Nara: sacred images from early Japan
(DOCX, 61.15 KB)
The BP exhibition Troy: myth and reality
(DOCX, 80.18 KB)
The Asahi Shimbun Displays Collecting histories: Solomon Islands
(DOCX, 63.33 KB)

May

Queen Victoria's drawings of family life to go on display at the British Museum
(DOC, 86.5 KB)

April

Playing with money: currency and games
(DOC, 86 KB)
Damien Hirst acquisition for the British Museum
(DOCX, 39.14 KB)

March

British Museum helps UK Government return important ancient historical inscription to Iraq
(DOCX, 56.53 KB)
The Antony Griffiths & Judy Rudoe Collection of African textiles allocated to the British Museum under the Cultural Gifts Scheme
(DOCX, 38.85 KB)

February

Rembrandt: thinking on paper
(PDF, 259.67 KB)
300 rare artists' postcards to go on show at the British Museum – the first major museum display of 'overlooked' art form
(DOC, 91.5 KB)
The Asahi Shimbun Displays Feeding history: the politics of food
(DOCX, 60.66 KB)

January

British Museum announces biggest UK exhibition of Munch prints in 45 years
(PDF, 244.57 KB)
The British Museum's forthcoming international exhibitions 2019
(DOC, 87.5 KB)
British Museum launches Santo Domingo Centre of Excellence for Latin American Research
(DOCX, 63.47 KB)
The British Museum embarks on a major programme to help preserve Endangered Material Knowledge
(DOC, 73 KB)
British Museum joins European museums to transform the Egyptian Museum, Cairo
(DOCX, 58.56 KB)

Please contact us for press releases prior to 2019.

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