The keepers are heads of the various departments of the

British Museum The British Museum is a public museum dedicated to human history, art and culture located in the Bloomsbury area of London. Its permanent collection of eight million works is among the largest and most comprehensive in existence. It docum ...

. They are professional

curators A curator (from la, cura, meaning "to take care") is a manager or overseer. When working with cultural organizations, a curator is typically a "collections curator" or an "exhibitions curator", and has multifaceted tasks dependent on the parti ...

and related academics. There are currently nine departments plus the

Portable Antiquities Scheme The Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS) is a voluntary programme run by the United Kingdom government to record the increasing numbers of small finds of archaeological interest found by members of the public. The scheme begun in 1997 and now covers m ...

that have keepers.

Keepers of Africa, Oceania and the Americas

The Keeper of Africa, Oceania and the Americas is head of the Department of Africa, Oceania and the Americas (Department of Ethnography until 2004). * 1953–1969: Adrian Digby * 1969–1974:

William Buller Fagg William Buller Fagg (28 April 1914 – 10 July 1992) was a British curator and anthropologist. He was the Keeper of the Department of Ethnography at the British Museum (1969–1974), and pioneering historian of Yoruban and Nigerian art, with a ...

* 1974–1990: Malcolm McLeod * 1991–2004: John Mack * 2005-2012: J. C. H. King * 2012–present: Lissant Bolton

Keepers of Ancient Egypt and Sudan

The Keeper of Ancient Egypt and Sudan is head of the Department of Ancient Egypt and Sudan (formerly Department of Egyptian and Assyrian Antiquities and then Department of Egyptian Antiquities). * 1893–1924: E. A. Wallis Budge * 1924–1930: Henry Hall * 1931–1948: Sidney Smith * 1948–1955: C. J. Gadd * 1955–1974:

I. E. S. Edwards Iorwerth Eiddon Stephen Edwards, (21 July 1909 – 24 September 1996) — known as I. E. S. Edwards— was an English Egyptologist and curator, considered to be a leading expert on the pyramids. Biography Born in London, he was the son of Edwar ...

* 1974–1988:

T. G. H. James Thomas Garnet Henry James, (8 May 1923 – 16 December 2009), known as Harry James, was a British Egyptologist, epigrapher, and museum curator. He is best known for his career long association with the British Museum, serving with the Department ...

* 1988–2011: Vivian Davies * 2012–2021:

Neal Spencer Neal (Neil) is a given masculine name and surname of Gaelic and Irish origin. The name is an Anglicisation of the Irish Niall which is of disputed derivation. The Irish name may be derived from words meaning "cloud", "passionate", "victory", "hono ...

Keepers of Asia

The Keeper of Asia is head of the Department of Asia (until 2003, the Department of Oriental Antiquities). * 1946–1969:

Basil Gray Basil Gray, (1904 – 1989), was an art historian, Islamicist, author, and the head of the British Museum's Oriental department. Early life Basil Gray was born in 1904 at Kensington, the son to Charles Gray and Florence Elworthy Cowell. His f ...

* 1969–1977 Douglas Barrett * 1977–1987 Lawrence Smith * 1987–1994:

Jessica Rawson Dame Jessica Mary Rawson, (born 20 January 1943) is an English art historian, curator and sinologist. She is also an academic administrator, specialising in Chinese art. After many years at the British Museum, she was Warden (head) of Merton C ...

* 1994–2006: Robert Knox * 2006–2014:

Jan Stuart Jan Stuart is an American art historian specialising in Chinese painting, ceramics and decorative arts. She is currently the Melvin R. Seiden Curator of Chinese Art at the Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery in Washington, D.C. E ...

* 2014–present: Jane Portal

Keepers of Japanese Antiquities

The Keeper of Japanese Antiquities was head of the Department of Japanese Antiquities. That department merged with the Department of Oriental Antiquities to form the Department of Asia. * 1987–1997: Lawrence R. H. Smith * 1997–2003: Victor Harris

Keepers of Britain, Europe and Prehistory

The Keeper of Britain, Europe and Prehistory is the head of the Department of Britain, Europe and Prehistory (previously known as the Department of Europe and Prehistory) * 2003–2007: Leslie Webster * 2012–2015:

Roger Bland Roger Farrant Bland, (born 3 April 1955) is a British curator and numismatist. At the British Museum, he served as Keeper of the Department of Portable Antiquities and Treasure from 2005 to 2013, Keeper of the Department of Prehistory and Europ ...

* 2015–present:

Jill Cook Jill Cook, (born 1954) is a British museum curator who is the acting Keeper of the Department of Britain, Europe and Prehistory at the British Museum. She curates the collection of European Prehistory and is a specialist in Ice Age art and the ar ...

Keepers of British and Medieval Antiquities

The Keeper of British and Medieval Antiquities was the head of the Department of British and Medieval Antiquities (Department of British and Medieval Antiquities and Ethnography until 1921). * 1866–1896:

Augustus Wollaston Franks Sir Augustus Wollaston Franks (20 March 182621 May 1897) was a British antiquarian and museum administrator. Franks was described by Marjorie Caygill, historian of the British Museum, as "arguably the most important collector in the history of ...

* 1896–1921: Sir Charles Hercules Read * 1921–1928:

Ormonde Maddock Dalton Ormonde Maddock Dalton, FBA (1866–1945) was a British museum curator and archaeologist. Though very much an all-rounder, his main expertise was in medieval art. He usually published as O. M. Dalton, but also wrote under the pseudonym W. Compt ...

Keepers of Prehistoric and Romano-British Antiquities

The Keeper of Prehistoric and Romano-British Antiquities was head of the Department of Prehistoric and Romano-British Antiquities. The department was created from the Department of British and Medieval Antiquities in 1969. * 1973–1995: Ian Heaps Longworth * 1995–2000: Timothy W. Potter

Keepers of Medieval and Later Antiquities

The Keeper of Medieval and Later Antiquities was head of the Department of Medieval and Later Antiquities. The department was created from the Department of British and Medieval Antiquities in 1969. * 1975–1998: Neil Stratford

Keepers of Coins and Medals

The Keeper of Coins and Medals is head of the Department of Coins and Medals. * 1861–1870: William Sandys Wright Vaux *1870–1893:

Reginald Stuart Poole Reginald Stuart Poole (27 January 18328 February 1895), known as Stuart Poole, was an English archaeologist, numismatist and Orientalist. Poole was from a famous Orientalist family as his mother Sophia Lane Poole, his uncle Edward William Lane an ...

* 1893–1906: Barclay V. Head * 1906–1912: Herbert Appold Grueber * 1912–1931:

George Francis Hill Sir George Francis Hill, KCB, FBA (22 December 1867 – 18 October 1948) was the director and principal librarian of the British Museum (1931–1936). He was a specialist in Renaissance medals. Early years George Hill was born in Berhampur, ...

* 1931–1949: John Allan * 1949–1952: Stanley Robinson * 1952–1964: John Walker * 1965–1978:

G. Kenneth Jenkins Gilbert Kenneth Jenkins (2 July 1918 – 22 May 2005) was a leading figure in 20th-century numismatics. He was the post-war generation's most important expert in the study of Greek coins and medals and would become Keeper of Coins and Medals at the ...

* 1978–1983: Robert Carson * 1983–1990: John Kent * 1990–1992: Mark Jones * 1992–2003:

Andrew Burnett Andrew Michael Burnett, (born 23 May 1952) is a British numismatist and museum curator, who specialises in Roman coins. He was Deputy Director of the British Museum from 2003 to 2013, and Keeper of its Department of Coins and Medals from 1992 to ...

* 2003–2010:

Joe Cribb Joe Cribb is a numismatist, specialising in Asian coinages, and in particular on coins of the Kushan Empire. His catalogues of Chinese silver currency ingots, and of ritual coins of Southeast Asia were the first detailed works on these subjects i ...

* 2010–2020: Philip Attwood * 2020–2022: Jane Portal; Acting Keeper * 2022-present: Tom Hockenhull

Keepers of Conservation

The Keeper of Conservation and Scientific Research is head of the Department of Conservation and Scientific Research. * 1975–1979: Harold Barker; Keeper of Conservation and Technical Services * 1985–2002:

Andrew Oddy William Andrew Oddy, (born 6 January 1942) is a former Keeper of Conservation at the British Museum, notable for his publications on artefact conservation and numismatics, and for the development of the Oddy test. In 1996 he was awarded the F ...

; Keeper of Conservation * 2002–2005: Sheridan Bowman; Keeper of Conservation, Documentation and Science * 2005–2015: David Saunders; Keeper of Conservation and Scientific Research * 2015-present: Carl Heron

Keepers of Greece and Rome

The Keeper of Greece and Rome is head of the Department of Greece and Rome. It was formerly known as the Keeper of Greek and Roman Antiquities. * 1861–1885:

Charles Thomas Newton Sir Charles Thomas Newton (16 September 1816 – 28 November 1894) was a British archaeologist. He was made KCB in 1887. Life He was born in 1816, the second son of Newton Dickinson Hand Newton, vicar of Clungunford, Shropshire, and afterw ...

* 1886–1904:

Alexander Stuart Murray Alexander Stuart Murray, FBA (8 January 1841March, 1904) was a Scottish archaeologist. He was known for excavations on Cyprus. Life Murray was born at Arbroath, and educated there, at the Royal High School, Edinburgh and at the Universities ...

* 1904–1909:

Cecil Harcourt Smith Sir Cecil Harcourt-Smith (1859–1944) was a British archaeologist and museum director. He was Keeper of Greek and Roman Antiquities at the British Museum from 1904 to 1909, and Director of the Victoria and Albert Museum from 1909 to 1924. Ea ...

* 1909–1925: Arthur Smith * 1925–1932: Henry Beauchamp Walters * 1932–1936:

John Forsdyke Sir Edgar John Forsdyke KCB (12 September 1883 – 3 December 1979) was Director and Principal Librarian of the British Museum from 1936 to 1950. Under his tenure, an attempt was made to clean the Elgin Marbles in 1937, which lasted until 1938 a ...

* 1936–1939: Frederick N. Pryce * 1939–1956: Bernard Ashmole * 1956–1976:

D. E. L. Haynes Denys Eyre Lankester Haynes (15 February 1913 – 27 September 1994) was an English classical scholar, archaeologist, and museum curator, who specialised in the full range of classical archaeology. He was Keeper of Greek and Roman Antiquities at ...

* 1976–1993: Brian Cook * 1993–2007: Dyfri Williams * 2007–present: Lesley Fitton

Keepers of the Middle East

The Keeper of the Middle East is head of the Department of the Middle East (formerly Department of Western Asiatic Antiquities, then Department of Ancient Near East). * 1955–1974:

Richard David Barnett Richard David Barnett, CBE, FBA (23 January 1909 – 29 July 1986) was the Keeper, Department of Western Asiatic Antiquities of the British Museum. Early life Born on 23 January 1909, Barnett was the son of Lionel David Barnett, who was th ...

* 1974–1983:

Edmond Sollberger Edmond Sollberger, FBA (12 October 1920 – 21 June 1989) was a Turkish-born, Swiss–British museum curator, cuneiformist and scholar of the Sumerian language. Early life and education A Swiss citizen, Sollberger was born in Istanbul on 12 Oc ...

* 1985–1989: Terence Croft Mitchell * 1989–2011: John Curtis * current: Jonathan N. Tubb

Keepers of Portable Antiquities and Treasure

Keeper of Portable Antiquities and Treasure is head of the Department of Portable Antiquities and Treasure, and head of the

. * 2005–2013:

Keepers of Prints and Drawings

The Simon Sainsbury Keeper of Prints and Drawings is head of the Department of Prints and Drawings. * 1833–1836:

William Young Ottley William Young Ottley (6 August 1771 – 26 May 1836) was a British collector of and writer on art, amateur artist, and Keeper of the Department of Prints and Drawings at the British Museum. He was an early English enthusiast for 14th- and 15t ...

*1836–1845: Henry Josi *1845–1866: William Hookham Carpenter *1866–1883: George William Reid * 1883–1912:

Sidney Colvin Sir Sidney Colvin (18 June 1845 – 11 May 1927) was a British curator and literary and art critic, part of the illustrious Anglo-Indian Colvin family. He is primarily remembered for his friendship with Robert Louis Stevenson. Family and early ...

* 1912–1932:

Campbell Dodgson Campbell Dodgson, CBE DLitt Hon RE (13 August 1867 – 11 July 1948) was a British art historian and museum curator. He was the Keeper of Prints and Drawings at the British Museum in 1912–32. Biography Student Campbell Dodgson was the eighth ...

* 1933–1945:

Arthur Mayger Hind Arthur Mayger Hind (1880–1957) was a British art historian and curator, who usually published as Arthur M. Hind or A. M. Hind. He specialized in old master prints, and was Keeper of the Department of Prints and Drawings at the British Mus ...

* 1945–1954: Arthur E. Popham * 1954–1973:

Edward Croft-Murray Major Edward Croft-Murray (1 September 1907 – 18 September 1980) was a British antiquarian, an expert on British art, and Keeper of the Department of Prints and Drawings at the British Museum from 1954 to 1973. He was educated at Lancing Co ...

* 1973–1981: John Gere * 1981–1991: John Rowlands * 1991–2011:

Antony Griffiths Antony Vaughan Griffiths, (born 28 July 1951) is a British museum curator and art historian, specialising in prints and drawings. From 1991 to 2011, he served as Keeper of the Department of Prints and Drawings, British Museum. He was Slade Profe ...

* 2011–present: Hugo Chapman

References

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