The New York TimesThe New York Times

A scandal and its fallout compound the British Museum's woes

By Alex Marshall

01 Sep 2023 · 5 min read

informed Summary

  1. The British Museum is facing a crisis following the theft of potentially thousands of items from its storerooms by an employee. The museum’s director, Hartwig Fischer, resigned on August 25, leaving the institution without a leader during this critical time.

LONDON — Visitors to the British Museum this week could be forgiven for thinking it was business as usual.

In the museum’s Egyptian galleries, tourists jostled to get a closer look at the Rosetta stone. Nearby, a teenager posed for a photo in front of a huge statue from Easter Island. In another hall, art students sketched a sculpture of a centaur from the Parthenon marbles.

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