The British Consular Service in the Aegean and the Collection of Antiquities for the British Museum

Download or read book The British Consular Service in the Aegean and the Collection of Antiquities for the British Museum written by Lucia Patrizio Gunning and published by Ashgate Publishing, Ltd.. This book was released on 2009 with total page 244 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The book tells the story of how the British consular service in the Aegean, in the years of the British protectorate of the Ionian Islands (1815-1864) became an agency for the retrieval, excavation and collection of antiquities eventually destined for the British Museum. Exploring the historical, political and diplomatic circumstances that allowed the consular service to develop from a chartered company, into a state run institution under the direction of the Foreign Office, this book provides a unique perspective on the intersection of state policy and the collecting of antiquities.