Newcastle | Central Unit blogs

Hadrian exhibition at the British Museum

Hadrian profile from a bust The British Museum announced a new exhibition for this Summer, which is particularly relevant for many of our audience who find Roman coins and artefacts daily. The full press release from the BM press office is below. The Scheme has recorded over 600 coins of Hadrian, and 42 of his wife Sabina. When I get a chance, I’ll put these through a Google map and make this more interesting as a post! Sam Moorhead has also produced this quick overview of Hadrianic coins in Powerpoint format and also in PDF format.

The exhibition is already getting comments in the press -
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601088&sid=am3P.1zXjaxM&refer=muse
http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/arts/article-23431757-details/Hadrian+returns+to+Britain/article.do
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7181168.stm
http://news.google.co.uk/news?hl=en&ned=uk&ncl=1126112997&scoring=d

Hadrian returns to Britain
British Museum announces major exhibition on Roman Emperor Hadrian and iconic bronze head of Hadrian to tour Britain
24th July – 26th October 2008

Following on from the unprecedented success of ‘The First Emperor’, the British Museum’s major exhibition for 2008 will focus on another great world leader, the Roman Emperor Hadrian. Hadrian: Empire and Conflict, supported by BP, will be the first major show dedicated solely to the life and legacy of Hadrian who ruled the Roman Empire at its height between AD117 – 138. Bringing together over 180 loans from 31 countries – from Italy to Georgia, Israel to Newcastle – the exhibition will display dramatic sculpture, exquisite bronzes and architectural fragments, many of which will be seen for the first time in the UK. The show also includes objects from the Museum’s own collection including the famous Vindolanda tablets from Hadrian’s Wall. Following First Emperor, the exhibition will be the second to be held in the Museum’s historic Round Reading Room, the dome of which has been compared to the Pantheon in Rome, one of Hadrian’s architectural masterpieces.

The exhibition will bring the contradictions in Hadrian’s personality and reign into sharp focus: a military man and homosexual, he combined ruthless suppression of dissent with cultural tolerance. When Hadrian came to power, the Roman Empire was larger than the present EU, with a unified language, currency and administration. His first act on becoming emperor on the death of his fellow Spaniard, Trajan, was to recognise the issue of imperial overreach – with telling present-day resonance, he took the decision to withdraw Roman troops from Mesopotamia, modern day Iraq, and he ordered the wall which now bears his name to be built to divide England and Scotland. On an individual level, Hadrian was famed for his interests in architecture and Greek culture. He took a young Greek lover, Antinous, who accompanied him on his travels around the empire. Hadrian travelled extensively throughout his reign and met more of his people than any other emperor before him. The exhibition will provide fresh perspective on Hadrian’s life and will reassess the extensive legacy of this famous emperor.

As a precursor to the exhibition, one of the British Museum’s most important Hadrianic objects, a stunning bronze head of the emperor from the 2nd century AD, will travel to both ends of Hadrian’s Wall. The head is one of the rare surviving bronzes from Roman times and has never left the British Museum since its discovery in the River Thames in 1834. It is an almost unique survival – large bronze statues were often melted down, but its submersion kept it from this fate. The underwater silts of the Thames also protected the patina on the head meaning it is particularly well preserved. The head comes from a statue, one and a quarter life size, that may have been erected in a public space in London in AD122 to commemorate Hadrian’s visit to Britain. ‘The Face of an Emperor: Hadrian inspects the wall’ will be seen in Tullie House, Carlisle (8 February – 13 April 08) and Segedunum Roman Fort and Museum at Wallsend (16 April – 8 June 08). The tour like the main exhibition is supported by BP and has been arranged through the British Museum’s Partnership UK scheme.

Neil MacGregor, Director of the British Museum said:

‘The exhibition and the tour will provide an opportunity to assess the important legacy of the emperor Hadrian, a classical figure whose reign has telling relevance to our lives today. The British Museum is uniquely placed in its ability to tell the story of the great leaders of the past and their impact on the present. I am delighted that BP has generously agreed to support the exhibition’.

For further information or images please contact Hannah Boulton on 020 7323 8522, hboulton@thebritishmuseum.ac.uk, Katrina Whenham on 020 7323 8583 kwhenham@thebritishmuseum.ac.uk or Benjamin Ward on 0207 936 1297, bward@brunswickgroup.com

About the exhibition

The exhibition will be divided into six sections, telling the story of Hadrian’s life in a broadly chronological context:

Beginning with an examination of his family, it will explore his Spanish roots and the family fortune based on the production of olive oil. Hadrian was adopted by Trajan (his father’s cousin) who having no children of his own named Hadrian as his successor.
An important theme throughout the show is war, examining Hadrian’s military legacy and his attempts to redraw borders, reorganise the army and establish diplomatic links with this enemies.
His ruthless suppression of the Jewish revolt of 132AD coupled with his great love of Greek culture highlight the juxtapositions in his character; he was both a strong military man and a philhellene.
His personal interest in architecture and the innovative buildings constructed throughout the empire form a major part of his legacy.
The exhibition will also look at his personal relationship with his lover Antinous and his response on his sudden death in AD130.
A final section focuses on Hadrian’s complex arrangements for his succession and the erection of his grand tomb complex. The exhibition will be designed by the British Museum’s in-house team.

Notes to Editors

• Tickets will be available to book from 6th February by calling 020 7323 8181 or online.
Buy tickets
• The exhibition will be accompanied by a full public programme. Details are available from the press office.

• Partnership UK is the strategic framework for the British Museum’s programme of engagement with audiences throughout the country.

• BP is the British Museum’s largest and most longstanding corporate sponsor, supporting the Museum on an annual basis since 1998. Most recently, BP supported ‘Forgotten Empire: the world of Ancient Persia’ and ‘Mummy: the inside story’.

National Archaeology Week events

Throughout National Archaeology Week (14 – 22 July) the Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS) will be running a series of archaeological finds identification and recording sessions at local museums and other venues: often these will include a variety of other activities for adults and children. On the 14 July, in conjunction with experts at the British Museum and local museums, there will be at least one Finds Roadshow in every part of the country.

14 July (national event)

North of England
Grosvenor Museum, Chester, Cheshire – 10.30-16.30 (contact: Frances McIntosh – T. 0151 478 4259).
Museum of Antiquities, Newcastle-upon-Tyne – 10.00-16.00 (contact: Rob Collins – T. 0191 222 5076; robert.collins@ncl.ac.uk).
Museum of Lancashire, Preston, Lancashire – 12.30-15.30 (contact: Dot Bruns – T. 01772 532175; Dot.Bruns@mus.lancscc.gov.uk ) (educational event only).

West Midlands
Roman Alcester Heritage Centre, Alcester, Warwickshire – 11.30-14.30 (contact: Angie Bolton – T. 01905 721130; abolton@cityofworcester.gov.uk).

East Midlands
Chesterfield Museum, Chesterfield, Derbyshire – 11.00-15.00 (contact: Anja Rohde – T. 01332 716665; anja.rohde@derby.gov.uk).
Jewry Wall Museum, Leicester, Leicestershire – 11.30-16.00 (contact: Wendy Scott – T. 0116 265 8325; wscott@leics.gov.uk).
Wooton Hall Park, Northampton, Northamptonshire – 10.00-15.00 (contact: Steven Ashby – T. 01604 237249; sashby@northamptonshire.gov.uk).

East
Museum of Archaeology & Anthropology, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire – times tbc (contact: Philippa Walton – T. 01223 717573; philippa.walton@cambridgeshire.gov.uk).
Verulamium Museum, St Albans, Hertfordshire – 11.00-16.30 (contact: Julian Watters – T. 01727 751 826; j.watters@stalbans.gov.uk).

South West
Royal Albert Memorial Museum, Exeter, Devon – 10.30-16.00 (contact: Danielle Wootton – T. 01392 665858; danielle.wootton@exeter.gov.uk).
Salisbury Museum, Salisbury Museum, Wiltshire – 10.00-16.00 (contact: Katie Hinds – T. 01722 332151; katiehinds@salisburymuseum.org.uk).
Wimborne Minster, Dorset – 10.00-16.00 (contact: Ciorstaidh Hayward Trevarthen – T. 01305 224921; c.h.trevarthen@dorsetcc.gov.uk).

South East
Havant Museum, Havant, Hampshire – 10.30-15.30 (contact: Rob Webley – T. 01962 848269; RWebley@winchester.gov.uk).
Guildford Museum, Guildford, Surrey – 11.00-13.00 (contact: David Williams – T. 01737 247296; david.williams@surreycc.gov.uk).
Maidstone Museum, Maidstone, Kent – 10.00-16.00 (contact: Andrew Richardson – T. 01622 221544; andrew.richardson@kent.gov.uk).
tbc Michael Faraday School, Southwark, London – times tbc (contact: Kate Sutton – T. 020 78145733; ksutton@museumoflondon.org.uk) (educational event only).
Newport Roman Villa, Newport, Isle of Wight – 10.00-16.00 (contact: Frank Basford – T. 01983 529963; frank.basford@iow.gov.uk).
Risborough Festival – Risborough Community Centre, Risborough, Buckinghamshire – 14.00-17.00 (contact: Ros Tyrell – T. 01296 624519; rtyrrell@buckscc.gov.uk).

15 July
Archaeological Excavation, Bigbury-on Sea, Devon – times tbc (contact: Danielle Wootton – as above) (educational event only).
Grosvenor Museum, Chester, Cheshire – 10.30-16.30 (contact: Frances McIntosh – as above).
Roman Town House, Dorchester, Dorset – 11.00-16.00 (contact: Ciorstaidh Hayward Trevarthen – as above).
Maritime Museum, Lancaster, Lancashire – 14.00-16.00 (contact: Dot Bruns – as above) (educational event only).
Verulamium Museum, St Albans, Hertfordshire – 14.30-16.30 (contact: Julian Watters –as above).

16 July
Burton Family & Local History Centre, Burton-upon-Trent, Staffordshire – 10.00-12.00 & 13.00-15.00 (contact: Caroline Johnson – T. 0121 303 4636; caroline_a_johnson@birmingham.gov.uk) (educational event only).
Gosport Discovery Centre, Gosport, Hampshire – 10.30-15.30 (contact: Rob Webley – as above).
Wakefield Museum, Wakefield, West Yorkshire – 14.00-16.00 (contact: Amy Cooper – T. 01924 305359; acooper@wyjs.org.uk).

17 July
Rickinghall Church, Rickinghall, Suffolk – 14.00-18.00 (contacts: Faye Minter & Jane Carr – T. 01284 352 449; faye.minter@et.suffolkcc.gov.uk).
St Chad’s Church, Stafford, Staffordshire – 10.30-14.30 (contact: Caroline Johnson – as above).

18 July
Clifton Park Museum, Rotherham, South Yorkshire – 14.00-16.00 (contact: Amy Cooper – as above).
Museum of Archaeology, Southampton, Hampshire – 10.00-15.00 (contact: Rob Webley – as above).
Museum of Lancashire, Lancaster, Lancashire – 14.30-16.30 (contact: Dot Bruns – as above). (educational event only).
Rugby Museum & Art Gallery, Rugby, Warwickshire – 13.00-14.30 (contact: Angie Bolton – as above).
Swindon Museum, Swindon – 10.00-12.30 & 13.30-16.00 (contact: Katie Hinds – as above).
Warrington Museum, Warrington, Cheshire – 13.00-16.30 (contact: Frances McIntosh – as above).

19 July
Lancaster City Museum, Lancaster, Lancashire – 14.30-16.30 (contact: Dot Bruns – as above).
Mansfield Woodhouse Library, Mansfield Woodhouse, Nottinghamshire – 10.30-14.00 (contacts: Rachel Atherton & Anja Rohde – T. 01332 716665 ; rachel.atherton@derby.gov.uk).
tbc St Chad’s Church, Stafford, Staffordshire – times tbc 09.30-11.30 & 12.45-14.45 (contact: Caroline Johnson – as above) (educational event only).

20 July
Alton Museum, Alton, Hampshire – 10.30-15.30 (contact: Rob Webley – as above).
Museum of Lancashire, Preston, Lancashire – 14.30-16.30 (contact: Dot Bruns – as above).
Norton Priory, Halton, Merseyside – 12.00-16.30 (contact: Frances McIntosh – as above).

21 July
Andover Museum, Andover, Hampshire – 10.30-15.30 (contact: Rob Webley – as above).
Buckinghamshire County Museum, Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire – 11.00-16.00 (contact: Ros Tyrell – as above).
The Roman Baths Museum, Bath, North East Somerset – 10.00-16.00 (contact: Kurt Adams – T. 0117 9222613; kurt_adams@bristol-city.gov.uk).
Bolton Museum, Bolton, Greater Manchester – 10.00-16.30 (contact: Frances McIntosh – as above).
Donington Manor House, Donington Le Heath, Leicestershire – 11.00-16.00 (contact: Wendy Scott – as above).
Guildhall in Priory Park, Chichester, West Sussex – 10.00-13.00 & 14.00-16.00 (contact: Liz Andrews-Wilson – T. 01273 405731; FLO@sussexpast.co.uk).
Chippenham Museum, Chippenham, Wiltshire – times tbc (contact: Katie Hinds – as above).
Kirton Living History Festival, Kirton, Suffolk – 11.00-17.00 (contact: Faye Minter & Jane Carr – as above).
Lancaster City Museum, Lancaster, Lancashire – 10.30-15.30 (contact: Dot Bruns – as above).
Leatherhead & District Museum, Leatherhead, Surrey – 10.00-16.00 (contact: David Williams – as above).
Museum of London, London – times tbc (contact: Kate Sutton – as above).
Millgate Museum, Newark, Nottinghamshire – 10.30-12.30 (followed by an educational event only from 14.00-16.00) (contacts: Rachel Atherton & Anja Rohde – as above).
North Lincolnshire Museum, Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire – 11.00-15.00 (contact: Lisa Staves – T. 01724 843533; lisa.staves@northlincs.gov.uk).
Royal Cornwall Museum, Truro, Cornwall – 10.00-16.00 (contact: Anna Tyacke – T. 01872 272 205, ext 219; anna.tyacke@royalcornwallmuseum.org.uk).
Wells Museum, Wells, Somerset – 12.00-16.00 (contact: Naomi Payne – T. 01823 320200; NCPayne@somerset.gov.uk).
Oxfordshire Museum, Woodstock, Oxfordshire – 10.30-16.30 (contact: Charlotte Burrill – T. 01635 519534; cburrill@westberks.gov.uk).

22 July
Devizes Museum, Devizes, Wiltshire – 11.00-16.00 (contact: Katie Hinds – see above).
Museum in the Docklands, London – times tbc (contact: Kate Sutton – see above).
Sefton Museum, Sefton, Merseyside – 14.00-17.00 (contact: Frances McIntosh – see above).
Woodbury Castle & Common, Woodbury, Devon – times tbc (contact: Danielle Wootton – see above).