Dear British Museum,

I finally had the opportunity to saunter through your hallowed corridors on a recent trip to London. I hadn't planned on visiting, but with nothing to do for an afternoon, I thought I might as well see for myself what all the hype was about, as your museum is supposed to be one of the top museums in the world.

And I must say, what I saw was very impressive.

Gallery after gallery I strolled, viewing the magnificent pieces in your collection, some dating back hundreds, even thousands, of years. What you have is a truly remarkable collection of antiquities.

One of the first things I noticed, however, was the number of people wandering through your halls.

Is your museum always that busy?

I went in the middle of the afternoon on a Tuesday in hope that it wouldn't be that busy. Boy, was I wrong!.

All those people milling about, standing in from of displays made it difficult to truly appreciate everything you have to offer.

Have you ever thought about limiting the number of people who can visit at a time? I guess that would make it difficult to keep attendance up if it were restricted.

Oh well, just a thought I'd throw your way.

In spite of the number of people blocking most of the exhibits, I did my best to view as much of your museum as I could. I was particularly interested in the exhibits from the Parthenon. I had recently watched a documentary on the structure, and it was amazing to see the sculptures in person.

Standing there, viewing the detail that went into the creation of those sculptures, was overwhelming. I couldn't help but wonder how the artists were able to put so much detail into their work, especially given the time in which they were created.

Were their tools really that sophisticated, or were they just really great craftsmen? Or is marble really that easy to transform from a slab of stone into a wondrous piece of art?

Since I'm not a sculptor, I'll probably never know.

After watching the documentary and seeing the sculptures in person, I was particularly intrigued by a plaque describing the collection and its connection to Lord Elgin, who was the British ambassador to the Ottoman Empire in the early 1800s.

After doing some research, I uncovered some interesting facts about this exhibit’s origins. It seems that Lord Elgin had the sculptures removed from Greece and shipped to England, where they were eventually purchased by the British government and placed in your collection. Why? Why did he remove them from Greece?

I also discovered that there seems to be a bit of a diplomatic battle between you and Greece over the collection. Something about Greece wanting its sculptures returned and you refusing to give them back?

Which, of course, leads me to ask one simple question.

Why won't you return them? Didn’t they belong to Greece in the first place?

Now, I understand that Lord Elgin “claimed” to have permission from the Ottoman authorities, as they controlled Greece at the time. But here's my question: Did the Ottoman authorities have the right to give away another country's cultural heritage? Why did they give Lord Elgin permission? Did they really give him permission to remove them, or did he just say he had permission? And if they didn't, is this supposed “legal” purchase of items taken from a country that didn’t themselves give permission for their removal hold any legal standing today?

Wouldn't returning the statues simply be the right thing to do?

As I continued to wander through your halls and ascend to the upper floors, I couldn't help but wonder if other exhibits had been acquired through similarly questionable means.

I began asking myself that very question as I walked into the Egyptian galleries, where there were display after display of Egyptian artifacts and mummies. I had my answer.

Now, don't get me wrong. The collection was magnificent, and I was fascinated by what I saw. But I couldn't help wondering how all these treasures from Egypt ended up in England. Were they purchased? Were they gifts? Or were some simply taken during a time when Britain had control over Egypt?

I ask because it seems that whenever Britain had control of or influence over another country, somehow that country's most remarkable treasures ended up in your collection.

Why is that?

It's well known that British archaeologists were involved in discovering many ancient Egyptian artifacts. But instead of those discoveries remaining in the country where they originated, many found their way into museums in England.

Interesting how that worked out for you!

Now, I understand that some of the treasures  were legally purchased or acquired through agreements that existed at the time, however, that brings up another question.

If those agreements were made during a period when Britain held considerable power and influence over Egypt, how freely were those decisions really made?

Just because something was considered legal at the time doesn't necessarily mean it was right.

And that, I suppose, is what bothers me most.

Here I was, wandering through one of the most magnificent museums in the world, admiring the craftsmanship of civilizations that existed thousands of years ago, while wondering why so many of their treasures were sitting in London instead of their country of origin.

Shouldn’t these artifacts be kept in their home country instead of a foreign one? And if they aren’t, don’t those countries have the right to ask for their history to be returned?  And shouldn't that request carry some weight?

As I walked out your front doors, more than likely never to return again, I couldn't help but wonder how many other artifacts in your collection had arrived through similarly questionable circumstances.

Don't get me wrong. You have a magnificent museum filled with some of the most remarkable pieces of human history I've ever seen. I thoroughly enjoyed seeing the collections, even if I had to fight my way through what seemed like half the population of London to see them.

But just because something looks beautiful sitting in one of your galleries doesn't necessarily mean it belongs there.

So, British Museum, I have one final question.

If these treasures are so important to human history, shouldn't they remain in their country of origin and remain part of that country’s history? After all, their ancestors are the ones that created those magnificent pieces.

And wouldn't returning those that were wrongfully taken be the right thing to do?

Just a thought final I'd throw your way.

Sincerely,

Mz. Taylor