Study Day: The Work and Legacies of Charles Thomas Newton

A scholarly account of the work and impact of Charles Thomas Newton is long overdue. Newton was a well-known figure of authority on archaeology and the classical world in the mid to late Victorian period in Britain and beyond. Connected with an overwhelming number of public figures, whether in art (G. F. Watts, Mary Severn), criticism (John Ruskin), politics (William Gladstone) or museums (Antonio Panizzi and Henry Cole), Newton left an ambivalent legacy. The claims he made about the discovery of the Mausoleum of Halikarnassos were later found to be at best exaggerated, at worst untrue, and his writing (and actions) record mixed, and in some cases racist, attitudes to the peoples across the Ottoman Empire and modern Greece. Newton spent most of his life in the British Museum but cannily networked across clubs, societies and institutions to develop new means of acquiring antiquities, including through military expeditions. 

Research to understand the importance and future of contested collections is linked to understanding the role of personalities that shaped the collecting history of the nineteenth century. This study day will bring together a cross-disciplinary group of academics, museum professionals and archaeologists to consider Newton’s work and profound influence. 
Not only did Newton pursue the acquisition of antiquities for the national museum through various methods, but more importantly, his advice and actions shaped the collecting history of this country during the Victorian period. Indeed, his views influenced the way the British Museum developed into the institution we know today, and were important for the development of a number of institutions and networks such as the Hellenic Society and the British School of Archaeology in Athens. 

The day begins with an introduction posing questions that we hope to cover during the day, 3 panel sessions and a provocation, which will set Newton into the wider context of nineteenth century Britain. The last section of the day will take place at the British Museum with an introduction to the archives, artwork, antiquities and the stores related, in one way or another, to Charles Thomas Newton. 

An agenda will be added nearer to the date with full details of the room and accessibility.