British Museum Responds to Its History

Andrea Gonzalez

The British Museum, home to some of the world’s most treasured historic artifacts, has moved the bust of its founder from a display pedestal because of his links to slavery.

The sculpture of Hans Sloane, whose huge bequest of artifacts formed the original basis of the museum, is still available for public viewing, but has now been placed in a display cabinet alongside objects and descriptions that reflect his colonial activities and links to slavery. 

The vast museum in London which houses historic artifacts such as the Elgin Marbles and the Rosetta Stone was founded in 1753 and opened 1759.

According to the museum’s website, Irish-born Sloane was a doctor who collected objects from around the world. 

 A little bit about Hans Sloane was that he was born April 6, 1660, in Killyleagh, United Kingdom, and died January 11,1753,  in Chelsea, London, United Kingdom. Sloane was married to Elisabeth Sloane and had six children .

Sloane was an Anglo-Irish physician, naturalist, and collector with a collection of 71,000 items which he bequeathed to the British nation