Uploaded August 2023 | Updated September 2026, 1 hour ago
A SCANDAL at the British Museum is unfolding after it emerged that around 2000 items have been stolen from its collections over a number of years, perhaps even decades. The items, which were part of the institution’s collection of 8 million objects, were kept in storage and were not among the 80,000 pieces which are on show to the public. A member of staff suspected of involvement in the thefts has been sacked and reported to police and the museum’s director, Hartwig Fischer, has resigned. The thefts were reported to the Museum in 2021 by a Danish based art dealer named Dr Ittai Gradel, who saw some of the items listed for sale on e-bay, but it appears a wholly inadequate investigation was carried out and the thefts were not stopped. Adding to the Museum’s problems and reputational damage is the fact that many of the items were either uncatalogued or only minimally catalogued, making it all but impossible in many cases to even be sure exactly what has been stolen or ever get it back. The story of the British Museum thefts continues.
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British Museum recovers some of 2,000 stolen items
bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-66626619
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A SCANDAL at the British Museum is unfolding after it emerged that around 2000 items have been stolen from its collections over a number of years, perhaps even decades. The items, which were part of the institution’s collection of 8 million objects, were kept in storage and were not among the 80,000 pieces which are on show to the public. A member of staff suspected of involvement in the thefts has been sacked and reported to police and the museum’s director, Hartwig Fischer, has resigned. The thefts were reported to the Museum in 2021 by a Danish based art dealer named Dr Ittai Gradel, who saw some of the items listed for sale on e-bay, but it appears a wholly inadequate investigation was carried out and the thefts were not stopped. Adding to the Museum’s problems and reputational damage is the fact that many of the items were either uncatalogued or only minimally catalogued, making it all but impossible in many cases to even be sure exactly what has been stolen or ever get it back. The story of the British Museum thefts continues.
Instagram: instagram.com/historycalling
Patreon: patreon.com/historycalling
YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE:
THE STORY OF THE AMBER ROOM: LOST TREASURE OF WORLD WAR 2
youtu.be/DGvq4N1OhyE
LEARN MORE:
British Museum recovers some of 2,000 stolen items
bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-66626619
GEAR USED
Apple MacBook Pro Laptop (for video editing): amzn.to/3S6IoRK
DJI Drone: amzn.to/38h1vXr (UK LINK) OR amzn.to/39hROZm (US LINK)
Go-Pro Hero 10 camera: amzn.to/3EPIK9U (UK LINK) OR amzn.to/3rTWScL (US LINK)
GoPro 3-Way 2.0 (Tripod/Grip/Arm): amzn.to/37CdC1r (UK LINK) OR amzn.to/3vaVxjU (US LINK)
Memory Card: amzn.to/36QvcOQ (UK LINK) OR amzn.to/3KeLZZs (US LINK)
Microphone: amzn.to/3MFtoaK (UK LINK) OR amzn.to/3rYtjH8 (US LINK)
NB: Links above may be affiliate links. This means if you make a purchase through one of these links, I earn a small commission. It in no way affects the price you pay.
Creative Commons licenses used see creativecommons.org/licenses
