About the 1936 Exhibition Collection
The British School at Athens celebrated its 50th anniversary in 1936 with a large public exhibition at Burlington House at the Royal Academy of Arts in London. The exhibition, British Archaeological Discoveries in Greece and Crete 1886-1936, consisted of a special display of Minoan culture related to the discoveries at Knossos by Sir Arthur Evans as well as the excavations of the School including: Phylakopi, Kamares Cave, Palaikastro, Mycenae, Sparta, Perachora, Thessaly, Macedonia, Lesbos, Cyprus, Ithaca, and Megalopolis (Arcadia). It also included displays of Travels and Studies in Greece and Asia Minor, the Genose in the Levant, Monasteries in Athos, Byzantine Music, Byzantine Architecture and Decorative Arts, Greek Island Embroideries, Special Studies of Greek Pottery and Sculpture, Restoration of Ancient Monuments, Studies of Modern Greek Life and the School buildings and officers.
Since original ancient artifacts could not be transported to the exhibition in London, the displays consisted of replicas of ancient artifacts, modern ethnographic artifacts and illustrative panels with original watercolour drawings, many of which were done by Émile Gilliéron and Piet de Jong, and photographs.
The 1936 Exhibition Collection contains the surviving panels with original artwork from this exhibition.
The original description in the catalogue reads: "The torso of the Fallen Warrior.
The original description in the catalogue reads: "Duncan Mackenzie at work.
The original description in the catalogue reads: "Head of the giant Anytos."
The original description in the catalogue reads: "Head of Demeter."
The original description in the catalogue reads: "Head of Artemis."
The original description in the catalogue reads: "Part of the embroidered veil of Despoina."
The original description in the catalogue reads: "Drawing of existing fragments of group indicating their position in the restoration."
The original description in the catalogue reads: "Drawing of part of embroidered veil of Despoina: the surface has been 'spread out' so as to show the details of its decoration."
The original description in the catalogue reads: "The restoration by the late Guy Dickins."
The original description in the catalogue reads: "Coin of Megalopolis: on the reverse is a representation of the group by Damophon in the neighbouring sanctuary at Lykosoura."
Fragment of card base with one black and white photograph attached. Base in constructed of two pieces of card, joined horizontally at roughly the centre of the photograph. The number 384 is pasted in the centre below the image. To the right of this is written in pencil "u/p." The original description in the catalogue reads: "General view towards the Director's House from below: taken about 1905 before the olive-yard was turned into a garden."
The original description in the catalogue reads: "General view towards the Director's House from below: taken about 1905 before the olive-yard was turned into a garden."
The original description in the catalogue reads: "The Villa Ariadne… Views of the Villa, Taverna, and Garden."
The original description in the catalogue reads: "The Villa Ariadne… Views of the Villa, Taverna, and Garden."
The original description in the catalogue reads: "The Villa Ariadne… Views of the Villa, Taverna, and Garden."
The original description in the catalogue reads: "The Villa Ariadne… Views of the Villa, Taverna, and Garden."
One leather photo album with "The British School at Athens 1886-1936" on the front. The original description in the catalogue reads: "Portrait-book of officers and directors of the school, 1886-1936."
One photo album with "Excavations at the Cave of Trapeza Crete, B.S.A. 1936" on the front. On the inside front cover is a typewritten introduction to the album. The original description in the catalogue reads: "Book of photographs illustrating the Trapeza cave in Crete, supplementing the exhibit Nos. 316-7 in the North-east Angle-panel of this Room."
The original description in the catalogue reads: "Potters at Pediadha in Crete. The master potter is finishing the rim of one of the huge shapely jars used for storage. His mate is seated slowly revolving the jar with a simple mechanism, clearly shown beneath the jar on the potter's right. At the potter's feet lies a mass of unworked clay. in the left-hand corner is one of the circular stands or turntables on which the pot revolves. The family and the mule stand by."
The original description in the catalogue reads: "Scenes from a village feast at Palaikastro in Crete. (c) The singer with hand on heart is improvising, to the accompaniment of viol and drum."
The original description in the catalogue reads: "General view of the kilns at Pediadha."
The original description in the catalogue reads: "Scenes from a village feast at Palaikastro in Crete... A wrestling bout between two workmen on the beach."
The original description in the catalogue reads: "Village feast at Praisos in Crete."
The original description in the catalogue reads: "Sketch map of Karpathos, based on the British Admiralty Chart."
The original description in the catalogue reads: "Elymbos. (b) The village."
The original description in the catalogue reads: "Elymbos... (c) the approach from the sea."
The original description in the catalogue reads: "Wooden lock, of a type found in many Greek islands, though it is fast disappearing."
The original description in the catalogue reads: "Wooden olive-press and olive-mill: these presses are now everywhere superseded by iron screw-presses."
The original description in the catalogue reads: "The temple of Apollo in Sikinos… View of the façade and entrance."
The original description in the catalogue reads: "The temple of Apollo in Sikinos… Ground plan of the temple."
The original description in the catalogue reads: "Carved and gilt screens in the churches (a) of St. Athanasios in Skopelos (ancient Peparethos)... These richly-carved screens are common in Greek lands, especially in the islands and in the north, in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries: these two examples belong to the latter."
The original description in the catalogue reads: "The town of Skopelos, from above, with the land-locked bay behind."
The original description in the catalogue reads: "Carved and gilt screens in the churches ... (b) of the Panagia Portaritissa in Astypalaia. These richly-carved screens are common in Greek lands, especially in the islands and in the north, in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries: these two examples belong to the latter."
The original description in the catalogue reads: "The acropolis of Telos; a double flight of steps within the gate."
The original description in the catalogue reads: "The town and ports of Leros, from the Caste of the Knights of St. John from Rhodes."
The original description in the catalogue reads: "The gate in the Hellenic wall of Nisyros, like (e) a fine example of Greek military architecture."
The original description in the catalogue reads: "Masquerade in the snow at Hagios Georgios, near Viza, Thrace.
The original description in the catalogue reads: "A mummer in Scyros."
The original description in the catalogue reads: "Mummers on May Day on Mount Pelion, Thessaly. Man, the Old Woman, and the Doctor."
The original description in the catalogue reads: "Mummers on May Day on Mount Pelion, Thessaly... The Death of the Old Man."
The original description in the catalogue reads: "Mummers on May Day on Mount Pelion, Thessaly… The Arrival of the Doctor."
The original description in the catalogue reads: "Mummers on May Day on Mount Pelion, Thessaly... The Doctor at work, restoring the Old Man to life."
One envelope containing six black and white photographs that formed a single exhibit in the exhibition; the original display was at some point deconstructed. The original description in the catalogue reads: "Samarina... a. General View of the Village of Samarina; b. Market Place of Samarina, with its shops and inns; c. Principal Church of the Village, Great St Mary's Samarina: eighteenth century: a miraculous pine-tree grows on the roof of its apse; d. Monastery of St. Paraskevi, Samarina, which dates from before 1713 and lies in a sheltered spot lower down the valley, a short distance from the village; e. A saw mill; f. One of the old houses."
The original description in the catalogue reads: "Samarina... General View of the Village of Samarina."
The original description in the catalogue reads: "Samarina… Market Place of Samarina, with its shops and inns."
The original description in the catalogue reads: "Samarina… Principal Church of the Village, Great St Mary's Samarina: eighteenth century: a miraculous pine-tree grows on the roof of its apse."
The original description in the catalogue reads: "Samarina… Monastery of St. Paraskevi, Samarina, which dates from before 1713 and lies in a sheltered spot lower down the valley, a short distance from the village."
The original description in the catalogue reads: "Samarina… A saw mill."
The original description in the catalogue reads: "Samarina… One of the old houses."
This room contained Drawings of Byzantine Churches, numbered 401-569, and Byzantine Decorative Arts, numbered 501-628. The items from the drawing section 'Palestine', and all those from the 'Byzantine Decorative Arts', were lent by individuals and are, with the exception of one item which was later donated, not in the possession of the BSA