The safe pair of establishment hands with the devil’s own job

A pillar of the British establishment is stepping in to shore up the shambolic reputation of one of the world’s most famous museums – he has the devil’s own job. 

The new director of the British Museum is Mark Jones – an old Etonion and knight of the realm who studied Politics, Philosophy and Economics at Oxford University. He was also a master of St Cross College, Oxford.  

He replaces Hartwig Fischer who resigned amid the Treasures on Ebay scandal.

“Restore the reputation of this great museum.”

 “I am pleased and honoured to have been offered the opportunity to work with the board and with colleagues in the Museum to ensure the future security of the collections and restore the reputation of this great museum,” says Jones.

There was an uproar last month when news broke of artefacts smuggled out of the building and offered for sale on eBay. Earlier this week the news broke of precious national treasures, centuries old, disappearing from the British Museum in London: gold jewellery, semi-precious stones and glass dating back to 1,500 BC.

Midnight skullduggery? 

An employee has since been sacked following the allegations.

There was talk of an “inside job” conjuring up images of treasures spirited away in the night.

Then it turns out that it was all done in broad daylight. Some of the missing jewellery turned up on eBay, as far back as 2016. 

A Roman relic for £40?

A Roman onyx cameo fragment worth up to £50,000 was on eBay for £40! Unbelievably, there were no bids for it.

To make matters worse, the Daily Telegraph reported, an antiquities expert told the museum three years ago that a number of its exhibits were turning up on the online auction site. 

Who is Mark Jones? 

Jones worked at the British Museum for 16 years – until 1990 – as the head of coins and medals. In 1992, the National Museums of Scotland made him director.

A ten-year stint as head of the Victoria and Albert Museum followed.

He is seen as a safe pair of hands. He will need them.

What does Jones need to do?

The first task is to make an accurate inventory of all the artefacts held at the British Museum. Clearly, the museum didn’t quite know exactly what it had and where it was.

This key task has international prestige implications. Colonial masters took many of the artefacts from the four corners of the former British Empire. 

Former colonies – fed up

Many of these former colonies are fed up that their artefacts are still in London – and even more, so that they might end up on eBay. The British Museum is still home to the Rosetta Stone and the Greek Elgin Marbles. 

Overall, Jones has to shore up the image and credibility of the British Museum – still one of  London’s biggest tourist attractions.   

A lot of tourist dollars ride on this reputation. If Jones can shore it up –  he could go down in history as well as work among it.