Ancient Greek artifacts have been finding their way to the public museums in Washington, D.C., since the mid-19th century. What roles did the ancient artworks play, and what individuals helped them along their journeys?
Assistant Professor Alexander Nagel, assistant chair of the Art History and Museum Professions Program, recently published an essay tackling these questions. The essay, “Transatlantic Hellas: Archiving Eastern Mediterranean Collections and Materials in the Smithsonian Institution,” offers a first overview of early collections and displays of ancient Mediterranean collections across the Smithsonian Institution. It is a snapshot of archives, materials, and diplomatic correspondence on the materials, and introduces ongoing research on the materials.
Nagel’s essay is a chapter in the volume Legacies of Ancient Greece in Contemporary Perspectives, published in May by Vernon Press.