| A History of the World in 100 Objects | |
|---|---|
| Presentation | |
| Format | Audio |
| Production | |
| Audio format | MP3 |
| No. of episodes | 103  |
| Publication | |
| Provider | BBC |
| Related | |
| Website | http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00nrtd2 |
A History of the World in 100 Objects was a joint project of BBC Radio 4 and the British Museum, consisting of a 100-part radio series written and presented by British Museum director Neil MacGregor. In 15-minute presentations broadcast on weekdays on Radio 4, MacGregor used objects of ancient art, industry, technology and arms, all of which are in the British Museum's collections, as an introduction to parts of human history. The series, four years in planning, began on 18 January 2010 and was broadcast over 20 weeks.[1] A book to accompany the series, A History of the World in 100 Objects by Neil MacGregor, was published by Allen Lane on 28 October 2010.[2] The entire series is also available for download along with an audio version of the book for purchase. The British Museum won the 2011 Art Fund Prize for its role in hosting the project.
In 2016, a touring exhibition of several items depicted on the radio programme, also titled A History of the World in 100 Objects, travelled to various destinations, including Abu Dhabi (Manarat Al Saadiyat), Taiwan (National Palace Museum in Taipei), Japan (Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum in Tokyo, Kyushu National Museum in Daizafu, and Kobe City Museum in Kobe), Australia (Western Australian Museum in Perth and National Museum of Australia in Canberra), and China (National Museum of China in Beijing, Shanghai Museum in Shanghai and Hong Kong Heritage Museum in Hong Kong).[3][4][5][6]
The ownership claims of the British Museum over some of these objects is highly contested, in particular those belonging to the Benin Bronzes and the Elgin Marbles, which are the subject of continued international controversy.[7]
- ^ Ben Hoyle (18 July 2009). "British Museum and BBC reveal history of world in 100 objects". Times Online.
- "The British Museum strategy to 2012". British Museum.
- "BBC Arts, Music and Culture 2009 – Partnerships and Programmes: The BBC strengthens its commitment to arts and music". BBC. 28 January 2009.
- Leigh Holmwood (28 January 2009). "BBC to put nation's oil paintings online". The Guardian.
- Louise Jury (28 January 2009). "BBC puts art back into focus". London Evening Standard. Archived from the original on 30 January 2009. Retrieved 18 September 2009.
- ^ MacGregor, Neil (2010), A History of the World in 100 Objects, Penguin Books, Limited, ISBN 978-1-84614-413-4
- ^ Pryor, Sally (26 August 2016). "New exhibition opening at the National Museum of Australia in Canberra tells the history of two million years in 100 objects". The Canberra Times. Fairfax Media. Archived from the original on 18 January 2017. Retrieved 18 January 2017.
- ^ Lowrey, Tom (8 September 2016). "A History of the World in 100 Objects explored in National Museum of Australia exhibition". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on 18 December 2016. Retrieved 18 January 2017.
- ^ Wang, Jie (29 June 2017). "Big queues for fascinating world story told through 100 objects". Shanghai Daily. Retrieved 21 June 2019.
- ^ "The Hong Kong Jockey Club Series: A History of the World in 100 Objects from the British Museum". LCSD Museums, Hong Kong. Retrieved 20 July 2024.
- ^ "Elgin Marbles: UK declines mediation over Parthenon sculptures". BBC News. 8 April 2015. Retrieved 9 April 2015.