List of directors of the British Museum

The Director of the British Museum is the head of the British Museum in London, a post currently held by Hartwig Fischer. He is responsible for that institution's general administration and reports its accounts to the British Government. The actual governance of the British Museum, however, is delegated to its board of trustees.[1]

At the museum's inception its most senior member of staff was called "principal librarian". The job title became "director and principal librarian" in 1898, and "director" in 1973, on the separation of the British Library from the museum.

Principal Librarian of the British Museum (1756)

• 1756–1772: Gowin Knight FRS
• 1772–1776: Matthew Maty
• 1776–1799: Charles Morton
• 1799–1827: Joseph Planta FRS
• 1827–1856: Sir Henry Ellis
• 1856–1866: Sir Anthony Panizzi
• 1866–1873: John Winter Jones
• 1873–1888: Sir Edward Augustus Bond KCB
• 1888–1898: Sir Edward Maunde Thompson GCB

Director and Principal Librarian of the British Museum (1898)

• 1898–1909: Sir Edward Maunde Thompson GCB
• 1909–1931: Sir Frederic George Kenyon GBE KCB TD
• 1931–1936: Sir George Francis Hill KCB
• 1936–1950: Sir John Forsdyke KCB
• 1950–1959: Sir Thomas Downing Kendrick KCB
• 1959–1969: Sir Frank Francis KCB
• 1969–1974: John Wolfenden CBE

Director of the British Museum (1973)

• 1974–1977: Sir John Pope-Hennessy CBE
• 1977–1992: Sir David M. Wilson
• 1992–2002: Robert Anderson
• 1999–2001 Suzanna Taverne (managing director)[2]
• 2002–2015: Neil MacGregor, OM AO FSA
• 2016–present: Hartwig Fischer

List of deputy directors

• 1971–1983: Maysie Webb; first incumbent
• 1983–1997: Jean Rankine[3]
• 1997–2002:
• 2002–2013: Andrew Burnett[4][5]
• 2002–2005: Dawn Austwick[6]
• 2013–present: Joanna Mackle[7]
• 2013–present: Jonathan Williams[8]

See also

• List of Trustees of the British Museum

References

1. Principal Librarians and Directors of the British Museum, British Museum, London, UK.
2. "Business high-flyer quits from top job at the British Museum after". The Independent. 8 September 2001. Retrieved 9 February 2020.
3. "Rankine, Jean Morag, (Mrs N. A. Hall)". Who's Who 2018. Oxford University Press. 1 December 2017. doi:10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.U31897. Missing or empty |url= (help)
4. "Burnett, Dr Andrew Michael". Who's Who 2018. Oxford University Press. 1 December 2017. doi:10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.U9501. Missing or empty |url= (help)
5. "Dr Andrew Burnett". British Academy. Retrieved 20 June 2018.
6. "Austwick, Dawn Jacquelyn", Who's Who (online edition, Oxford University Press, December 2017). Retrieved 20 June 2018.
7. "Mackle, Joanna, (Mrs David Utterson)". Who's Who 2018. Oxford University Press. 1 December 2017. doi:10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.U281825. Missing or empty |url= (help)
8. "Williams, Dr Jonathan Hugh Creer". Who's Who 2018. Oxford University Press. 1 December 2017. doi:10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.U245987. Missing or empty |url= (help)