List of directors of the British Museum explained

The Director of the British Museum is the head of the British Museum in London, a post currently held by Nicholas Cullinan. 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 1772–1776: Matthew Maty 1776–1799: Charles Morton 1799–1827: Joseph Planta 1827–1856: Sir Henry Ellis
• 1856–1866: Sir Anthony Panizzi
• 1866–1873: John Winter Jones
  • 1873–1888: Sir Edward Augustus Bond 1888–1898: Sir Edward Maunde Thompson

Director and Principal Librarian of the British Museum (1898)

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

Director of the British Museum (1973)

• • 1974–1977: Sir John Pope-Hennessy 1977–1992: Sir David M. Wilson
• 1992–2002: Robert Anderson
• 1999–2001 Suzanna Taverne (managing director)^[2]
• 2003–2015: Neil MacGregor
• 2016–2023: Hartwig Fischer
• 2023–2024: Sir Mark Jones (interim)
• 2024–present: Nicholas Cullinan

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

Notes and References

1. http://www.thebritishmuseum.ac.uk/the_museum/about_us/management_and_governance/museum_governance.aspx Principal Librarians and Directors of the British Museum
2. Web site: Business high-flyer quits from top job at the British Museum after. 2001-09-08. The Independent. en. 2020-02-09.
3. Web site: Rankine, Jean Morag, (Mrs N. A. Hall) . . Oxford University Press . 10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.U31897 . 1 December 2017.
4. Web site: Burnett, Dr Andrew Michael . . Oxford University Press . 10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.U9501 . 1 December 2017.
5. Web site: Dr Andrew Burnett . British Academy . 20 June 2018.
6. http://www.ukwhoswho.com/view/10.1093/ww/9780199540884.001.0001/ww-9780199540884-e-250953 "Austwick, Dawn Jacquelyn"
7. Web site: Mackle, Joanna, (Mrs David Utterson) . . Oxford University Press . 10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.U281825 . 1 December 2017.
8. Web site: Williams, Dr Jonathan Hugh Creer . . Oxford University Press . 10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.U245987 . 1 December 2017.