Tutankhamun Treasures (1961) – National Gallery of Art

The National Gallery of Art is located on the National Mall between 3rd and 9th Streets along Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC.

 

November 3, 1961–December 3, 1961
West Building Main Floor, Rotunda

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Overview: 34 small objects from the Cairo Museum were selected from the more than 2,000 found in the tomb of Tutankhamun. The exhibition was opened by First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy, Ambassador Dr. Mostafa Kamel, and the Minister of Culture of the United Arab Republic, Dr. Sarwat Okasha.

The dramatic installation was designed by Robert B. Widder, in a series of glass cases arranged in a circle in the Rotunda, the first time that this area had been used for an exhibition. This location helped to ease the flow of visitors. The Gallery was open 4 additional hours each Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., to accommodate the crowds. The purpose of the loan was to stimulate interest in America in the salvage program of monuments threatened by the Aswan Dam project. The exhibition was circulated by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service to 14 other museums during the next 2 years.

15 photographs of monuments and temples on the Nile, which were to be saved before completion of the Aswan Dam, were shown in the cafeteria corridor at the same time.

Attendance: 247054

Catalog: Tutankhamun Treasures: A Loan Exhibition from the Department of Antiquities of the United Arab Republic, by Rudolf Anthes. Washington, DC: Smithsonian Institution, 1961.

Brochure: Preliminary brochure with checklist. Washington, DC: Smithsonian Institution, 1961.

[Source: http://www.nga.gov/content/ngaweb/exhibitions/1961/tutankhamun.html]

Mrs. Kennedy at U.A.R. Tutankhamun Treasure Exhibit at the National Gallery, 3 November 1961


Accession Number: USG:1-11

Title: Mrs. Kennedy at U.A.R. Tutankhamun Treasure Exhibit at the National Gallery, 3 November 1961

Date(s) of Materials: 3 November 1961

Description: Motion picture of First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy viewing the United Arab Republic (U.A.R.) Tutankhamun Treasure Exhibit and speaking briefly with Dr. and Mrs. Okasha at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. The footage is silent. Also included is an interview of Dr. Okasha by a Mr. Towell. The interview is conducted in Arabic and the footage includes sound. USIA 7-17.

[Source: http://www.jfklibrary.org/Asset-Viewer/Archives/USG-1-11.aspx]

First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy (JBK) attends the opening of the Tutankhamun Exhibit, National Gallery of Art

 

Digital Identifier: JFKWHP-1961-11-03-C

[Source: http://www.jfklibrary.org/Asset-Viewer/Archives/JFKWHP-1961-11-03-C.aspx]

 

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