Under The Eaves: The Egyptian Collection
Museum of Cornish Life, Helston
Added: 08 February 2021
Tucked at the back of the Victorian classroom is a cabinet with a small collection of Egyptian artefacts. In my time circumnavigating the museum looking for objects and peering into corners, I confess that I have never noticed it. My route to it came from trying to work out what had been folded into the Museum of Cornish Life from the dissolution of the Camborne Museum. Listed in the transfer documents of 2005 were a number of Egyptian objects.
In the cabinet itself is a small plaque: Collection of Egyptian Antiquities Presented by Miss Margaret Taylor of Manor House, Redruth
Miss Edwards wanted to do something about it, and became one of the co-founders of the Egypt Exploration Fund, which was established in 1882. This fund promoted excavation of the monuments using Petrie’s principles, therefore introducing archaeological practice into exploration. In 1891 Miss Edwards contracted a lung infection whilst supervising the unloading of Egyptian artefacts in London docks. The following year she died of pneumonia at her home in Weston-Super-Mare. Before her death, she had commended Miss Paterson’s services to the Fund’s board. In 1892 Miss Paterson was appointed as General Secretary, holding the position until she retired on a full pension in 1919. In 1947, when Miss Paterson died, the Egypt Exploration Society (as it became in 1919) sent flowers to Miss Taylor. In a note of thanks, and the only trace of Miss Taylor in this story so far, she wrote: ‘As the oldest (of 57 years standing) and only friend of the late Miss Emily Paterson I wish to thank the Officers of the Egypt Exploration Society for the beautiful wreath which they kindly sent for her funeral which took place last Saturday,’
In terms of the collection of artefacts, the influence the Egypt Exploration Fund cannot be underestimated. The British Museum boasts the largest collection of Egyptian artefacts outside of Egypt, holding some 50,000 objects. The collection’s largest contributors were Reverend Grenville Chester and then the Egypt Exploration Fund. The British Museum was a major sponsor during this Colonial period. An issue that the museum sector faces is the legality of the ownership of objects taken during this time. There are calls to return objects or repatriate them. In France, Macron has stated that all artefacts taken from their colonies in Africa are to be returned to the country of origin. The British are not quite as forthright. In fact, many museums cannot or do not disclose whether objects were acquired legally or not. Is this the point? Should the rightful place be decided by the courts, or should a more moral line be taken, as shown by the French. For the handful of Egyptian objects in our museum, through the connection from Miss Taylor to Miss Paterson, maybe the objects have a link and provenance to The Egypt Exploration Fund. We believe that they would have come from controlled excavation, but who do they really belong to? This is another part of the story, waiting to be uncovered. Let us hope the records tucked under the eaves can help us understand a little more.
In recognising LGBTQ+ Queer History month it seems important to acknowledge that in 2016 Historic England included the grave of Miss Amelia Edwards and that of her long-term companion Miss Ellen Drew Braysher in their listing as a historic monument as part of their Pride of Place Project.
Julia Webb-Harvey
Volunteer Researcher and Citizen Curator (2020)
Julia and our FINDS Liaison Officer Tasha Fullbrook recently recorded a video-tour of the Egyptian Cabinet. You can watch it here
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