Controversial Sale of the Egyptian Relics of Lord George Carnarvon

 Almina,  5^th Countess of  Carnarvon  snubs the British Museum 

over her husband’s Egyptian Collection

Controversial  Sale to the Metropolitan  Museum  of New York

American  Money Talks

In February 1927, Lady Almina,  the Dowager Countess of Carnarvon   arranged the sale of the  Egyptian artefacts of her deceased first husband.      The  5th Earl willed the entire ‘ Egyptian collection’ to Almina in 1919, as set out below. 

PART OF THE WILL OF   GEORGE EDWARD STANHOPE  MOLYNEUX HERBERT 

5^th EARL OF CARNARVON OF HIGHCLERE CASTLE

THE EGYPTIAN COLLECTION

“I, GEORGE EDWARD Earl of Carnarvon will and bequeath to my wife Almina Carnarvon my entire Egyptian collection. I would like her to give one object to the British Museum one object to the Ashmolean and a fragment cup of blue glass Thotmes 3 to the Metropolitan Museum New York. The first 2 bequests need not be capital objects. Should she find it necessary to sell the collection I suggest that the Nation i.e. the British Museum be given first refusal at £20,000 far below its value such sum however to be absolutely hers free of all duties otherwise I would suggest  that the collection be offered to the Metropolitan New  York. Mr Carter to have charge of the  negotiations and to fix a price. Should my wife decide to keep the collection I leave it absolutely  to her whether she leaves it to my son or to the nation or to Evelyn Herbert. I suggest  however that she consult Dr Gardiner and Mr Carter on the subject .

Written entirely by me October 29, 1919

CARNARVON

Two witnesses signed:

MARCUS B JOHNSON,  9 Henrietta Street , London W1  Surgeon

FREDERICK WALTER GROVE , 1 Seamore Place, London W1.  Butler”

 The will was compiled after the Earl’s  near death experience, his life being   saved by the quick wittedness of Almina and the surgical skills of  Sir  ( later Lord ) Berkeley Moynihan.

The Earl  died in Cairo,  Egypt,  on 5 April 1923 from the affects of  a terminal cancer.  Almina, a trained nurse who ran her own  hospitals for Officers in the Great War,  ensured her husband's final days were  pain free.  

 On 21 February 1927 it was announced that the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York  ( pictured above)  had acquired the 5th Earl’s unique collection, comprising over 1,400 pieces, valued at over £50,000. This collection was the rakings of excavations and Howard Carter’s purchases  ( and in some cases thefts from tombs by Carter and orchestrated by the wheelings, dealings and clever  string pulling of the British Museum, headed by Sir Ernest Wallis Budge - pictured below   ) –  this  was  before the discovery of Tutankhamun.  Parts of this cache were displayed at an exhibition of Egyptian works of art at the Burlington Fine Arts Club in 1922.

The 5^th Earl’s Wish  that his Egyptian Collection 

go to the British Museum: Snubbed by Almina

The sale by Almina to the Americans was highly controversial. In the 5th Earl’s will he had “suggested” that the nation (namely the British Museum) be given first refusal of the Collection at £20,000. The use of  the word ‘suggest’ made all the difference between the items being retained in Britain and them going elsewhere.

One commentator remarked: “If instead of the word ‘suggest’ Lord Carnarvon had written ‘direct’ Almina, Lady Carnarvon would have had no discretion in the matter.” As it was Almina, as owner, had a perfect right to do as she thought fit and sell it to the highest bidder.

Sir Frederick Kenyon (1863–1952), director of the British Museum, told the world press:

“This is a tragedy… the Collection was not offered to us.” Kenyon continued, “Of course Lady Carnarvon is a free agent, but it is a great loss to the country.”

Almina Had No Room for Sentimentalism

Almina was resolute: there was no room for sentimentalism where money was concerned. The 6th Earl  ( Almina’s son) was not consulted:  he had no interest in Egypt - he was terrified of  the so called  ‘King Tut curse’.  Carter  thought the remaining unsold  items  were trivial.  These were removed from sight by Highclere staff.

The surprising twist in the story  came in 1988 when, after the 6th Earl’s death, it emerged that there was still this dud cache of Egyptian artefacts hidden away at Highclere Castle. Cupboards were sealed up between the rooms where the items were stored. The inference is that when Almina  could  not sell everything from the collection to the Americans the  unimportant   pieces were returned to Highclere and  Carter  - who  had  catalogued the collection  – arranged   as they were unsellable to be  withdrawn from the inventory and stored away. 

The 1988 Deception

It is clear from the comments of  the late   Harry James’ ( of the British Museum)  in  The London Times of 1988 that  when it was announced to the world by the 7^th Earl  of Carnarvon about the previously  hidden items that these had been   identified many months before the official  announcement of the find. This deception  was to maximize the publicity, dub them ‘hidden treasures of Tutankhamun’  to suit the fact that the Castle was being opened up to the public.

Who is the legal owner of the ‘Egyptian Stuff’ at Highclere?

A curious aspect arises about the legal ownership  of these artefacts, that are still at Highclere.  Since these  objects were willed to  Almina by the 5^th Earl they surely continued to be a part of her assets. In 1951 Almina was declared bankrupt, with large surtax debts that were never repaid. Her affairs were handed over for  management by the Official Receiver. The items in question could/ should have been brought into the Receiver’s hands in part payment of tax, and that would have secured them for the British Museum’s  Collection.      Almina did not leave a will as she was still an undischarged bankrupt at the time of her death in 1969. The items may therefore be technically owned by the nation.  Perhaps rather embarrassing for hooty  Highclere.

Besides this it remains a further curious  fact that the government of Egypt  has a historical ( and probably  a legitimate legal ) claim on the 5^th Earl’s complete antiquities  collection  that is  scattered around  private and public hands in Britain,  the USA and  at Highclere Castle. This   old claim relates generally  to the many Egyptian ( and other)  antiquities stranded  elsewhere that  ( like the Elgin Marbles and the Koh-i-noor diamond) were plundered by monarchs,  opportunists, smugglers, adventurers and even by agents of the great  Western museums.

Any queries about this article please contact William Cross, FSA Scot.

The themes set out here will be explored further in William Cross' new book  " Carnarvon, Carter and Tutankhamun  Revisited : The hidden truths and doomed relationships"  Due Out  4 November 2016.

CONTACT FOR WILLIAM CROSS

williecross@aol.com