The Romans Are Coming!
Friday, 25th July 2014
PRESS RELEASE 24 July 2014
WHAT WILL YOU BE WEARING AUTUMN/WINTER14
Knitted number, silk toga or full armour? Roman Empire: Power & People is coming to Leeds City Museum from 20 September to 4 January 2015. This is a once in a lifetime chance for all the family to see this exceptional touring exhibition, which includes some of the greatest treasures from the British Museum’s collections of Roman, Romano-British and Romano-Egyptian artefacts. It’s also an opportunity to see some everyday objects that put Roman daily life in context, combined with items from Yorkshire’s own prized collections.
The team at Leeds City Museum has carefully selected rarely seen Roman items from their collections and secured items from locally renowned museums, to show alongside these extraordinary pieces provided by The British Museum. The exhibition provides an astonishing showcase of the Romans in Yorkshire, Britain and across the Empire as far afield as Egypt.
Complementing the exhibition is an extensive schedule of activities and events to appeal to its broad range of visitors. Tots and teens, school groups, students and families, academics and specialists, will gain a well-rounded view of the Romans and their influence. A series of lectures accompanies the exhibition, on subjects such as Roman finds in Yorkshire, crime and punishment in Roman Britain, hoards of Roman coins and Roman York. Peppered liberally throughout the exhibition are audio visuals, interactives and family trails which help bring alive the ideas behind the exhibition and enhance the themes of the power and influence of Rome and the people of the Empire.
Katherine Baxter, Curator of Archaeology at Leeds City Museum says: ‘The exhibition is an abundance of all things Roman which very much reflects our own diverse collections. The exhibition includes the exploration of power, vastness and the might of the Roman Empire and Britain’s place within it, balanced with an insight into the personal lives of the Romans here. Was being Roman the same for people in Rome as it was for those in Yorkshire? The exhibition will both explore and enlighten. Beautiful jewellery and near-perfect children’s clothes will be shown alongside a combination of personal, military and religious treasures, among other fascinating materials. The exhibition has been described as a journey and we’re thrilled with the diversity of the objects on show. It’s a major exhibition for Leeds and we’re privileged to be able to show these extraordinary items courtesy of the British Museum.’
Roman Empire: Power & People opens to the public on 20 September until 4 January 2015. Leeds City Museum is on Millennium Square, Leeds, LS2 8BH, and is open every day, except Mondays, (open Bank Holidays) from 10am to 5pm and until 7pm on Thursdays. Weekends 11am to 5pm.
ENDS
Notes to Editors:
Images Credit: © The Trustees of The British Museum
Image Detail: Knitted woollen child’s sock, Egypt, AD 200-400
Roman Taster: 26-29 August, free activities to explore and bring to life Leeds City Museum’s Roman collections to celebrate the forthcoming Roman Empire: Power & People.
Roman Empire: Power & People brings together over 160 stunning pieces from the British Museum to explore the story of one of the most powerful empires the world has ever seen.
Highlights include sculpture from the villas of the Emperors Tiberius and Hadrian, coins from the famous Hoxne treasure, beautiful jewellery and even near-perfectly preserved children’s clothing from Roman Egypt.
The exhibition explores the wealth, power and organisation of the Empire, but also how the Romans viewed their provinces and other peoples. Religious, military and personal objects give an insight into the lives of people across the Empire, from northern Britain to Egypt and the Middle East. These fascinating objects show how the influences of the many people and places that the Romans came into contact with were absorbed and adapted into the Empire.
The British Museum is touring the exhibition across the UK at the following venues:
• Bristol Museum and Art Gallery (BMGA) - 21 September 2013 – 12 January 2014
• Norwich Castle Museum and Art Gallery - 1 February – 27 April 2014
• The Herbert, Coventry - 17 May – 31 August 2014
• Leeds City Museum - 20 September 2014 – 4 January 2015
• The McManus, Dundee - 24 January – 10 May 2015
• Segedunum Roman Fort - 30 May – 13 September 2015
Roman Empire: Power & People is supported through the generosity of the Dorset Foundation. The exhibition has been co-curated by Bristol Museums, Galleries & Archives and the British Museum
The tour is organised through the British Museum’s Partnership UK scheme. Partnership UK is the strategic framework for the British Museum’s programme of engagement with museum audiences throughout the country.
The tour is accompanied by the beautifully illustrated publication, Roman Empire: Power and People, by Dirk Booms, Belinda Crerar and Susan Raikes, published by the British Museum Press in paperback at £10.99.
Full details of the exhibition, please visit www.leeds.gov.uk/RomanEmpire with updates communicated using the #RomanEmpire hashtag via Leeds Museums and Galleries’ social media accounts on Twitter (www.twitter.com/LeedsMuseums) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/LeedsMuseumsAndGalleries)
Leeds Museums & Galleries
Established in 1821, Leeds Museums & Galleries is the largest local authority-run museum service in England and has one of the larger and most significant multidisciplinary collections in the UK. We care for 1.3 million objects which we use to inspire, educate, entertain and challenge the people of Leeds and visitors to our city. We run nine historic sites and visitor attractions, to which we welcome over 1 million visitors each year, approximately 25% of all museum visits across Yorkshire.
Leeds City Museum
Leeds City Museum is situated in one of Leeds' much loved civic buildings - the Leeds Institute building on Millennium Square. The Leeds Institute is one of the City's most important historic buildings and was completed in 1862 by Cuthbert Brodrick, who also built Leeds Town Hall and the Corn Exchange. From the middle of the last century until 2005 it also housed the Civic Theatre where amateur theatrical groups staged public performances. It has been home to the City Museum since 2008.
The City Museum is the flagship site for the service, and is home to four floors of interactive and exciting galleries showcasing the story of Leeds, as well as the Leeds Mummy and our Designated Natural History collection. In 2013-14 we attracted over 320,000 visitors to our site.
For details on the exhibition, interview opportunities and high res images, contact Kendra Grahame-Clarke at Kendra PR on Kendra@kendrapr.co.uk or call 07910 214474.
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