A History of the World in 100 Objects - Dr Neil MacGregor [265]
p. 588 (the Qianlong emperor) reproduced courtesy of the Palace Museum, Beijing
p. 590 (the Qianlong emperor’s white bowl) reproduced courtesy of the Palace Museum, Beijing
p. 625 (50p coin) reproduced by courtesy of the Royal Mint
Acknowledgements
A History of the World in 100 Objects has been created in partnership with BBC Radio 4. Without Mark Damazer’s championing, this project would not have happened. I would like to extend my warmest thanks to him.
I am grateful to Jane Ellison, Commissioning Editor at Radio 4 and Joanna Mackle, Director of Public Engagement at the British Museum, for bringing the BBC and BM together to realize the full potential of this ambitious project, not just on Radio 4. My extended thanks to Rob Ketteridge and the BBC editorial and production team in the Documentaries Unit, BBC Audio & Music Production – Philip Sellars, Anthony Denselow, Paul Kobrak, Rebecca Stratford, Jane Lewis and Tamsin Barber – for bringing the programmes to life so vividly on radio.
Although I appear as the author of the series and this book, they are in fact the work of many hands. A History of the World in 100 Objects has been in every sense a team effort, which would not have been possible without the knowledge and skills, hard work and dedication of many colleagues. This book is the culmination of many people’s work, and I would like to take this opportunity to thank those who were most closely connected with the project. For their extensive curatorial research and guidance: J. D. Hill, Barrie Cook and Ben Roberts; for working closely with me and the curatorial team in shaping the scripts for broadcast on which these chapters are based, Patricia Wheatley; for managing the History of the World project at the British Museum, including this book, Emma Kelly; for their support in every element of this book and the wider project, Rosalind Winton and Becky Allen; for their boundless patience, my closest colleagues – Kate Harris, Polly Miller and Lisa Shaw, and my Deputy Director Andrew Burnett.
I should also like to thank curatorial colleagues and the scientists and conservation experts whose research and knowledge underpin every chapter in this book. Thanks to the Museum Assistants who have given their time to provide ongoing and unprecedented access to these objects over the last few years and to the photography team for the images in this book.
I would like to thank the many people who have contributed to the wider project and its groundbreaking website. It is due to the energy, dedication and support of Museum professionals and BBC teams across England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland that the ideas which underpin this project have reached such a wide audience.
My thanks too must be extended to CBBC, who worked in partnership with the Museum to bring thirteen of the objects from the series to life for children in a unique series of TV programmes, supported by a schools initiative.
From the British Museum, I would like to thank Hannah Boulton, Frances Carey, Sara Carroll, Katie Childs, Matthew Cock, Holly Davies, Sonia D’Orsi, Rosemary Folkes, David Francis, Lynne Harrison, Caroline Ingham, Rosanna Kwok, Susan La Niece, Ann Lumley, Sarah Marshall, Pippa Pearce, David Prudames, Susan Raikes, Olivia Rickman, Margaux Simms, Clare Tomlinson and Simon Wilson.
From the BBC, I would like to thank Seamus Boyd, Claire Burgoyne, Katherine Campbell, Andrew Caspari, Tony Crabb, Sian Davis, Craig Henderson, Susan Lovell, Christina Macaulay, Claire McArthur, Kathryn Morrison, Jamie Rea, Angela Roberts, Paul Sargeant, Gillian Scothern, Shauna Todd and Christine Woodman.
And finally, my thanks to Stuart Proffitt, Publishing Director of Allen Lane, who was able to re-imagine this series as a book, and to the team at Penguin: Andrew Barker, James Blackman, Janet Dudley, Richard Duguid, Caroline Hotblack, Claire Mason, Donna Poppy, Jim Stoddart, Shan Vahidy and especially John Gribbin, who did much of the work turning the radio scripts into book prose.