Lord Elgin and Ancient Greek Architecture: The Elgin Drawings at the British Museum

This book analyses the rich and remarkable collection of archaeological drawings, now housed in the British Museum, drawn in Greece by a team of architects and artists in the service of Lord Elgin during his ambassadorial expedition to the Levant (1799-1803).

Luciana Gallo offers a new interpretation of Elgin’s interest in antiquities and reveals the aims, innovative approach, and significant achievements of this specialised tour. She also reveals his contribution to the advancement of contemporary archaeological studies carried out by British and continental scholars, in connection to the search for original sources to promote Greek Revival architecture. This is the first time that the bulk of the Elgin Drawings collection in the British Museum has been published. The volume will thus serve as an indispensable guide to scholars and students of ancient Greek architecture and sculpture, as well as of 19th century architectural revivalism.

Luciana Gallo is a RIBA chartered architect and historic building consultant. Her education and academic career started in Italy and developed in the UK where she completed a PhD in History of Architecture at the Courtauld Institute of Art. She is a Research Associate within the School of Architecture, University of Liverpool, on a EU-funded project which involved extensive fieldwork in the Middle East.