PHILADEPHIA’S FRANKLIN INSTITUTE NAMED AS FOURTH AND FINAL U.S. DESTINATION FOR TOUR OF TUTANKHAMUN TREASURES
Museums in Los Angeles, Fort Lauderdale, Chicago and Philadelphia to Host Exhibition
PHILADELPHIA, 2006 - National Geographic, AEG LIVE Exhibitions and Arts and Exhibitions International (AEI) announced today that The Franklin Institute in Philadelphia has been selected as the fourth and final venue on the current U.S. tour of “Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs.” The first U.S. tour of the treasures of Tutankhamun (King Tut) in 26 years, the exhibition will run February 3, 2007 – September 30, 2007 at The Franklin Institute.
The National Geographic exhibition, organized by AEG Live Exhibitions and AEI, with cooperation from the Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities, will bring an extensive exhibition of more than 130 treasures from the tomb of the celebrated pharaoh, other Valley of the Kings tombs and additional ancient sites. The Philadelphia visit is sponsored by Mellon Financial Corporation.
Tutankhamun and the Golden Age
of the Pharaohs
Photo courtesy of National Geographic Traveler
The 27-month U.S. tour includes:
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LACMA (Los Angeles County Museum of Art): June 16 to November 20, 2005
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Museum of Art, Fort Lauderdale: December 15, 2005 to April 23, 2006
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The Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago: May 26, 2006 to January 1, 2007
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The Franklin Institute, Philadelphia: February 3, 2007 to September 30, 2007
"Since the discovery of his tomb in 1922, Tutankhamun has captured the hearts of people around the world. Buried with him were treasures beyond the imagination, giving us a glittering glimpse into the past," said Zahi Hawass, secretary general of Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities and director of the Giza and Saqqara Pyramids. "It has been almost 30 years since the golden artifacts of the boy-king last left their home in Egypt. Now Tutankhamun is back, giving a new generation the chance to learn firsthand about the life and magic of this ancient monarch."
Revenue generated from the world tour will go toward preserving Egypt’s treasures and building a new Grand Museum in Cairo.
“The Franklin Institute is extremely excited and honored to host this remarkable collection of treasures and artifacts,” said Dennis M. Wint, president and CEO of The Franklin Institute. “As the sole destination on the East Coast, The Franklin Institute looks forward to welcoming hundreds of thousands of visitors to our region. We expect that the exhibit will attract travelers from the entire Atlantic Seaboard – from Boston, Washington, D.C., and beyond, to the city of Philadelphia.”
“We are thrilled to be able to bring this important cultural exchange to the U.S., and now to the people of Philadelphia,” said John Norman, president and CEO of AEI. “We fully expect this exhibition to become a blockbuster at each venue, and are pleased to be closing out the tour at The Franklin Institute before the artifacts leave the country.”
“Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs” will include 50 major objects excavated from Tutankhamun’s tomb, including his royal diadem — the gold
crown discovered encircling the head of the king’s mummified body that he likely wore while living — and one of the gold and precious stone inlaid canopic coffinettes that contained his mummified internal organs.
More than 70 objects from other royal graves of the 18th Dynasty (1555 B.C.-1305 B.C.) will be showcased as well, including those of pharaohs Amenhotep ll and Thutmose lV and the rich, intact tomb of Yuya and Tuyu, parents-in-law of Amenhotep lll and great-grandparents of Tutankhamun. Yuya and Tuyu’s tomb was the most celebrated historical find in the Valley of the Kings until Howard Carter discovered Tutankhamun’s undisturbed burial chamber in 1922. The treasures in the exhibit are between 3,300 and 3,500 years old and differ from those included in the 1970s tour.
The exhibition will draw visitors back in time, allowing viewers to explore and experience the world of King Tut. They will come face to face with his contemporaries, see and hear about the fascinating times in which the young king lived and learn how his short reign changed history. The exhibition also will feature National Geographic images and film footage about the golden age of the pharaohs. A companion book to the exhibit, written by Zahi Hawass, will be published in May 2005 by National Geographic.
A smaller number of treasures from Tutankhamun's tomb were last displayed in the United States during a seven-city tour from 1976 to 1979, which attracted some eight million visitors and set traveling exhibition attendance records. For more information on the exhibition and tickets, please visit www.nationalgeographic.com/tut or http://www.kingtut.org/.
ABOUT THE FRANKLIN INSTITUTE
Currently undergoing a major renaissance, the all new Franklin Institute initiated a capital campaign in 1998 and successfully raised $62 million to launch eight new, interactive, theme-based, state-of-the-art exhibits through 2006, as well as to renovate its museum theaters, retail store, and public areas. New and renovated exhibits include The Franklin Air Show, The Sports Challenge, Space Command, The Train Factory, the Fels Planetarium, and The Giant Heart.
Located in the heart of Philadelphia, The Franklin Institute is a renowned and innovative leader in the field of science and technology learning, as well as a dynamic center of activity. Pennsylvania’s most visited museum, The Franklin Institute recently hosted Gunther von Hagen’s Body Worlds, which became the City of Philadelphia’s most visited traveling exhibit with over 600,000 visitors. For more information please visit http://www.fi.edu/.
ABOUT “TUTANKHAMUN AND THE GOLDEN AGE OF THE PHAROAHS”
This exhibition is produced through collaboration between National Geographic, AEG Live Exhibitions and Arts and Exhibitions International (AEI), with cooperation from the Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities.
Tickets to the exhibition at LACMA are on sale now to Museum members and will go on sale to the general public in March 2005. For information on LACMA tickets, please call 1-877-TUT-TKTS or visit http://www.kingtut.org/ or http://www.lacma.org/. Ticket availability in other markets will be announced in the coming months.
CONTACT:
Lynda Bramble, The Franklin Institute
(215) 448-1176
lbramble@fi.edu
Laura Calliari, GolinHarris
(213) 623-4200 ext. 774
lcalliari@golinharris.com