Page "Arthur Evans" Paragraph 35

In 1884, Evans at the age of 34, was appointed Keeper of the Ashmolean Museum.

He held a grand inauguration at which he outlined his planned changes, publishing it as The Ashmolean as a Home of Archaeology in Oxford.

Already the great frontage building had been erected.

Evans took it firmly in the direction of being an archaeology museum.

He insisted the artifacts be transferred back to the museum, negotiated for and succeeded in acquiring Fortnam's collections, later gave his father ’ s collections to the museum, and finally, bequeathed his own Minoan collections, not without the intended effect.

Today it has the finest Minoan assemblages outside Crete.

He also persuaded Fortnum to donate £ 10, 000 to build the extensive rooms behind the impressive façade, buildings which have only recently been demolished to make way for the new Ashmolean Museum.