August 4th Installation of Elgin Marble Casts

We are thrilled to announce that on Friday, August 4, casts of the Frieze of the Parthenon, often referred to as the Elgin Marbles, will be installed in the Graduate Center lobby and Mina Rees Library.

The casts, which were made in 1830s, were a gift to the City College of New York in 1852 from Charles M. Leupp, Esq. and were one of the first sets of Parthenon marble casts to come to the United States.

Installation on August 4, 2017

The casts will be mounted above the security desk in the library and continue along the first floor wall parallel to 34th Street.  The installation work will involve some heavy lifting equipment, scaffolding, drilling, and bracing.

The main entrance of the library will remain open throughout the day, but small areas will be closed off sequentially as the installers move through the space.  A clear path will be open at all times for access to the second floor and C-level of the library.

Though the loudest part of the work should be finished by 10:00 a.m., it will likely be too noisy for students to work on the first floor of the library during the installation.

We apologize for the inconvenience, but are delighted that Elgin Marbles will be permanently on view at the Graduate Center for all to enjoy.

Learn More

If you would like to learn more about the Frieze of the Parthenon, see the Encyclopaedia Britannica article and the British Museum’s statement on the controversy surrounding its display of the original surviving Parthenon sculptures.   You can also read about the conservation of the Parthenon casts on the website of the CCNY Art Collection.

Acknowledgements

Financial support towards the conservation and restoration of the casts and their reinstallation at the Graduate Center was provided by the Alexander S. Onassis Public Benefit Foundation (USA).

About the Author

Donna Davey is an Adjunct Reference Librarian at the Graduate Center Library.