Archaeologists, curators, collectors and donors: reflecting on the past through archaeological lives

Work on the classical collection of the Fitzwilliam Museum introduced me to a wealth of individuals who had given, bequeathed or sold objects to the museum. The individuals ranged from Grand Tourists to twentieth century field archaeologists. The study of private individuals to understand institutional histories can be applied not only to a major university museum but also to academic institutions such as the British School at Athens that admitted students on an annual basis. It was possible to identify the growing contribution to Aegean archaeology by women from the late nineteenth century. Some of the research was presented through the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography and the Dictionary of British Classicists.