Exhibitions Lecture: Photography and the Early Excavations at Knossos

A Closer Look in the Sir Arthur Evans Archive

Dr. Senta German

Montclair State University

Sir Arthur Evans was not alone among pioneering archaeologists in his use of the important new technology of photography in his excavations at Knossos on Crete at the beginning of the 20th century.  However, as it has recently been noted, Evans was unique in his frequent modifications of these photographs.  This talk will discuss these modifications as well as recent work in the Sir Arthur Evans archive at the Ashmolean Museum of Art and Archaeology at the University of Oxford which point to the methods he used and some of his motivations.  Ultimately the talk will reflect on Evans' broad interest in restoration of the site and its finds and how we might understand this today.

Senta German earned her MA and PhD from Columbia University in prehistoric and Classical art and archaeology and is presently Associate Professor in the departments of Classics & Humanities and Art & Design at Montclair State University.  From 2012-2015 she was an Andrew W Mellon Teaching Curator at the Ashmolean Museum of Art and Archaeology, University of Oxford and has since worked on the catalogue of the Sir Arthur Evans Archive.  Senta has over twenty-five years experience in archaeological excavation and materials research in Europe, North America and has published widely on art and material culture.  Senta has served on the Board of SAFE/Saving Antiquities for Everyone and is Contributing Editor for Western Ancient Art and the Ancient Near East as well as advisor for the At Risk Cultural Heritage Education Series (ARCHES) at SmartHistory.org.  Her extra-academic work includes projects for The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, ArtNet.com, Art Smart and serving as personal archivist for Diana Ross. 

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Reception to follow.

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