In 1927 John Gennadius reset in the authorities of the British Museum, the issue of the return of the Parthenon marbles to Greece. In the reply he received, inter alia, he read the following: “The Caryatid who is safe at the British museum, would really suffer in case of return to Greece…”
How ‘safe’ is the Caryatid at the British Museum today is a matter of discussion and I have my personal opinion on this, which I set out in my letter published in the magazine «DIAKOSMITIKA PETROMATA”, in ISSUE 3/7/2002 and in German magazine NEARON. During my visit to the British Museum in July 2002 ,I found that in gallery 19, where the Caryatid was exhibited, visitors had all the comfort to touch with their fingers the fragile folds of her garments, to embrace her and to be photographed with her. These scenes are evolving daily to such an extent that I felt the need as many times as I got there to act as a guard, preventing visitors from touching her.
E.F.
...
