Existing Patrons
Thank you for your continued support as a Patron of the British Museum.
Our Patrons truly make a big difference in what the Museum is able to achieve. Find out more about how your money helps.
As a Patron, you have access to a number of exclusive benefits:
- Our programme of upcoming Patrons' events.
- Unlimited access for you and a guest to our exhibitions and displays.
- Entry to a selection of private exhibition viewings. This gives you the opportunity to enjoy the exhibitions in a quiet setting before the Museum opens to the public. Please email patrons@britishmusuem.org to receive your invitation to upcoming viewings.
- Access to Patrons' content, including email newsletters, the British Museum Magazine and digital content.
Patrons' content
As a Patron of the British Museum, you receive exclusive access to the Museum collection and our team of curators and experts. You also enjoy:
Patrons' e-newsletter
We send Patrons regular e-newsletters to update you on upcoming events and interesting stories from across the Museum. If you have updated your email address or you aren't receiving the e-newsletter please get in touch by emailing patrons@britishmuseum.org.
The British Museum Magazine
Published three times a year, the British Museum Magazine is a collection of insightful articles and essays from our world-leading experts on the collection, its history, research and conservation. The magazine also explores our exhibitions programme, provides updates about recent acquisitions and loans, and highlights unexplored objects from our collection. As a Patron, you receive a copy of the British Museum Magazine every season and you can also access over 100 past issues of the British Museum Magazine online.
Patrons' digital content
We're proud that British Museum Patrons come from all over the world, but this means you're not always able to travel to the Museum in Bloomsbury to explore the collection in person. As a Patron, you can enjoy exclusive digital content which brings you closer to the collection and our current work wherever you are in the world. Enjoy exclusive Patrons' content and presentations, both live and with our past online events. We also invite Patrons to enjoy the Museum's past public events programme.
How your money helps
The generous donations made by our Patrons provide much-needed support to the Museum, facilitating the allocation of resources to the areas most in need. The Museum is committed to conserving and sharing the two million years of human history and culture within its walls; ensuring it remains a museum of the world for the world.
The Museum is a charity and the vital donations made by our Patrons go towards supporting the Museum across many different areas and making sure that we are able to remain accessible and open to public audiences from across the world. This can include contributing to the care, preservation and display of the collection, as well as enabling the Museum to invest in ground-breaking research, whether in the laboratory in Bloomsbury or an archaeological excavation in Iraq. The British Museum and its rich collection tell the story of our shared humanity and we thank you for supporting us in stewarding this history for future generations.
See how the support of our Patrons has helped fund projects across the Museum, including:
Projects
Divine creatures: Egyptian animal mummies
The collection of around 400 animal mummies held at the British Museum is one of the largest outside Egypt. This project aims to transform our understanding of this extensive collection, offering new insights into the practicalities and significance of this unique ancient Egyptian practice.
Beginning in 2022, this project uses the latest technology (including CT scanning, isotopic analysis and radiocarbon dating) to explore the tradition of embalming animals and revealing what lies beneath their wrappings. The work shows how these animals lived, died and were mummified. It also considers the human component of these mummies, looking into religious, social, economic and practical aspects of the custom within Egyptian society.
Furniture mount in the form of a bust of Oceanus
In 2020, using partial unrestricted funds from donations to the Museum, the Department of Britain, Europe and Prehistory acquired a copper alloy and iron furniture mount dating from 100–200 AD. Created during the Roman rule of Britain, archaeologists excavated the object in Old Basing, Hampshire.
The furniture mount takes the form of Oceanus, the Titan god of rivers and water. Its heavy-lidded wide eyes, with deep recesses for pupils, were likely originally set with glass or precious stones. This decorative bust was acquired alongside a metal plate, believed to be its mount. Subsequent work revealing more about the object has included x-radiography, dirt and soil removal using a scalpel under a microscope, and iron corrosion removal.
Contact the Patrons Office
Email: patrons@britishmuseum.org
Phone: +44 (0)20 7323 8134
Opening times
Monday–Friday: 10.00–16.00
Closed: weekends and bank holidays