Loot: Stolen Treasurers of the Ancient World; WGBH Forum Network; 4201-2008_12_03.mov

Waxman, Sharon · December 3, 2008

Sharon Waxman discusses questions of ownership of cultural objects and reads frm new her book, Loot: Stolen Treasures of the Ancient World. Why are the Elgin Marbles in London and not on the Acropolis? If such stunning art objects have admittedly come to Western museums through the heavy hand of 19th century cultural exploitation, do these museums have an ethical responsibility to return them? What if such return harmed these objects because their home country is too poor to maintain, house and protect? What ethical standards should Western museums follow when they obtain art objects from Third World countries? Sharon Waxman addresses these questions and presents her book, Loot: Stolen Treasures of the Ancient World. Sharon Waxman is a former cultural correspondent for The New York Times and holds a master's degree in Middle East Studies from Oxford University