Who removed the Parthenon marbles to Britain in the early 19th century?

Lord Elgin removed the Parthenon marbles to Britain in the early 19th century. Thomas Bruce, 7th Earl of Elgin, was Britain’s ambassador to the Ottoman Empire, which then controlled Athens.

Elgin initially commissioned artists to draw and cast sculptures on the Acropolis. From 1801, however, his agents—directed in Athens by Giovanni Battista Lusieri—began removing sculptures from the Parthenon and nearby monuments. The collection included roughly half of the surviving Parthenon frieze, 15 metopes, and 17 pedimental figures.

The removal remains controversial. Elgin said Ottoman authorities had authorized the work, but the original permission document has not been found and scholars dispute how broadly it should be interpreted. The marbles reached Britain after difficult transport, including the salvage of cargo from the wrecked ship Mentor.

A common mix-up is answering “Thomas Bruce” rather than “Lord Elgin.” They are the same person: Lord Elgin is the title by which the diplomat is usually identified in this story. Britain purchased the collection in 1816 and transferred it to the British Museum.