The de Young Museum entrance in 1979
In 1979 the hippie look was nearing its end, Disco was in, gas cost 86 cents a gallon, and the San Francisco de Young Museum hosted the King Tutankamun exhibit to great fanfare. Mayor Gavin Newsom was 11 years old at the time and recalls the crowds and the spectacle. Lindy Sherwood-Combs, Senior Vice-President Northern Trust, says she was slightly older than Mayor Newsom in '79, "I was a kid in Fresno and I came with my parents all dressed up, including white gloves."
Now through March 28, 2010 at the de Young Museum, new generations will have their chance to create lasting memories and get inspired by the wonders of King Tutankhamun.
The intact tomb of King Tutankamun, affectionately known as King Tut, was discovered in 1922 by British archaeologist Howard Carter and it immediately sparked an international frenzy influencing every aspect of modern culture from architecture to fashion. People then and now are fascinated with known and unknown stories of the boy king, who became Pharaoh of Egypt at a mere nine years old in 1341 BC and died mysteriously at age 19. Experts had been uncertain of who his father was, but Zahi Hawass, Secretary General of Egypt's Supreme of Antiquities, recently announced that DNA testing may soon solve that mystery, as well as the mystery of how Tut died.
The current exhibit, curated by Dr. Renee Dreyfus, Curator of Ancient Art and Interpretation, Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, features 50 artifacts from King Tut's tomb and 80 objects from the tombs of other pharaohs and 18th dynasty royalty. Dr. Dreyfus also worked on the '79 exhibit as part of a large curatorial team. During the museum's podcast interview she spoke of the past exhibit, "This was an explosion, an event, a happening ... people expected this to be something different."
People are just as excited this time around. Dr. Dreyfus believes current interest in all things Egyptian has to do with the turning of the new millennium. "All of a sudden we're understanding how long we've been around and what kinds of things we've learned ... So many of the things we take for granted today - the calendar, writing began in Egypt."
Outside the exhibit are photos documenting the opening of the tomb in 1922 by Metropolitan Museum of Art photographer, Harry Burton. The dark and cavernous exhibit entrance sets an anticipatory tone heightened by actor Omar Sharif's dramatic voice in a brief introductory film. Attendees move through a total of nine galleries with a personal audio guide, also narrated by Sharif, providing general information about daily life at the time and detailed information about some of the artifacts.
King Tut is the buzz of the summer so don't miss your chance to get inspired and be able to say, "Heck yeah, I was there!"
Tickets must be purchased in advance. Before you go, check out the website for podcast interviews with various people who worked on the exhibit http://www.tutsanfrancisco.org/
Golden Throne
Exhibit curator, Dr. Renee Dreyfus attends one of the many opening galas with her son, Michael Beller
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