My first introduction to King Tut was in 1972 at the British Museum temporary exhibition "Treasures of Tutankhamun" which attracted over a million and a half visitors, the most successful in their history.
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| A stunning replica of King Tutankhamun at The Discoveries of King Tut Exhibition (Picture credit High End Weekly™) The Discovery of King Tut New York Trailer |
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| The British Museum |
King Tutankhamun (“King Tut” to you and me) is back in NYC. The Ancient Egyptian King was first introduced to Manhattan in the early 1920s, he revisited the Big Apple in the 1970s (thanks to President Nixon) and the 1990s. Eight million people visited the “Treasure of Tutankhamun” as it toured the United States from 1976 to 1979.
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| As you enter the exhibition, a little after the short film is shown in the main hall, this is the scene you'll encountered - an exact replica of what Howard Carter saw when he discovered King Tutankhamun's tomb |
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| If these walls could talk …. Well, they actually can. |
A beautiful and accurate replica of the ancient Egyptian King
Above images by High End Weekly™. All rights reserved
Now fast forward to November 2015. My wife Vyna, the founder of High End Weekly™, invited me to the press preview on November 20th - a day before the show opens at The Exhibitions Center on 417 5th Avenue at 37th Street. King Tutankhamun's latest visit to NYC is entitled: The Discovery of King Tut will be opened to the public from November 21, 2015 - May 1, 2016.
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| From Left: Earl of Carnarvon, Howard Carter |
I can’t mention King Tut without first talking about ‘the curse of King Tut.’ In the 1920s it was rumored more than 20 people linked to the opening of Tutankhamun's burial chamber in Luxor died in bizarre circumstances, six of them were from London. Well since I am from London, the question that came to my mind was “does King Tut have it ‘in’ when it comes to Londoners?” After all we did disturb his tomb.
Dr. David Silverman, a professor and curator of the University of Pennsylvania, and the Penn Museum was our tour guide for the occasion. His presentation was simply brilliant. That it turn made it easier for me to follow what can as a whole become a complex subject.
I had a quick word with him after the tour, as an Englishman and Londoner, I ask myself: could he guess my nervousness when I approached him ... Although the items in the exhibition were replicas “did they replicate the curse or is it real? Dear Dr, do tell the truth.
He answered “real curses did exist", something that he explained during the tour, "but the King Tut curse is indeed the stuff of legend." He continues "In reality, the curse was made up primarily to sell newspapers!" Wow, I thought: King Tut out-trump Donald Trump when it came to self publishing his brand! No wonder King Tut feels at home here in New York City.
What I know for sure is this: archaeologists are trying too hard to convince themselves that the curse is not true…Let's see what happens, no.
Dr. David Silverman, a professor and curator of the University of Pennsylvania, and the Penn Museum was our tour guide for the occasion. His presentation was simply brilliant. That it turn made it easier for me to follow what can as a whole become a complex subject.
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| Dr. David Silverman leading the New York tour of The Discoveries of King Tut (Picture credit High End Weekly™) |
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| Dr. David Silverman |
He answered “real curses did exist", something that he explained during the tour, "but the King Tut curse is indeed the stuff of legend." He continues "In reality, the curse was made up primarily to sell newspapers!" Wow, I thought: King Tut out-trump Donald Trump when it came to self publishing his brand! No wonder King Tut feels at home here in New York City.
What I know for sure is this: archaeologists are trying too hard to convince themselves that the curse is not true…Let's see what happens, no.
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| The legend of 'the curse' reported on The Morning Call, April 5, 1923 |
(Picture credit High End Weekly™)
The Discovery of The King Tut Exhibition is brilliant. Do not allow the legend of the curse to put you off visiting this world renown show. I loved the shear size, the amount of gold on display, and the artwork, is just ‘out-of-this-world. You should definitely add it to your ‘Must Visit List.' The exhibition is a time machine that will take you back 3,000 years, and as an engineer I was using my mind eye and kept asking myself “how did they accomplish all of this, especially without the modern equipments we have today?” I must sit down with Dr. Silverman for the answers, or will he try to avoid 'the curse?' Anyhow, who do we have to thank for all of this? Howard Carter, a man of great determination and positive belief that he would someday find the tomb of King Tutankhamun.
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