Archaeologist Howard Carter captured the world's imagination nearly a century ago when he made the astounding discovery of the undisturbed tomb of Tutankhamun. Beginning November 21, Premier Exhibitions 5th Avenue, 417 5th Avenue, NYC unveils The Discovery of King Tut, a new exhibition that provides an unparalleled opportunity to explore the legendary tomb and its treasures just as Carter found them.
Seen by millions of visitors worldwide in cities such as Paris, Seoul, Berlin, Amsterdam and Madrid, The Discovery of King Tut, takes you back more than 3,000 years to trace the story of the boy king who reigned for a decade and died suddenly at age 19. This thrillingly unique experience explores the legendary tomb and its treasures as they were at the exact moment of their discovery. Visitors can feel the rush of excitement as they step into a moment only ever witnessed by Howard Carter's excavation team, view more than 1000 precisely crafted replicas and reconstructions and discover the story behind one of the most iconic moments in history.
The tomb's magnificent burial goods have been reproduced exactly down to the finest detail by expert Egyptian craftsmen and renowned Egyptologists. These exquisitely crafted replicas and reconstructions, allow visitors to step into the wonder of the discovery as if the original excavation in the Valley of the Kings has been reopened. Crucially, the exhibition also brings together a collection that can only be seen separately elsewhere, even in Egypt: because the king's treasures are kept in the Cairo Museum. In addition, Tutankhamun's beautifully painted tomb in the Valley of the Kings has been stripped of everything but his mummy, the outer coffin and the stone sarcophagus. By contrast, the exhibition experience culminates in exact reconstructions of three chambers from Tutankhamun's tomb, revealing themselves just as the discoverers saw them. A radioplay-like audio tour based on Howard Carter's diaries, video documentaries, extensive texts and object descriptions and unhindered access to the objects together provide an exciting, as well as informative, experience for all the senses.
A series of lectures by renowned Egyptologists, and a gallery featuring the special relationship between New York and King Tut will also accompany the exhibition.
The Discovery of King Tut is scheduled to run through May 1, 2016 at 417 5th Avenue in NYC. Tickets are $29 for adults and $20 for children. For ticket information please visit http://www.TutNYC.com
"Tut Talks"
Starting from December 4th, visitors to The Discovery of King Tut will be able to enjoy talks, tours and special events by such renowned speakers as "Mr Mummy" Bob Brier (Author, Lecturer at Long Island University), Catharine Roehrig (Author, Curator at the Egyptian Department of the Metropolitan Museum of Art) and Kara Cooney (Author, Professor at the University of California in Los Angeles). The former head of Antiquities in Egypt, Zahi Hawass, will also visit from Cairo to give a talk and sign his books, "The Discovery of Tutankhamun - From Howard Carter to DNA," and the brand-new "The Golden Boy - History for Kids," both accompanying publications to the exhibition. More information on the events can be found at http://www.TUTNYC.com
Special Gallery: King Tut and New York
The world of ancient Egypt has captured the public imagination for centuries, with exhibitions on Egyptian history and culture proving to be hugely popular around the globe. The 1976 exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, however, unleashed an "Egyptomania" like never before, so much so that it was said that Tutankhamun began his real life after death in New York! The Met's exhibition led to a "Tut-mania" that affected everyone from Elizabeth Taylor to Andy Warhol to Steve Martin.
And it's not just the "Tut-mania" caused by this legendary exhibition that connects Tutankhamun with New York, the city's association with the boy king's story goes back to 1922/23 and beyond, when the Metropolitan Museum of Art actively participated in the excavation of Tutankhamun's tomb in Egypt. Harry Burton was an English Egyptologist and archaeological photographer, whose most famous photographs are the 1,400 he took whilst documenting the excavation of Tutankhamun's tomb on behalf of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Without Harry Burton's photos, The Discovery of King Tut would not have been possible, since he documented the tomb's appearance at the time of its discovery.
For the New York exhibition, British specialist studio Dynamichrome will colorize a selection of Burton's photos, each marking a milestone during the excavation. These will go on display in a special gallery, focusing on "the romance between New York and King Tut."
Original and Replica: The Magic of the Authentic Whole
The Discovery of King Tut has succeeded in meeting a major challenge: The exhibition reconstructs, in great detail a burial treasure that was assembled thousands of years ago and which, upon discovery in 1922, was separated from its original context. Today, this replica exhibition provides the only way to see these objects reunited and displayed as they were originally found, enabling visitors to relive the magical moment of the tomb's discovery as if they had been there themselves.
One thousand one-of-a-kind, precisely hand crafted reconstructions of all the iconic artifacts are on display. These objects are not designed to replace the original artifacts, but to complement them. This way, The Discovery of King Tut allows a huge audience to access the fascinating world of the pharaohs without ever compromising the fragile, millennia-old originals.
About The Discovery of King Tut New York
The home of Saturday Night Live: The Exhibition at Fifth Avenue will open its second gallery on November 21st with The Discovery of King Tut, the blockbuster exhibition seen by more than six million visitors on its worldwide tour. With the aid of exquisite, precisely crafted replicas and reconstructions, the exhibition allows visitors to step right into the wonder of the most famous archaeological discovery of the twentieth century. It is as if the original excavation in the Valley of the Kings has been reopened.
The exhibition experience culminates in exact reconstructions of three tomb chambers that reveal themselves just as the discoverers saw them. A radioplay-like audio tour based on Howard Carter's diaries, video documentaries, extensive texts and object descriptions and unhindered access to the objects together provide an exciting, as well as informative, experience for all the senses. A series of lectures by renowned Egyptologists, and a gallery featuring the special relationship between New York and King Tut will also accompany the exhibition. The Discovery of King Tut is scheduled to run through May 1, 2016. Tickets are on sale now at http://www.TUTNYC.com
About Premier Exhibitions, Inc. and SC Exhibitions
Premier Exhibitions, Inc. (PRXI) located in Atlanta, Georgia, is a foremost presenter of museum quality exhibitions throughout the world. Premier is a recognized leader in developing and displaying unique exhibitions for education and entertainment, including Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition, BODIES...The Exhibition, Tutankhamun: The Golden King and the Great Pharaohs, Pompeii The Exhibition, Extreme Dinosaurs and Real Pirates in partnership with National Geographic, as well as Saturday Night Live: The Exhibition. The success of Premier Exhibitions, Inc. lies in its ability to produce, manage, and market exhibitions. Additional information about Premier Exhibitions, Inc. is available at the Company's website http://www.PremierExhibitions.com.
Premier Exhibitions presents The Discovery of King Tut in partnership with SC Exhibitions, a division of Semmel Concerts Entertainment, a leading European live entertainment producer. The Discovery of King Tut is a project by SC Exhibitions, conceived and curated by a team of leading European museum specialists. The scientific circle consulting the exhibition and its international programming consists of Wolfgang Wettengel, Wilfried Seipel, Jaromir Malek and Zahi Hawass. The exhibition supports several projects in Egypt, and contributed to the renovation of the Tutankhamun galleries in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. The Discovery of King Tut is the official replica exhibition endorsed by the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities.
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