By Amara Thornton (Research Officer, Ure Museum)

We have been researching Annie Ure’s life and career over the past few months. Earlier last summer, our UROP student Ruth Lloyd created a timeline for Annie Ure’s life. Ruth’s work is the basis of the timeline that follows below. We envision this timeline will be a useful resource for researchers looking into the history of the Museum of Greek Archaeology (now the Ure Museum) and for those wanting to learn more about Annie Ure’s roles as an active researcher and curator. We also expect this resource to grow over time, so we encourage readers to return to it – we will be updating this document to add new links and images from the archive!

Part 1 of the timeline (1893-1918)

1919, Reading: foundation of the Museum of Archaeology and History at University College Reading at No 30 Portland Place, London Road. Beginning of curatorial role.

  • More on the Museum of Archaeology and History at University College Reading here.
  • Listen to Annie discussing the Museum here.

1920/21, Reading and Europe: visits museums in France, Italy, and Belgium with Percy Ure, researching Greek collections. In spring, travels to Greece with Percy Ure for excavation at Rhitsona; does research in museums in Greece and Italy, purchases antiquities in South Italy.

Annie Ure Atrebates Talk Excavations at Rhitsona Transcript

Annie Ure, standing in the middle of the group of Rhitsona excavators holding a box. Semni Papyspyridi (later Karousos) seated with parasol. (Ure Museum)
  • More on Percy Ure’s pre-war excavations at Mykalessos/Rhitsona here.

1921/22, Reading and Europe: Appointed Honorary Research Fellow in Greek Archaeology, awarded a period of research leave from University. Returns to Rhitsona with Percy Ure during spring to continue excavations. Prepares catalogue of Rhitsona artefacts and arranges exhibition in museum in Thebes, Greece. Visits other sites in Greece and Turkey, as well as museums in South Italy, Austria and Germany, purchases antiquities in South Italy and Athens.

The interior of the Ures dig house at Rhitsona. (Ure Museum).

1922: first article ‘A Black Figure Fragment in the Dorset Museum’ is published in Journal of Hellenic Studies.

1922/23, Reading and Europe: With Percy Ure sets up Museum of Greek Archaeology at No 28 Portland Place, London Road. Continues to be involved with Percy Ure, Frank Stenton and Doris Stenton in the “Romano-British Museum” at No 30 Portland Place. Visits museums for research in Paris, Sevres, Blois and Orleans.

  • More on the “Romano-British Museum” here.
  • Acquisition of Egyptian artefacts from the University of Liverpool, including a model boat (E.23.3) from Beni Hassan, Egypt, excavated 1902-4. See other items from this acquisition in “Egypt in Reading” exhibition.
  • Gift of plaster cast of a Lapith head fragment from the Parthenon to Annie Ure from Semni Papaspyridi. See the head in this short film, produced for the “Hidden Women” digital exhibition.

1924, Reading: daughter Jean Neville Ure born.

1924/25, Reading and Europe: Teaching in the Classics Department, continues work in the Museum of Greek Archaeology, During vacations, travels to museums in Brussels, Paris, Strasburg, Karlsruhe, Heidelburg, and Munich. Re-elected Honorary Research Fellow in Greek Archaeology for two more years.

1926, Reading: son Neville (Bill) Cobbett Ure born; article ‘Floral black-figure cups at Sclimatari’ is published in JHS

1927/28, Reading and Greece: continues work in the Museum of Greek Archaeology, as Honorary Research Fellow in Greek Archaeology, during Easter vacation travels to Greece to check Rhitsona excavation results. Publication of Sixth and Fifth Century Pottery from excavations made at Rhitsona.

1928/29, Reading and Italy: continues work in the Museum of Greek Archaeology, during Spring, travels with Percy to Italy and Sicily.

1929, Reading: continues work in the Museum of Greek Archaeology, publication of ‘Boeotian Geometricising Vases’ in JHS.

1930, Reading and Germany: travels to research in museums in Bonn, Cologne, Kassel and Berlin.

1931, Reading and Germany: continues work in the Museum of Greek Archaeology, travels back to Bonn with Percy Ure to catalogue collections of Akademisches Kunstmuseum.

1932, Reading: continues work in the Museum of Greek Archaeology; publication of ‘Boeotian Orientalizing Lekanai’ in Metropolitan Museum Studies.

1933/34, Reading: continues work in the Museum of Greek Archaeology, publication of ‘Boeotian Vases in the Akademisches Kunst museum in Bonn’ (co-authored with Percy Ure) in Archaologisches Anseiger.

1935/36, Reading and Greece: continues work in the Museum of Greek Archaeology, during Easter vacation returns to Greece with an undergraduate Classics student; publication of ‘Ares in Coronea’ and ‘More Boeotian Geometricising Vases’ in JHS; elected (with Percy Ure) as corresponding member of the German Archaeological Institute.

1936/37, Reading: continues work in the Museum of Greek Archaeology, publication of ‘Red figure Cups with incised and stamped decoration part I’ in in JHS.