Paper short abstract:

Founded in 1960 primarily as a resource to support Durham University's teaching and research agenda, the Oriental Museum has developed into a world-class institution which combines its traditional academic role with a commitment to making its collections accessible to all.

Paper long abstract:

After the Second World War the Scarborough Commission recommended that Durham University be selected as one of five universities in which special facilities should be developed for the teaching of the Near and Far Eastern languages. As a result, a new School of Oriental Studies was established in Durham in 1951, with Professor Thomas W Thacker as its director.

From the outset Professor Thacker was adamant that a language could not be learnt in isolation but must be supported by an understanding of material culture, arguing that 'An Oriental School which aims to teach the cultural background of the oriental peoples must have a museum at its disposal'. Not only was there no such museum in Durham, in Thacker's opinion there was no adequate collections anywhere in the North East. He therefore determined to create his own museum.

This paper aims to provide an overview of some of the most important donors to the Oriental Museum who shared Thacker's ethos to promote better understanding of people through their material culture. Most notably Dr and Mrs H.N Spalding who founded the Spalding Trust for the study of world religions; the noted collector Henry De Laszlo who was so appalled by the destruction of WWII that he set about collecting art from all over the world in order to preserve it for future generations; and the diplomat and politician Malcolm McDonald who believed that an appreciation of art was one of the most important tools for international diplomacy.