King Tut's First Tour

¨From November 1976 to April 1979, “Treasures of Tutankhamun” traveled to seven American cities with the help of NEH grants. As millions of people lined up for hours to see the show, museums became the hottest tickets in town, helping usher in the era of the blockbuster museum exhibition.¨ ~  Meredith Hindely, NEH

  Tutmania began after U.S. President Richard Nixon negotiated a bilateral agreement with Egyptian President Anwar Sadat in 1974. The partnership allowed the artifacts from King Tut’s tomb to tour America in exchange for help renovating the Cairo Opera House. The plan was to have King Tut communicate to the world that Egypt was more than oil and war. The “Treasures of Tutankhamun” exhibit became the key to understanding Egyptian culture and heritage. The items on display turned King Tut, a relatively unknown Egyptian pharaoh, into a pop icon, as he traveled to 6 American cities, ultimately igniting Tutmania around the world.

Courtesy of Washington Post

‘“Treasures of Tutankhamun” would begin in Washington, D.C., travel to Chicago, New Orleans, Los Angeles, and Seattle, and finish in New York. Each museum would host for four months, with two months in between for packing, travel, and installation. The Egyptians had final say on the selection of museums.’  ~  Meredith Hindely, NEH