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National Museums Scotland Directors

See a full list of the directors of the National Museum of Antiquities and National Museum Scotland.

National Museum of Antiquities

(1858-1985)

1859 – 1869 William T McCulloch

1869 – 1913 Joseph Anderson

1913 – 1919 Alexander O Curle (also director of RSM 1916-1919)

1919 – 1938 John G Callander

1938 – 1944 Arthur J H.Edwards

1944 – 1945 Gordon V Childe

1946 – 1978 Robert B K Stevenson

1978 – 1985 Alexander Fenton

1985  NMAS and RSM amalgamated to form National Museums Scotland

Industrial Museum of Scotland

(founded 1854)

1855 – 1859 George Wilson

1860 – 1864 Thomas C Archer

Edinburgh Museum of Science and Art (renamed 1864)

1864 – 1885 Thomas C Archer

1885 – 1900 Robert Murdoch Smith

1900 – 1903 Francis Grant Ogilvie

1903 – 1904 James J Dobbie

Royal Scottish Museum

(renamed 1904)

1904 – 1909 James J Dobbie

1909 – 1911 David J Vallance (acting)

1911 – 1916 Thomas Carlaw Martin

1916 – 1931 Alexander O Curle (also director of NMAS 1913-19)

1931 – 1934 Edwin Ward

1934 – 1944 Thomas Rowatt

1945 – 1961 Douglas A Allan

1961 – 1971 Ian Finlay

1971 – 1984 Norman Tebble

1984 – 1985 Robert Anderson

National Museums of Scotland

(Royal Scottish Museum amalgamated with National Museum of Scotland in 1985)

1985 – 1992 Robert Anderson

1992 – 2001 Mark Jones

National Museums Scotland

(renamed 2006)

2002 – Gordon Rintoul

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What are these links?

George Wilson, founding director of the Industrial Museum of Scotland

George Wilson, founding director of the Industrial Museum of Scotland (1855-1859)

Dr Gordon Rintoul

Dr Gordon Rintoul, director of National Museums Scotland since 2002.

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National Museums Scotland, Scottish Charity, No. SC 011130