Lessons from the destruction of the National Museum of Brazil

ON THE night of September 2nd a fire consumed the National Museum of Brazil in Rio de Janeiro, destroying most of its 20m or so artefacts. Among the treasures incinerated were Egyptian mummies, frescoes from Pompeii, the 11,500-year-old skeleton of “Luzia” (the oldest human remains in the Americas) and a vast South American collection from the pre-Columbian era to the present day. Brazil’s president, Michel Temer, called the loss “incalculable”. But it was not unpredictable (see ).More than a decade ago, inspectors had pointed to the museum’s ropy electrical wiring. Its director had complained of termites and closed a third of the exhibition rooms. It was running on an annual budget more suitable for a parish church: less than $0.01 per artefact, only some of which was ever disbursed. Despite the risk of keeping a collection of irreplaceable objects in what those inspectors called a firetrap, officials and politicians rebuffed generous offers of financial help. The World Bank discussed a possible loan, reportedly on condition that the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro gave up control of the museum. (The World Bank denies that any conditions were specified.)