T.E. Lawrence as a …

Any number of myths have grown up around 'Lawrence of Arabia' - one of the best known and most controversial public figures in Britain in the 20th century. But who was Thomas Edward Lawrence? As a young man, he was already drawn to the Middle East but was he an archaeologist, military strategist, or a spy working for the British crown? What role did he really play in the Arab revolt? And why do we still connect a particular image with 'Lawrence of Arabia' today?

Please click on the pictures on the right to learn more about T.E. Lawrence's various facets.

… Archaeologist

Even as a young man, T.E. Lawrence was fascinated by relics from bygone ages and was especially drawn to the medieval world of knights and castles. In his spare time, he often set off with a friend on bicycle tours around Oxford to take brass rubbings of the medieval commemorative plaques set in the floors of churches. He travelled to France and the Middle East to research the architecture of crusader castles for his BA degree thesis – which is on show in the exhibition in the original. He also brought back numerous photographs and sketches. From 1911 until the start of the First World War, T.E. Lawrence worked on archaeological excavations in the Middle East, initially in Carchemish (in present-day Turkey near the Syrian border) and then on the Sinai peninsula.
T.E. Lawrence's archaeological work is illustrated by his original finds, his own hand-drawn sketches and his personal notebook from Carchemish.

… Military Strategist and Political Advisor

A critical view needs to be taken of T.E. Lawrence's influence on the military and diplomatic stage. Even today, it is not entirely clear what role he played in the struggle for new territories in the Middle East.
During the First World War, T.E. Lawrence promoted the Arab cause, supporting their ultimate aim of an independent self-determined state. In 1919, T.E. Lawrence accompanied Emir Faisal's party to the Paris Peace Conference but their cooperation ended in failure amid accusations of spying. T.E. Lawrence, it was claimed, was a British agent secretly working against the Arabs. Two years later, T.E. Lawrence returned to the Middle East, appearing at the Cairo Conference as an advisor to Winston Churchill. The borders in the Middle East which the Conference set remain largely unchanged today.
This tragic part of contemporary history is illustrated by exhibits of militaria, paintings and photographs.

… Writer

It took T.E. Lawrence seven years to finish 'Seven Pillars of Wisdom', his main work. In writing this remarkable book, T.E. Lawrence also seeks and receives help and advice from leading intellectuals and artists in British life. On the one hand, he wants to present his own individual view on a war supposed to liberate the Arabian peninsula and, on the other, to turn his own experience into an art form. The book is released in 1926 in a high-priced subscription edition of less than 200 copies published by T.E. Lawrence himself. T.E. Lawrence died as a result of a motorbike accident in 1935.
The exhibition also includes a display of T.E. Lawrence's living room/study at Clouds Hill, offering a fascinating insight into T.E. Lawrence's personal life. In addition, the exhibits include two original pages of his writings, with the other pages presented in a media show.

… Media Hero

A series of illustrated lectures by the American journalist Lowell Thomas gave T.E. Lawrence a worldwide profile even during his lifetime. The slideshows by the name of 'With Lawrence in Arabia' were reportedly attended by audiences of four million in total. After T.E. Lawrence's death, the media industry transformed him into a national hero who combined the desert fighter's romantic image with fantasies of imperialist power. Although some filmmakers tried to criticise aspects of this idealised image after 1945, T.E. Lawrence's glorification continued unabated. His name was intimately linked to adventure and war. In 1963, David Lean's classic film 'Lawrence of Arabia' won no less than seven Oscars and six Golden Globe Awards. T.E. Lawrence's name and face can also be found decorating innumerable comics and young adult books, all of which take their inspiration from the myth of the hero.
Through the film clips, books and comics on show, exhibition visitors can form their own impression of T.E. Lawrence as a media hero.