The name of the Allard Pierson Museum derives from the first professor Classical Archaeology at the University of Amsterdam, Allard Pierson. This former clergyman, was invited in 1877 to occupy the chair of Aesthetics, Art History and Modern Languages. Although he collected plaster casts, this collection was not even approaching a real museum.
Professor J. Six and the Allard Pierson Foundation
The second professor, who taught archaeology at the Amsterdam University, was J. Six. He owned a large collection of books and antiques, which he made available for education and research. When he died in 1926, the Allard Pierson Foundation was established in order to purchase this collection. The attic of the Institute of the Department of Mediterranean Archaeology at the Weesperzijde served as a museum from 1931.

The Scheurleer Collection
The banker C. W. Lunsingh Scheurleer, victimized by the 1929 crisis, was forced to sell the collection of his museum. The Allard Pierson Foundation was able to buy the collection. It was then handed to the University of Amsterdam, on condition that the new collection would be publicly displayed. On the 12th of November 1934, the Allard Pierson Museum opened its doors to a building on the Sarphatistraat.

The Oude Turfmarkt
Many gifts and loans have since then enriched the collection. Especially under professor-director J.M. Hemelrijk important acquisitions were made. With these, a new building had become absolutely necessary. H.R.H. Princess Beatrix opened in 1976 the new housing in the old building of the Nederlandsche Bank at the Oude Turfmarkt. Many exhibitions have since then propagated the name of the museum. Exhibitions as The Etruscans, Krete, cradle of Europe, Marble Sculpture, Myths, People and Music, Young in Antiquity, Be seated! and Colour! attracted large numbers of visitors. Since1994 these exhibitions were held in a new wing.

Permanent collections
The museum is displaying original antiquities and other objects as one of the sources of Western tradition to put the present in a culture-historical perspective by means of insight in and understanding of the past.

The mission of the Allard Pierson Museum - as a University museum and in cooperation with the Department of Mediterranean Archaeology - is to make the Mediterranean Antiquity accessible for scholarly purposes (for Academic and other training and research) as well as for a broad audience with special attention for youths.

Special collections:

Collection of Plaster Casts
The monumental statue of Mausollos, which reaches over three meters in height, catches the visitor's eye at the entrance of the Museum. He gazes undisturbed from his base to the unsuspecting visitor, who may mistake the statue for an antique sculpture.
The Museum holds over more than 200 of these plaster casts.

Glass negatives collection
The Allard Pierson Museum has a remarkable collection of glass negatives among its holdings. The collection is remarkable both in age (dating from the period 1880-1912) and in subject matter.

Beads Collection
The Museum houses the bead collection of Dr. W.G. N. van der Sleen (1886-1967). The collection of beads comes from all over the world and from all periods of time. Special are the Phoenician head beads.

http://allardpiersonmuseum.nl