National Museum Of Iceland, Reykjavik

National Museum Of Iceland, Reykjavik (Iceland)

The National Museum of Iceland was established on 24 February 1863 with Jn rnason the first curator of the Icelandic collection previously kept in Danish museums. The second curator Sigurur Gumundsson advocated the creation of an antiquarian collection and the museum was called the Antiquarian Collection until 1911. Before settling at its present location at Suurgata 41 101 Reykjavk in 1950 it was housed in various Reykjavk attics finally for forty years in the attic of the National Library building on Hverfisgata. A key object in the permanent exhibition is the Valjfsstaur door a celebrated carving depicting a version of the Lion-Knight legend where a knight slays a dragon thus freeing a lion that becomes his companion.