James E. Broughton
President
Broughton International Inc.

Broughton International Inc. was founded in January 1994 by James E. Broughton in response to many requests from around the world to develop and produce a series of grand-scale international exhibitions with leading international art, scientific, historic and cultural institutions. Capitalizing on an expertise developed over many years of successfully organizing such exhibitions, Mr. Broughton has built a strong and impressive team of professionals to develop, organize, produce and market an international cultural exchange program for audiences throughout the world.

Recognized today as the originator of some of the country's finest international cultural exchange programs, Mr. Broughton has organized quality exhibitions that have been seen by over 12 million people in several American venues.

As a part of that process, Broughton International has been instrumental in assisting American cities in embracing the concept of international cultural exchange as a means of community revitalization. In St. Petersburg, Florida, Broughton International was retained to create the Florida International Museum, an effort that required management of the renovation of a 300,000 square-foot former department store building into an exhibition center and the presentation of three world-class exhibitions. Additionally, Broughton International worked with the State of Delaware by directing the design of the Riverfront Arts Center in Wilmington to create a state-of-the-art exhibition center for Broughton Masterpiece Presentation grand-scale traveling international exhibitions. The 125,000 square-foot exhibition hall houses 25,000 square feet of main exhibition gallery space, an expansive lobby area, a 275-seat exhibition theater, gift shop, storage, and curatorial and executive offices. Most recently in Mobile, Alabama, portions of the Mobile Civic Center, a 35-year-old public facility, were reconfigured into The Grand Exhibition Hall to accommodate grand-scale traveling exhibitions from the world's most prestigious museums. Under the direction of Broughton International, the space was converted to accommodate 25,000 square feet of main exhibition gallery space, a 200-seat exhibition theater, and an expansive gift shop.

Over the years, the Broughton Masterpiece Presentation series has been successful in involving participants from all levels of the local community it serves, from joint promotions with area businesses, local arts organizations, local colleges and universities, to its highly-effective volunteer program. Additionally, local school systems, as well as universities and colleges within communities are invited to participate in an extensive educational program which further extends the reach of an exhibition throughout the community.

On August 1, 1998 Broughton International opened Nicholas and Alexandra: The Last Imperial Family of Tsarist Russia as the inaugural grand-scale exhibition at the Riverfront Arts Center in Delaware. Continuing on its American Tour, this exhibition then traveled to the Grand Exhibition Hall of the Mobile Civic Center in Alabama.

One of the largest collections of imperial treasures ever to leave Russia, this unprecedented collection featured nearly 700 objects assembled from the State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg; the State Archives of the Russian Federation, Moscow; and the State Palace Museum, Tsarskoe Selo; as well as the FORBES Magazine Collection, New York. This internationally-acclaimed exhibition was the first presentation of this delicate and sensitive 20th century story to be staged in the United States. Nicholas and Alexandra: The Last Imperial Family of Tsarist Russia received accolades for providing new insights into the lives of Russia's last imperial family and the turbulent events that affected their lives. Exemplifying the luxurious tastes of the Russian aristocracy, this dazzling collection showcased magnificent creations of the great craftsmen of all of Europe and Russia. Imperial objects within the Exhibition included a gilded state carriage; an imperial throne; one of the Romanov dynasty's most comprehensive collections of costumes, including elegant court gowns and military uniforms; icons, chalices, miters and vestments of the Russian Orthodox Church; paintings; and personal gifts from Tsar Nicholas II to Empress Alexandra, including a magnificent grand piano. It also included family photographs and correspondence, as well as objects associated with the dreadful tragedy of their murder in Ekaterinburg. The exhibition catalogue is now recognized as a comprehensive account of this turbulent period in Russian history.

Recently Delaware Governor Thomas R. Carper awarded Broughton International the 1999 Governor's Tourism Award for Nicholas and Alexandra: The Last Imperial Family of Tsarist Russia.

Following the Russian exhibition in Delaware, the Broughton Masterpiece Presentation international exchange program hosted Splendors of Meiji: Treasures of Imperial Japan. These Masterpieces from the Khalili Collection, which is recognized as one of the world's finest collections of Meiji-Era Japanese art, present the emergence of a nation as it first began to define its national character to the Western world. The Exhibition of nearly 450 masterpieces is particularly rich in metal, lacquer, ceramic, bronze and porcelain. These objects display the extraordinary accomplishment of individuals whose mastery of technical skills was combined with consummate artistry in creating objects of exquisite beauty and technical perfection which are without parallel in any other culture. Of particular significance is the fact that no fewer than 12 of the artists featured in the Exhibition were members of an elite group appointed by the Meiji Emperor as "Artists to the Imperial Household," while many others were actual pupils and associates of these masters.

FABERGÉ, the largest Exhibition ever presented of the legendary jeweler and goldsmith, Peter Carl Fabergé, will open September 9 at the Riverfront Arts Center in Wilmington, Delaware. A Broughton Masterpiece Presentation, the world premiere exhibition features over 1000 masterpieces from more than 30 of the world's most prestigious private collections and museums. The Exhibition features major loans from the Forbes Magazine Collection, New York, which contains one of the largest Fabergé collections in the world, as well as from other significant American collections. Most of the international loans have never been seen in America, including many objects from the world-famous State Hermitage Museum and the Moscow Kremlin Museums of Russia. Also among the international masterpieces are a number of loans from European Royal Families, including His Majesty King Carl XVI Gustav of Sweden; Their Graces the Duke and Duchess of Westminster and objects formerly in the collection of King Ferdinand of Bulgaria. The Castle Howard Collection and The Khalili Family Trust of England, and several German princely collections are lending to the Exhibition as well.

Prior to forming Broughton International, Mr. Broughton served as a member of the administration of Richard C. Hackett, Mayor of Memphis, Tennessee, from July 1984 through December 1991. During this period, Mr. Broughton was appointed to the positions of Director of Public Service, Chief Administrative Officer and Chief of Staff, and was responsible for all divisions of the government of the nation's 16th largest city.

In November 1984, Mr. Broughton was also appointed as Director of Cultural Affairs by Mayor Hackett at which time he created an international cultural affairs office. In this effort, Mr. Broughton created and served as the Director of WONDERS: The Memphis International Cultural Series, a program of annual grand-scale cultural exchanges with major museums around the world, and the cultural and foreign ministries of the international community.

The first major exhibition organized by Mr. Broughton was Ramesses the Great, produced in conjunction with the Egyptian Antiquities Organization. It attracted 675,000 visitors and generated an economic impact of $85 million for the city of Memphis. Ramesses was followed by the Catherine the Great exhibition from the State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, Russia which also attracted over 600,000 visitors and generated a similar economic impact.

These exhibitions were then followed by the Splendors of the Ottoman Sultans from Topkapi Palace Museum in Turkey; The Etruscans: Legacy of a Lost Civilization from the Vatican Gregorian Etruscan Museum; and Napoleon, which included art treasures from most major museums in France and was the largest exhibition on Napoleon ever to be presented in North America.

In 1992, Mr. Broughton was invited by Mayor David Fischer of St. Petersburg, Florida to establish an ongoing cultural exchange program for the Tampa Bay area. In addition to its role in the creation of the Florida International Museum, Broughton International was contracted to develop an inaugural series showcasing three major exhibitions from around the world, which ultimately attracted over one million visitors to downtown St. Petersburg during the first 13 months of exhibitions.

Exhibitions included within the Broughton International series at the Florida International Museum were Treasures of the Czars from the Moscow Kremlin Museums (January-June 1995); Splendors of Ancient Egypt from the Roemer-und Pelizaeus Museum in Hildesheim, Germany (February-July 1996); and Alexander the Great - The Exhibition; a collection of over 500 pieces from 50 of the world's most prestigious lending museums (October 1996-March 1997).

Without question, the St. Petersburg program presented the most culturally significant events in the history of the City of St. Petersburg, and represented the City's largest, most comprehensive educational program ever offered - for children and adults alike. Attracting unparalleled international media attention, the series created a substantial influx of tourists which resulted in an enormous economic impact. It served as a major impetus for community redevelopment, and a new and fresh emphasis on arts, culture and education - creating an unprecedented level of community pride and involvement in a world-class accomplishment.