C/D: "Peoples" in the Museum of Natural History

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As it is in the Smithsonian Nat Hist Museum, New York's Natural History Museum "Hall of Asian Folks in their Cute Little Costumes" and a "Hall of Topless Native Americans" but still no hall of European people (though there WAS a little "Armenian" corner).

From the displays, I could tell that they were old exhibits (perhaps late 50s, judging by the typeface), but nonetheless, I'm surprised that this has never been changed/corrected in our supposedly more enlightened time.

The museum seems to have an implied progression -- prehistoric lizards-early mammals-primates-early humans-humans that started to make stuff and write stuff-the "dawn of civilization" - etc., but I always feel like there's this implication that European/American culture is the last, unmentioned step, the pinnacle of human progress, the point at which man finally transcended "natural history."

Which brings up the broader problem of museum-as-imperialist-showroom, the dynamic of museums being fundamentally about displaying power -- dominion over nature, dominion over other people, spoils of war, "gifts from the Emperor of China," etc. Even if curators no longer view them that way, the connotations linger in everything from the architecture to the engraved quotes to the standard display methods.

I dunno - maybe it's just a matter of lack of space and lack of interest at this point, but I'd like to see a "Hall of Whitefolk" included for the sake of egalitarianism.

A-ron Hubbard (Hurting), Sunday, 10 September 2006 17:46 (nineteen years ago)

Search (if you like) The Secret Museum of Mankind.

Ned Raggett (Ned), Sunday, 10 September 2006 17:50 (nineteen years ago)

there's something similar at the field museum in chicago but I think it's fairly inclusive in its subjects...it's been quite a while since I've seen it though.

teeny (teeny), Sunday, 10 September 2006 18:15 (nineteen years ago)

yeah man and how come there's no white history month. fucking Clintons man.

Hutch (Hutch Renfro), Sunday, 10 September 2006 18:29 (nineteen years ago)

Uh, no, not really the kind of thing I was getting at.

A-ron Hubbard (Hurting), Sunday, 10 September 2006 18:36 (nineteen years ago)

No I'm agreeing with you man! Liberal museums downplaying the achievements of the White Race. Disgusting. I totally agree!

Hutch (Hutch Renfro), Sunday, 10 September 2006 18:38 (nineteen years ago)

Uh, no you're not.

A-ron Hubbard (Hurting), Sunday, 10 September 2006 18:42 (nineteen years ago)

Sorry dude. I was just trollin' you. I guess I felt like your post seemed kind of 'look at how liberal I am' but that was probably unfair. It was probably the stuff about imperialism that bothered me. I mean, the people who built all that probably just felt like, why would we make an exhibit about our own culture? We all know that stuff already. To project all that racism and power dynamic junk on them seems kind of rude. I agree that it should be changed though.

Hutch (Hutch Renfro), Sunday, 10 September 2006 18:59 (nineteen years ago)

I dunno, I don't really know any more about "Traditional Sweedish Culture" than I know about "Traditional Japanese Culture."

Museums are largely a product of imperialism - that's a fact. I know that there've been a lot of people along the way who have wanted to and have strived to change the role of museums, but it's funny how they still unwittingly carry that baggage sometimes.

A-ron Hubbard (Hurting), Sunday, 10 September 2006 19:07 (nineteen years ago)

Fair enough. I guess I'd just say that it's the appearance of imperialist thinking that's the problem, rather than judging the exhibits as inherently imperialist, which seems almost unknowable (without actually knowing what the creators of the place were thinking).

Hutch (Hutch Renfro), Sunday, 10 September 2006 19:18 (nineteen years ago)

Incidentally, does anyone know what the deal is with the coming "Hall of Human Origin" that's going to replace the older human evolution exhibit?

A-ron Hubbard (Hurting), Sunday, 10 September 2006 20:13 (nineteen years ago)

Incidentally, does anyone know what the deal is with the coming "Hall of Human Origin" that's going to replace the older human evolution exhibit?

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wiktionary/bg/thumb/1/1e/Leonardo_God_Adam.JPG/340px-Leonardo_God_Adam.JPG

=== temporary username === (Mark C), Sunday, 10 September 2006 21:46 (nineteen years ago)

http://www.utdallas.edu/~pjb011000/Tourists.jpg

Euai Kapaui (tracerhand), Sunday, 10 September 2006 22:01 (nineteen years ago)

Museums are largely a product of imperialism

compelling argument there..

mr. brojangles (sanskrit), Sunday, 10 September 2006 23:40 (nineteen years ago)

scenes in museums, cue lucy honeychurch realized as helena bonham carter on hobbies, next up a fateful meeting in O Which Museum? in the Wings of a Dove, perchance if I'd gone for the closing of Dada I'd have run into someone with an interest in... are Cornell's boxes derived from Duchamp?!?

BROKEN GLASS

youn (youn), Sunday, 10 September 2006 23:46 (nineteen years ago)

xpost

didnt museums first come about as a means of displaying the exploits of a given government? couldve sworn i'd learned this somewhere.

AaronK (AaronK), Monday, 11 September 2006 00:05 (nineteen years ago)

I don't know if that was how the first ever museums came about, but I know it was a big thing in the history of museums. I didn't make this shit up.

A-ron Hubbard (Hurting), Monday, 11 September 2006 00:16 (nineteen years ago)

eight years pass...

expected to spend the day at AMNH when we were in NYC but after rushing through the incredible dinosaur section in anticipation of having to pack in loads more good stuff it was essentially a traipse through Madame Tussaud's until we got to Liam Neeson's universe, which was good.

Great building tho obv

fedora, wherever it may find her (darraghmac), Saturday, 20 September 2014 11:32 (eleven years ago)

the London Natural History Museum is one of the most amazing museums I've ever been in

akm, Sunday, 21 September 2014 04:10 (eleven years ago)

I don't remember there being any peoples in it though. except the ones in the fucking dinosaur line

akm, Sunday, 21 September 2014 04:10 (eleven years ago)


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