My local museum takes this approach with some of its historical exhibits, which were, to put it bluntly, stuff British soldiers nicked while they were in Africa, which were then donated to the museum when they died. These are all low value personal items which would be impossible to trace descendants of their original owners (its not practical to find the descendants of the owner of a shirt, a toy, a musical instrument, etc from 200 years ago), so instead the museum displays them with signage that puts them in the appropriate context for the time in history when they were acquired. As a result, I now know that a lot of men from my local area served in south Africa in the 19th century, who stole everything that wasn’t nailed down.
As a result, I now know that a lot of men from my local area served in south Africa in the 19th century, who stole everything that wasn’t nailed down.
Growing up going to museums this seemed to be a common occurrence. Theft and donations of artworks, which had been stolen at some point. For the art, I don’t mind as much as they were always pretty wild stories ranging from fires and recovery to theft and lost and refound – it’s like art heists where half of the history is what it’s gone through before it’s “final” resting place in the museum. But the personal items… those always hit different.
I think a really cool museum concept would be having contemporary cultures send in objects of their culture, because much like the little trinkets robbed back then, current little trinkets of today are just a bit different everywhere you go. We just don’t realize it until 10-20 years from now, or 100.
My local museum takes this approach with some of its historical exhibits, which were, to put it bluntly, stuff British soldiers nicked while they were in Africa, which were then donated to the museum when they died. These are all low value personal items which would be impossible to trace descendants of their original owners (its not practical to find the descendants of the owner of a shirt, a toy, a musical instrument, etc from 200 years ago), so instead the museum displays them with signage that puts them in the appropriate context for the time in history when they were acquired. As a result, I now know that a lot of men from my local area served in south Africa in the 19th century, who stole everything that wasn’t nailed down.
Growing up going to museums this seemed to be a common occurrence. Theft and donations of artworks, which had been stolen at some point. For the art, I don’t mind as much as they were always pretty wild stories ranging from fires and recovery to theft and lost and refound – it’s like art heists where half of the history is what it’s gone through before it’s “final” resting place in the museum. But the personal items… those always hit different.
I think a really cool museum concept would be having contemporary cultures send in objects of their culture, because much like the little trinkets robbed back then, current little trinkets of today are just a bit different everywhere you go. We just don’t realize it until 10-20 years from now, or 100.