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The Museum of Other People: From Colonial Acquisitions to Cosmopolitan Exhibitions
A TLS BEST BOOK OF 2023
'A formidable work' Nigel Barley, author of The Innocent Anthropologist
'Should be required reading' Richard Lambert, Financial Times
'A magnificent, moving survey' Felipe Fernández-Armesto, TLS
This is a history of the ways in which foreign and prehistoric peoples were represented in museums of anthropology, with their displays of arts and artifacts, their dioramas, their special exhibitions, and their arrays of skulls and skeletons.
Originally created as colonial enterprises, what is the purpose of these places today? What should they do with the items in their custodianship? And how can they help us to understand and appreciate other cultures?
Informed by a lifetime of research and scholarship, this subtle and original work tackles painful questions about race, colonialism, difference, and cultural appropriation. The result is a must-read for anyone concerned with the coexistence of different modes of life.
'A formidable work' Nigel Barley, author of The Innocent Anthropologist
'Should be required reading' Richard Lambert, Financial Times
'A magnificent, moving survey' Felipe Fernández-Armesto, TLS
This is a history of the ways in which foreign and prehistoric peoples were represented in museums of anthropology, with their displays of arts and artifacts, their dioramas, their special exhibitions, and their arrays of skulls and skeletons.
Originally created as colonial enterprises, what is the purpose of these places today? What should they do with the items in their custodianship? And how can they help us to understand and appreciate other cultures?
Informed by a lifetime of research and scholarship, this subtle and original work tackles painful questions about race, colonialism, difference, and cultural appropriation. The result is a must-read for anyone concerned with the coexistence of different modes of life.
427 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2023
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
April 3, 2024
Content warnings: colonialism, racism, xenophobia, genocide
3.5 stars
I...wanted to love this. As a former museum curator at a museum that straddled social history and environmental science, the content of this book was both very much within my wheelhouse and more than a little outside of it. But in developing the exhibition I worked on, I had object loans from some of the museums discussed in this book, so it kind of IS in my wheelhouse more than I anticipated.
So. The discussion of museum history and the ways in which the big name museums and their collections were established? Really effective. Really engaging. Really relevant. These museums refuse, time and time again, to repatriate not only objects but human remains.
But. There were very definitely times when it was apparent that this book was written by an old white man. Yes, he's a knowledgeable old white man. But there's no way that a book published in 2023 should use a small "a" when talking about Aboriginal Australians. And he at times falls very much into the traps of "if we don't protect these objects, who will?" and "should we let minorities tell their stories in museums when their stories don't make sense to us nice white folks?" And, like, that's exactly what your damned book is arguing against, my dude...
So yeah. It was solid up to a point. And then it kind of tanked. Sigh.
3.5 stars
I...wanted to love this. As a former museum curator at a museum that straddled social history and environmental science, the content of this book was both very much within my wheelhouse and more than a little outside of it. But in developing the exhibition I worked on, I had object loans from some of the museums discussed in this book, so it kind of IS in my wheelhouse more than I anticipated.
So. The discussion of museum history and the ways in which the big name museums and their collections were established? Really effective. Really engaging. Really relevant. These museums refuse, time and time again, to repatriate not only objects but human remains.
But. There were very definitely times when it was apparent that this book was written by an old white man. Yes, he's a knowledgeable old white man. But there's no way that a book published in 2023 should use a small "a" when talking about Aboriginal Australians. And he at times falls very much into the traps of "if we don't protect these objects, who will?" and "should we let minorities tell their stories in museums when their stories don't make sense to us nice white folks?" And, like, that's exactly what your damned book is arguing against, my dude...
So yeah. It was solid up to a point. And then it kind of tanked. Sigh.
May 13, 2024
This book was thoroughly researched. Even though I found a lot of it interesting, it really told me more about the establishment of museums than I wanted to know. I would certainly hate being a museum administrator today. I just could not cope with the culture wars surrounding what is art, who owns it, who gets to see it etc. If you care about that debate, you will probably enjoy this book more than I did. I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.
October 23, 2023
WESTERNERS' PAST IS KNOCKING ON THEIR EVERY DOOR
The Museum of Other People clearly rides the wave of the trend and is written to address questions and situations that have made headlines in so many ways recently.
Kuper, from his perspective of an anthropologist, retraces the full history of that bit old-fashioned kind of museums that host (or hosted) tools, artifacts, and even human remains of peoples and societies from around the world. He also explains how and when mainstays such as the British Museum, the Smithsonian and the Quai Branly saw the light and what they have done so far to either acknowledge their colonialist origin, correct their path or at least improve their methods.
Moving forward with your reading, prepare to be sometimes shocked by the ingenuity and simplicity of the colonialists or by the cunningness of the oppressed emerging from the pages. Be ready to hear of how even the brightest minds of the 19th century fell into the trap of progress and civilization or how indigenous peoples at times succumbed to a lust for greed and power.
The book also asks many questions.
Can cities like London, Paris, or Washington still host artifacts or artworks coming from Africa, South America, Australia? Do they have the right to do so? Have they ever?
Should Europe and North America give back the treasures they accumulated during the colonial era? How to prove if the pieces were freely traded or forcefully acquired?
And, last but not least, can Westerners' ancestors be forever blamed for the turns our world is taking? Can Westerners be trusted again? These ones may be more implicit, unconscious even, but they voice a dilemma that might have popped up in the mind of many.
Does the book answer all the questions it poses? Not sure if it does, but it provides the reader with all the tools to come up with their own solution. A dangerous move, because Kuper mildly and hardly takes any stand and thus exposes his own work to the threat of being used to prove everything and its opposite.
However, it is good to quote one of the very few clearly-expressed ideas of the author, synthesized in this sentence (which is repeated at least twice across the book):
Indeed, the book teaches us that innovation and change may save ethnology museums from post-colonial damnation but that this will most likely mean compromise, restitution, acceptance.
So, while reminding us that we are all humans but some of us may have sinned more than others, this book left me wondering if in the future we should act differently, keeping in mind that the Western approach to culture and preservation may be a very good one and well established but not necessarily the best choice for everyone - and that instead of pointing the finger or act like saviors, we may have to accept our different priorities.
Find the original version and more book reviews on Humana Lens
The Museum of Other People clearly rides the wave of the trend and is written to address questions and situations that have made headlines in so many ways recently.
Kuper, from his perspective of an anthropologist, retraces the full history of that bit old-fashioned kind of museums that host (or hosted) tools, artifacts, and even human remains of peoples and societies from around the world. He also explains how and when mainstays such as the British Museum, the Smithsonian and the Quai Branly saw the light and what they have done so far to either acknowledge their colonialist origin, correct their path or at least improve their methods.
Moving forward with your reading, prepare to be sometimes shocked by the ingenuity and simplicity of the colonialists or by the cunningness of the oppressed emerging from the pages. Be ready to hear of how even the brightest minds of the 19th century fell into the trap of progress and civilization or how indigenous peoples at times succumbed to a lust for greed and power.
The book also asks many questions.
Can cities like London, Paris, or Washington still host artifacts or artworks coming from Africa, South America, Australia? Do they have the right to do so? Have they ever?
Should Europe and North America give back the treasures they accumulated during the colonial era? How to prove if the pieces were freely traded or forcefully acquired?
And, last but not least, can Westerners' ancestors be forever blamed for the turns our world is taking? Can Westerners be trusted again? These ones may be more implicit, unconscious even, but they voice a dilemma that might have popped up in the mind of many.
Does the book answer all the questions it poses? Not sure if it does, but it provides the reader with all the tools to come up with their own solution. A dangerous move, because Kuper mildly and hardly takes any stand and thus exposes his own work to the threat of being used to prove everything and its opposite.
However, it is good to quote one of the very few clearly-expressed ideas of the author, synthesized in this sentence (which is repeated at least twice across the book):
Fear of controversy freezes innovation.
Indeed, the book teaches us that innovation and change may save ethnology museums from post-colonial damnation but that this will most likely mean compromise, restitution, acceptance.
So, while reminding us that we are all humans but some of us may have sinned more than others, this book left me wondering if in the future we should act differently, keeping in mind that the Western approach to culture and preservation may be a very good one and well established but not necessarily the best choice for everyone - and that instead of pointing the finger or act like saviors, we may have to accept our different priorities.
Find the original version and more book reviews on Humana Lens
April 9, 2024
During his distinguished career in anthropology, Adam Kuper has thrived not just in the academic world but also as a writer of books for nonspecialists about the history, ideas, trends, and controversies in his field. I have read a couple of these books. They are lucid, witty, and backed by deep reading in the primary and secondary literature. In other words, they are rewarding and a pleasure to read.
His new book has the same virtues. But this time, instead of focusing on anthropology itself, he takes a long and critical look at what can—and should—be learned not from books about anthropology but from the materials of anthropology: the vast collections of objects displayed in “Museums of Other People.”
Kuper tells us that these museums began to appear the 1830s and 1840s, mainly in Britain, France, and Germany, and were intended to introduce Europeans to an exotic world of “other people” who lived faraway or long ago. Kuper then goes on to tell us how these museums increased in size and number—and with them the discipline of anthropology itself grew and evolved—over the next hundred years, as various voices tried to command the conversation about “other people.”
In this part of Kuper’s narrative we encounter the voices of racists, geographical determinists, colonialists, biologists, anthropology’s founders, art historians, and others arguing about how to organize and interpret the artifacts and understand the worldviews of “other people.”
Eventually these voices are joined by voices that question whether any museum that tries to represent the worldview of “other people” can do so without being seen as racist or condescending or a power play.
This leads to the situation “museums of other people” are in today, when every decision about what to exhibit and what an exhibit means is the result of a tug of war between administrators, donors, dealers, outside experts, activists, and the natives—the indigenous people—who are the subjects of the exhibits.
One way of coping with this situation has been to create and build “identity” museums, for example the National Museum of the American Indian, and the National Museum of African American History and Culture.
But Kuper ultimately wants us to envision a different kind of anthropology museum altogether. It would be a museum that downplays ethnic and national identities and instead juxtaposes and challenges all perspectives and viewpoints. It would be a museum that dispenses with the idea that there are “other people.”
Wouldn’t that be nice?
Sadly, I doubt that the museum Kuper envisions is possible in today’s world. Still, I enjoyed the journey I took with Kuper to arrive at his vision. For one thing, the cast of characters included not just people I expected to appear in this book—Lyell, Darwin, Spencer, E.B. Tylor, Franz Boas, Levi-Strauss, Foucault—but also many many others I didn’t expect—artists (Picasso, Braque, Rivera, Kahlo, Kandinsky, Matisse, Duchamp), writers (Henry Adams, Andre Malraux, Wole Soyinka, Octavio Paz), politicians (De Gaulle, Macron), a wealthy donor who doubled as a politician (Nelson Rockefeller), even a movie character (Eric “Killmonger” Stevens from Black Panther), and more.
Also, I enjoyed accompanying Kuper in his visits to more than thirty museums all over the world. He made me want to visit the collections Kuper mentions that I have visited before--to look at them in a new way. And he made me want to visit as many of the others as I can. More than that he made me newly appreciate and want to visit any kind of museum and look at it through Kuper’s penetrating eyes.. That alone will make reading the book a valuable experience for anyone.
Thank you Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage and Anchor for providing an advance copy in galley form for review consideration via NetGalley. Please note: Quotes taken from a galley may change in the final version. (Opinions expressed here are my own.)
His new book has the same virtues. But this time, instead of focusing on anthropology itself, he takes a long and critical look at what can—and should—be learned not from books about anthropology but from the materials of anthropology: the vast collections of objects displayed in “Museums of Other People.”
Kuper tells us that these museums began to appear the 1830s and 1840s, mainly in Britain, France, and Germany, and were intended to introduce Europeans to an exotic world of “other people” who lived faraway or long ago. Kuper then goes on to tell us how these museums increased in size and number—and with them the discipline of anthropology itself grew and evolved—over the next hundred years, as various voices tried to command the conversation about “other people.”
In this part of Kuper’s narrative we encounter the voices of racists, geographical determinists, colonialists, biologists, anthropology’s founders, art historians, and others arguing about how to organize and interpret the artifacts and understand the worldviews of “other people.”
Eventually these voices are joined by voices that question whether any museum that tries to represent the worldview of “other people” can do so without being seen as racist or condescending or a power play.
This leads to the situation “museums of other people” are in today, when every decision about what to exhibit and what an exhibit means is the result of a tug of war between administrators, donors, dealers, outside experts, activists, and the natives—the indigenous people—who are the subjects of the exhibits.
One way of coping with this situation has been to create and build “identity” museums, for example the National Museum of the American Indian, and the National Museum of African American History and Culture.
But Kuper ultimately wants us to envision a different kind of anthropology museum altogether. It would be a museum that downplays ethnic and national identities and instead juxtaposes and challenges all perspectives and viewpoints. It would be a museum that dispenses with the idea that there are “other people.”
Wouldn’t that be nice?
Sadly, I doubt that the museum Kuper envisions is possible in today’s world. Still, I enjoyed the journey I took with Kuper to arrive at his vision. For one thing, the cast of characters included not just people I expected to appear in this book—Lyell, Darwin, Spencer, E.B. Tylor, Franz Boas, Levi-Strauss, Foucault—but also many many others I didn’t expect—artists (Picasso, Braque, Rivera, Kahlo, Kandinsky, Matisse, Duchamp), writers (Henry Adams, Andre Malraux, Wole Soyinka, Octavio Paz), politicians (De Gaulle, Macron), a wealthy donor who doubled as a politician (Nelson Rockefeller), even a movie character (Eric “Killmonger” Stevens from Black Panther), and more.
Also, I enjoyed accompanying Kuper in his visits to more than thirty museums all over the world. He made me want to visit the collections Kuper mentions that I have visited before--to look at them in a new way. And he made me want to visit as many of the others as I can. More than that he made me newly appreciate and want to visit any kind of museum and look at it through Kuper’s penetrating eyes.. That alone will make reading the book a valuable experience for anyone.
Thank you Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage and Anchor for providing an advance copy in galley form for review consideration via NetGalley. Please note: Quotes taken from a galley may change in the final version. (Opinions expressed here are my own.)
April 15, 2024
Depicting the whole history of ethnography and anthropology as disciplines, Adam Kuper's The Museum of Other People: From Colonial Acquisitions to Cosmopolitan Exhibitions begins with the colonial era pursuit of both representative bodies and artifacts, establishment of anthropological institutions and their organizing schema and ends with ruminations and discussions of the present day challenges of repatriating these objects and their racist and exploitative histories.
And while comprehensive, only sporadically did I find the content engaging. Instead of presenting events chronologically, it meanders moving from nation to nation covering the development of anthropology in Britain (British Museum, Pitt Rivers), France and Germany before switching to the United States (Smithsonian). Amongst the nation foci Kuper inserts the different colonial, military or exploration campaigns that sourced many of the objects through trade, theft or military campaign. Many of the key figures are detailed, their origins, education and professional accomplishments. Much is tied to ideas of empire, what constitutes civilization and the still contentious ideas of evolution.
Kuper shows anthropology and ethnography to have had a deeply racist and controlling history, but it is the third section that is most impactful. Here, Kuper shows many of the contemporary notable cases such as the ownership of the Benin Bronzes or litigation for the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act. Here Kuper especially emphasizes the issues of restitution in the face of records versus native expertise. It is for the evidence of the record that Kuper favors, as he too advocates for continuation of these institutions for the greater good of humanity.
Kuper asks and explains what constitutes ownership, the debate of what is 'art'? and the values of the objects to education and understanding of humanity.
A biased and meandering history that does ask some very important questions but stumbles on their answers.
Recommended for those exploring the history of anthropology or looking for sources exploring representation, free speech or working in or serving as a trustee of a museum.
I received a free digital version of this book via NetGalley thanks to the publisher.
And while comprehensive, only sporadically did I find the content engaging. Instead of presenting events chronologically, it meanders moving from nation to nation covering the development of anthropology in Britain (British Museum, Pitt Rivers), France and Germany before switching to the United States (Smithsonian). Amongst the nation foci Kuper inserts the different colonial, military or exploration campaigns that sourced many of the objects through trade, theft or military campaign. Many of the key figures are detailed, their origins, education and professional accomplishments. Much is tied to ideas of empire, what constitutes civilization and the still contentious ideas of evolution.
Kuper shows anthropology and ethnography to have had a deeply racist and controlling history, but it is the third section that is most impactful. Here, Kuper shows many of the contemporary notable cases such as the ownership of the Benin Bronzes or litigation for the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act. Here Kuper especially emphasizes the issues of restitution in the face of records versus native expertise. It is for the evidence of the record that Kuper favors, as he too advocates for continuation of these institutions for the greater good of humanity.
Kuper asks and explains what constitutes ownership, the debate of what is 'art'? and the values of the objects to education and understanding of humanity.
A biased and meandering history that does ask some very important questions but stumbles on their answers.
Recommended for those exploring the history of anthropology or looking for sources exploring representation, free speech or working in or serving as a trustee of a museum.
I received a free digital version of this book via NetGalley thanks to the publisher.
May 1, 2024
We've all heard about formerly colonized people requesting the return of their artifacts from museums. This is not a simple request - there are many factors to be considered and I had never thought of most of them.
"The Museum of Other People" is the title the author gives to museums formerly known as museums of anthropolgy, or similar names. This is a very interesting history of how those museums evolved and why they are so problematic today. One example that comes up frequently are the famous Benin bronzes, from what is now Nigeria. Demands have been made for their return - even if they were purchased rather than looted. Ok. But who should they be returned to? Nigeria as a nation didn't exist when they were created. Should they go to a museum? Which one? One royal family of Nigeria is insisting they be returned to them personally. Is that fair? And, if they are returned, Nigeria's museums are notorious for their lack of good security. Musem robberies are very common. Are there items that are so important that they are a vital part of the history of the world and should be safeguarded by those best able to do that?
The author is very upset about the current state of these museums ("World Culture Museums" was one possible title I liked). He really dislikes the Smithsonian Museum of the American Indian, where each tribe was allowed to tell its own story. The result is apparently an unorganized, non-historic, non-scientific holdge podge of platitudes and PR messages. As a result, visitors are few and the ones who do go don't learn much of anything, according to the author.
There are far too many issues for me to summarize them all here, but if you have any interest in this topic at all, I'd highly recommend this book.
"The Museum of Other People" is the title the author gives to museums formerly known as museums of anthropolgy, or similar names. This is a very interesting history of how those museums evolved and why they are so problematic today. One example that comes up frequently are the famous Benin bronzes, from what is now Nigeria. Demands have been made for their return - even if they were purchased rather than looted. Ok. But who should they be returned to? Nigeria as a nation didn't exist when they were created. Should they go to a museum? Which one? One royal family of Nigeria is insisting they be returned to them personally. Is that fair? And, if they are returned, Nigeria's museums are notorious for their lack of good security. Musem robberies are very common. Are there items that are so important that they are a vital part of the history of the world and should be safeguarded by those best able to do that?
The author is very upset about the current state of these museums ("World Culture Museums" was one possible title I liked). He really dislikes the Smithsonian Museum of the American Indian, where each tribe was allowed to tell its own story. The result is apparently an unorganized, non-historic, non-scientific holdge podge of platitudes and PR messages. As a result, visitors are few and the ones who do go don't learn much of anything, according to the author.
There are far too many issues for me to summarize them all here, but if you have any interest in this topic at all, I'd highly recommend this book.
March 8, 2024
I enjoyed the interesting tales of history that shaped the creation of the museums, but they were often told in quite a disorganized fashion. This disorganization may be appropriate for the field of anthropology, as museums started with, "sprawling, poorly documented, incoherent assemblage(s)." However, there are points of interest contained in this disorganized work, especially when the author is not endlessly quoting others. Kuper has a great ability to ask the reader important questions and sometimes shares personal thoughts that bring some semblance of organization to a disorganized work. Importantly, the movement towards a unified "World Culture Museum" may someday be able to amplify this unity and organization, as "Every people has a particular message to deliver to the world which can enrich humanity and contribute its portion to beauty and the truth". If nothing else, this book provides the reader with a better understanding of museology and a deeper appreciation for those involved in this work.
May 12, 2024
“The building of a museum is a never-ending work. A finished museum is a dead museum, and such a one must deteriorate and begin to lose usefulness from the time its growth stops.”
Never have I ever thought about the tenses on a museum placard . . . an honest overview of how the search of knowledge is also about power and influence and who controls the narrative, and we need to critically look the history of anthropology.
Never have I ever thought about the tenses on a museum placard . . . an honest overview of how the search of knowledge is also about power and influence and who controls the narrative, and we need to critically look the history of anthropology.
October 27, 2023
An enjoyable read. But this definitely a book for a student or professor in GLAMs more than the general reader. Though I did enjoy it I did struggle through some chapters - but that is just my personal relationship an academic reading. Regardless, an important discussion presented here.
March 3, 2024
This book is about how ethnographic museums evolved and asks about the purpose of ethnographic museums in the 21st century. It is quite historical in content, but written in a way that is truly enjoyable and entertaining.
Want to read
September 17, 2023LSE Book Reviews
October 24, 2023
A very interesting history of ethnographic/anthropology museums, from their origins to present times and the challeges they face today.
September 11, 2023
An invaluable book for specialists who study or work in museums and who want to actively engage with current issues, as well as for interested and concerned persons who would like to learn more about the subtleties and nuances that are often overlooked in the mainstream debate about modern museums. Some readers will no doubt view The Museum of Other People as a rearguard defence by a veteran anthropologist and dismiss Kuper’s polemic out-of-hand; but they would be wrong to do so, because this is a thoughtful, measured, and well-intentioned book which argues and evidences its calls for change in an accessible and informative manner. Kuper’s aim is to highlight that museums should function as cosmopolitan loci for sharing and thinking about human cultures to bridge past and present in ways which can help us to forge a better future together. In that respect alone, museums are indispensable social and historical assets for everyone.
I have written a longer review of this book for the LSE Review of Books which can be found here.
I have written a longer review of this book for the LSE Review of Books which can be found here.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews