Representing enslavement and abolition in museums : ambiguous engagements / edited by Laurajane Smith ... [and others].

Format:

Book

Contributor:

Smith, Laurajane.

Series:

Routledge research in museum studies ; 3.

Routledge research in museum studies

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Slavery in museum exhibits.

Museum exhibits--Moral and ethical aspects.

Museum exhibits.

Slave trade--Great Britain--History--Exhibitions.

Slave trade.

Slavery--Great Britain--History--Exhibitions.

Slavery.

Slave trade--Great Britain--History.

History.

Exhibitions.

Great Britain.

Slavery--Great Britain--History.

Physical Description:

x, 339 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm.

Place of Publication:

New York : Routledge, 2011.

Summary:

"The year 2007 marked the bicentenary of the Act abolishing British participation in the slave trade. "Representing Enslavement and Abolition on Museums"- which uniquely draws together contributions from academic commentators, museum professionals, community activists and artists who had an involvement with the bicentenary - reflects on the complexity and difficulty of museums' experiences in presenting and interpreting the histories of slavery and abolition, and places these experiences in the broader context of debates over the bicentenary's significance and the lessons to be learnt from it. The history of Britain's role in transatlantic slavery officially become part of the National Curriculum in the UK in 2009; with the bicentenary of 2007, this marks the start of increasing public engagement with what has largely been a "hidden" history. The book aims to not only critically review and assess the impact of the bicentenary, but also to identify practical issues that public historians, consultants, museum practitioners, heritage professionals and policy makers can draw upon in developing responses, both to the increasing recognition of Britain's history of African enslavement and controversial and traumatic histories more generally"--Provided by publisher.

Contents:

1 Introduction: Anxiety and Ambiguity in the Representation of Dissonant History / Geoffrey Cubitt Cubitt, Geoffrey, Laurajane Smith Smith, Laurajane, Ross Wilson Wilson, Ross 1

Part I Organizing the Bicentenary: Politics and Policy

2 The Burden of Knowing Versus the Privilege of Unknowing / Emma Waterton Waterton, Emma 23

3 High Anxiety: 2007 and Institutional Neuroses / Roshi Naidoo Naidoo, Roshi 44

4 Restoring the Pan-African Perspective: Reversing the Institutionalization of Maafa Denial / Toyin Agbetu Agbetu, Toyin 61

5 Slavery and the (Symbolic) Politics of Memory in Jamaica: Rethinking the Bicentenary / Wayne Modest Modest, Wayne 75

Part II Representing the Bicentenary: Communities, Consultants and Curators

6 The Role of Museums as 'Places of Social Justice': Community Consultation and the 1807 Bicentenary / Laurajane Smith Smith, Laurajane, Kalliopi Fouseki Fouseki, Kalliopi 97

7 Science and Slavery, 2007: Public Consultation / Tracy-Ann Smith Smith, Tracy-Ann 116

8 The Curatorial Complex: Marking the Bicentenary of the Abolition of the Slave Trade / Ross Wilson Wilson, Ross 131

Part III Marking the Bicentenary: Exhibitions, Art and Personal Reflections

9 Making the London, Sugar and Slavery Gallery at the Museum of London Docklands / David Spence Spence, David 149

10 Terra Nova for the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG): 2007 and the Bombay African Strand of the 'Crossing Continents: Connecting Communities' Project / Clifford Pereira Pereira, Clifford, Vandana Patel Patel, Vandana 164

11 Exhibiting Difference: A Curatorial Journey with George Alexander Gratton, the 'Spotted Negro Boy' / Temi-Tope Odumosu Odumosu, Temi-Tope 175

12 Art, Resistance and Remembrance: A Bicentenary at the British Museum / Christopher Spring Spring, Christopher 193

13 Maybe There Was Something to Celebrate / Raimi Gbadamosi Gbadamosi, Raimi 213

Part IV Encountering the Bicentenary: Trauma and Engagement

14 Atrocity Materials and the Representation of Transatlantic Slavery: Problems, Strategies and Reactions / Geoffrey Cubitt Cubitt, Geoffrey 229

15 Affect and Registers of Engagement: Navigating Emotional Responses to Dissonant Heritages / Laurajane Smith Smith, Laurajane 260

16 Commemorating Civil Rights and Reform Movements at the National Museum of American History / Kylie Message Message, Kylie 304.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9780415885041

0415885043

OCLC:

617637743