A contemplation of the hotly-debated significance - and future - of anthropology museums, from a global expert

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.