The Art of Being a Tourist at Home by Jenny Herbert

Author:Jenny Herbert [Jenny Herbert]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Hardie Grant Travel
Published: 2021-02-24T00:00:00+00:00

Expeditions through time and space

‘A people without knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots.’

Marcus Garvey

A journey like no other

On the forecourt of a city museum, I watch a gaggle of little kids in bright blue school uniforms, bubbling with anticipation. Their excitement is justified. They are about to embark on a journey like no other, one that will reveal to them the extraordinary scope of their world. They’ll see all manner of creatures, from the tiniest insects to mammoth dinosaurs. They’ll learn about the enormity of the universe, the diversity of the planet, the traditions and customs of their own community. They’ll delve into the past and glimpse the future.

Gone are the days when they would have been led through dimly lit rooms full of dull and dusty collections. No talking! Do not touch! Now there’s chatter and play, poking and prodding. Everything is presented in such a way that, young as they may be, they will get a sense of how they fit into the world.

I follow the children through the big glass doors inside, knowing that museums are as much for adults as for kids. We, too, can discover our place in the world through the vast array of travel-like stories about multiple destinations. We can pick and choose where we go and what we see. There’s no crowded itinerary, we’re free to explore in our own way and at our own pace. We can take our new insights home, where we have time to ruminate on what we have seen and learnt. We’re free to revisit at any time.

Telling and retelling

Museums originated in ancient Greece when collectors filled their mouseions with items that they believed would please the Muses, the goddesses of the arts. The Romans translated mouseion into the Latin word museum and continued the practice.

The first public museum opened in 1671, in Basel, Switzerland. It was followed by the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, in 1683 then the British Museum in 1735, which the British Parliament directed should be aimed at universality. Likewise, the Smithsonian was established in 1846 for the increase and diffusion of knowledge.

These old, venerable institutions contain vast collections from around the world, showcasing important artifacts, collected over hundreds of years. They tell multiple stories, good and bad. Collections that illustrate remarkable achievements of the past can be illuminating. They can also be the result of colonial plundering.

Some of the world’s most prestigious museums hold in their collections the cultural heritage of other countries – items stolen during empire expansion and colonisation, through war and duplicity. The impact of such losses continues to resonate down the generations of those who were the victims. Many museums now acknowledge historical wrongs by ethically reviewing and decolonising their collections and returning stolen items to their rightful owners.

As visitors to museums, we should be alert to the morality or otherwise of what we are viewing. We can learn to appreciate the stark difference between a collection that invites a deep understanding of other ways of life and one that perpetuates past wrongs.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.