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The National Monument Audit, produced by Monument Lab in partnership with The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, assesses the current monument landscape across the United States.

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Berlin court upholds order to remove 'comfort women' statue (Oct 15 2025)

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Berlin court upholds order to remove 'comfort women' statue (Oct 15 2025)

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Berlin court upholds order to remove ‘comfort women’ statue

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A Berlin administrative court on Tuesday upheld a district order to remove the Statue of Peace, a memorial commemorating victims of Japan’s wartime sexual slav

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Golden Threads by Ariella Aïsha Azoulay (2025)

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Golden Threads by Ariella Aïsha Azoulay (2025)

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A beautifully illustrated tale of traditional crafts and communal power. Rachelle is a young girl living in Fès, Morocco in 1920. Surrounded by a warm community of friends, family, and craftspeople—both Jewish and Muslim—Rachelle spends her days playing with other young girls in her neighborhood, trying on her grandmot

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Letter to the Smithsonian: Internal Review of Smithsonian Exhibitions and Materials (Aug 12, 2025)

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Letter to the Smithsonian: Internal Review of Smithsonian Exhibitions and Materials (Aug 12, 2025)

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Letter to the Smithsonian: Internal Review of Smithsonian Exhibitions and Materials

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The Honorable Lonnie G. Bunch III Secretary, Smithsonian Institution 1000 Jefferson Dr SW Washington, DC 20560 Subject: Internal Review of Smithsonian

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Farish Ahmad-Noor: Why is colonialism (still) romanticized? (2019)

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Farish Ahmad-Noor: Why is colonialism (still) romanticized? (2019)

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Farish Ahmad-Noor: Why is colonialism (still) romanticized? | TED Talk

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Colonialism remains an inescapable blight on the present, lingering in the toxic, internalized mythologies and stereotypes that have outlived the regimes that created them, says historian Farish Ahmad-Noor. Examining why these prejudices and narratives persist (and sometimes thrive), he suggests a m…

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The Brutish Museums: The Benin Bronzes, Colonial Violence and Cultural Restitution by Dan Hicks (2020)

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The Brutish Museums: The Benin Bronzes, Colonial Violence and Cultural Restitution by Dan Hicks (2020)

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The book that changed the conversation on the contemporary museum

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Collecting

Research into the history of the collection as a whole, and of individual objects in it, is ongoing. This involves object-based and archival research both in the British Museum itself and elsewhere. Many objects have been a part of the collection for hundreds of years so it's not always possible to know their full history.

Some ways in which objects entered the British Museum are no longer current or acceptable, though others remain familiar. Objects continue to be collected to ensure the collection remains relevant and representative today and into the future.

If you're interested in researching the collections of the British Museum you can use our study facilities where you can examine objects, archives, and use our libraries. Alternatively, look at Collection online which records all the ongoing research we do into the history and provenance of all the objects in the Museum.

Donations and bequests

Donations and bequests

A significant proportion of the British Museum's collection was donated or bequeathed to the Museum, particularly in the 19th and 20th centuries.

For example, The Sutton Hoo collection was generously donated by Edith Pretty, the landowner of the site where the famous Anglo-Saxon ship burial was found in 1939.

Donations and bequests

The Waddesdon Bequest is a collection of nearly 300 objects, left to the Museum in 1898 by Baron Ferdinand Rothschild.

It consists of exceptionally important medieval and Renaissance pieces and is on display in Room 2a.

Further gifts continue to this day. In 2003, the modern prints and drawing collection of the Evening Standard's film critic Alexander Walker were given in a bequest and included important works by Matisse, Bridget Riley and many other 20th century artists.

Excavations

The British Museum has acquired many objects from archaeological digs across the world. Excavations continue to this day, from the Caribbean to the Nile Valley, with modern archaeology focusing on answering research questions that provide context to the British Museum collections.

Austen Henry Layard excavated a number of major Assyrian sites in what is now Iraq between 1845 and 1851, largely funded by the wealthy British Ambassador to Constantinople Stratford Canning. He was assisted by Hormuzd Rassam, an Assyrian Christian born in Mosul (Iraq), who then continued the excavations when Layard left to take up a diplomatic career. Canning was keen to see Assyrian sculptures displayed in Britain and he obtained authorisation from the Ottoman government to export some of the finds to London, while other finds remained in situ in Iraq.

In the late 19th and 20th centuries, many governments practised partage: where a part of the finds from excavations would stay in the country, with the remainder donated to the foreign excavating organisation. Between 1884 and 1886, renowned archaeologist Flinders Petrie excavated the Greek trading centre of Naukratis in the Egyptian Nile Delta, on behalf of the Egypt Exploration Fund. Over 18,000 objects were discovered and shared between the Egyptian Museum in Cairo and 70 other countries, including nearly 8,000 that came to the British Museum. An ongoing major research project combines a re-assessment of these objects and new fieldwork.

The British Museum continues to participate in excavations across the globe in collaboration with partners in host countries. Over the last four years archaeologists from the Museum have worked with colleagues in Iraq on two sites, Tello in southern Iraq and Darband-i-Rania in Iraqi Kurdistan, as part of the Iraq Emergency Heritage Management Training Scheme.

Colonial government and missionary activity

The British Empire had a significant impact on the collection of the British Museum, as officials, diplomats, missionaries and travellers acquired both large and small collections in the countries under British rule where they visited or lived.

The collection of Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles (1781-1826), developed while he was Lieutenant-Governor of Java in the 1810s, came to the Museum through his heirs and descendants. Research into how, where, and why he collected has enabled modern collaborative research and displays with colleagues in Indonesia and Singapore.

Conflict

The British Museum acknowledges the difficult histories of some of its collections, including the contested means by which some collections have been acquired such as through military action and its consequences. In other instances, collections may be acquired during a period of conflict but the exact circumstances of how they were acquired are not known. The British Museum is actively engaged in re-examining the acquisition histories of such collections and caring for them with appropriate respect, in close dialogue with colleagues and partners from countries around the world.

One such example is the Benin Bronzes. During a large-scale military expedition against the West African Kingdom of Benin in 1897, Benin City and its historic palaces were systematically looted for art works by British troops. There are over 900 objects from Benin in the Museum's collection, including many which entered the collection immediately after the military expedition. The Museum is engaged in sustained dialogue with partner institutions and colleagues in Benin City and Nigeria regarding these objects, and is committed to a thorough and open investigation of Benin collection histories.

The British Museum purchased the handscroll painting Admonitions of the Instructress to the Court Ladies (known as the Admonitions Scroll) from Captain Clarence Johnson (1870-1937) in 1903. Johnson was sent to Beijing in 1900 with the British Indian Army during the Boxer Rebellion (1899-1901), an anti-foreign, anti-Christian uprising. It is not certain how he acquired the painting which was in the Forbidden City, Beijing during the 18th century but the action took place in the context of the Boxer Rebellion and its suppression by foreign troops from eight nations. This important work is now housed in a bespoke case in Room 91a and made available for public viewing around six weeks each year following a convening of international experts in 2013 to discuss its conservation and display.

Treasure

Treasure

Many important objects in the Museum's collection from the British Isles were acquired as a result of laws related to buried treasure. For centuries, valuable metal items hidden or buried by their owners for later recovery were deemed to be the property of the Crown.

The law was changed in England and Wales in 1996 to encourage finders of ancient items over 300 years old to report their discoveries through the Portable Antiquities Scheme.

Purchase and commissions

Over the years The British Museum has bought large parts of its collection from individual collectors, dealers and the commercial market, developing and expanding upon the founding collections.

An example was the collection of Edward Hawkins who worked as a curator for over 35 years in the 19th century. On his retirement in 1860, the museum purchased his significant collection of medals, one of the earliest being a 1524 medal of Henry VIII.

Purchase and commissions

The British Museum is still actively collecting in the 21st century to ensure the collection remains relevant. We purchase objects, and also commission works from artists including those working in indigenous traditions or in contemporary idioms exploring contemporary issues.

In 2015 the Museum commissioned two Moko Jumbie figures from British-Trinidadian artist Zak Ové. They were purchased with generous funding from the Miles Morland Foundation (MMF) and with additional contributions from the Vigo Gallery (representing Zak Ové) and the artist.

Purchases and commissions

In 2019 the Museum purchased the set of 'Cowboy Angels' woodcuts by British artist Yinke Shonibare with the aid of the Rootstein Hopkins Foundation. They're the first work by the artist to enter the Museum's collection.

Purchases and commissions

Known as the Lampedusa Cross, and acquired in 2015, this object was made by Francesco Tuccio, a carpenter on the Italian island of Lampedusa. A boat sank off the coast in October 2013, with only 151 of the 500 African refugees on board surviving. The cross is made of two timbers from the boat.

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Research into the history of the collection as a whole, and of individual objects in it, is ongoing. This involves object-based and archival research both in the British Museum itself and elsewhere. Many objects have been a part of the collection for hundreds of years so it's not always possible to know their full history.

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India's bid to stop auction of ancient relics links to Buddha (2025)

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India's bid to stop auction of ancient relics links to Buddha (2025)

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India's bid to stop auction of ancient relics linked to Buddha | The World | ABC NEWS

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'Colonialism is not neutral: Third public statue of Sir Stamford Raffles ignites online debate' (2024)

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'Colonialism is not neutral: Third public statue of Sir Stamford Raffles ignites online debate' (2024)

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‘Colonialism is not neutral’: Third public statue of Sir Stamford Raffles ignites online debate

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The bronzes were unveiled at Fort Canning Hill on May 21. Read more at straitstimes.com. Read more at straitstimes.com.

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'How Not to Decolonize Your Museum' (2019)

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'How Not to Decolonize Your Museum' (2019)

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The Asian Civilisations Museum’s latest exhibition is a toothless interrogation of Sir Stamford Raffles, one of Southeast Asia’s most notorious colonizers.

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'Forget Raffles. It's the West We Need to Break Up With' (2019)

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'Forget Raffles. It's the West We Need to Break Up With' (2019)

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But colonialism is far more problematic than your average ex. With colonialism, the relationship was exploitative, even abusive. That's what a colony is: forcefully subsuming entire indigenous populations to labour in service of an empire.

At the same time, we can't deny that we've had some boons from colonialism: the English language, British rule of law. So how can we reconcile this toxic, quasi-beneficial arrangement we've had with our colonial masters?

This why I call Britain our sugar daddy.

"We've been dependent on this ex because it's in a position of power," Alfian tells me. Singapore's been very receptive to Western influences, and it's no coincidence that our country's modernisation is intricately intertwined with our Westernisation. This might be why we're so hesitant to denounce our colonial history.

To a certain strata of society, Singapore is seen as the poster child of 'colonialism done right'. For example, academic Bruce Gilley cited Singapore as a success story in his paper "The Case for Colonialism", using it to argue for the recolonisation of fragile African states.

There's even discourse on who the ideal coloniser is. Like, aren't we fortunate Singapore got colonised by the British instead of the Dutch?

"That's saying I wish I had stomach rather than breast cancer," Alfian quips. "What about no cancer?"

After all, did we really need colonialism to modernise? Alfian points to countries like Japan, Thailand, and even China, all prime examples of Asian modernities.

Sure, there have been certain Western concessions. But they've had the autonomy to absorb positive elements about the West without it being forced upon them.

"Part of decolonisation is refusing to be the Other," states Alfian.

When you're a colony you're the periphery and the center is somewhere else-London. Your culture, your values, your possessions have all been destroyed or replaced. You inherit the good, and you inherit the bad: ideas like colonial racism; the belief in a hierarchy of difference, and that this is revealed through dividing people into races.

Even national treasures have been stolen, and the colonisers have had the gall to assert that they are in the best position to preserve these treasures. Alfian gives me the example of Javanese manuscripts that were stolen and are housed currently in the British libraries (the British have refused to return them).

Colonisation has caused a massive power imbalance, and decolonisation is all about redistributing this power-back from the West and North to the rest. It's about being on a level playing field, to have a seat at the table as equals.

In this way, decolonisation is like any number of post-breakup rituals: to restore a new sense of normalcy, and to find one's selfhood.

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Forget Raffles. It's the West We Need to Break Up With

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This Bicentennial, we've had enough talk about how Raffles was actually a monster. Instead, why not talk about how we still think everything Western is better than anything Singaporean?

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Singapore's first inscription on the UNESCO representative list of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity

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HAWKER CULTURE IN SINGAPORE - SINGAPORE'S FIRST INSCRIPTION ON THE UNESCO REPRESENTATIVE LIST OF THE INTANGIBLE CULTURAL HERITAGE OF HUMANITY

Hawker Culture in Singapore was successfully inscribed as Singapore's first element on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity on 16 Dec 2020. The Intergovernmental Committee unanimously gave their support towards the inscription of Hawker Culture in Singapore.

The two-year long journey was a result of the strong collaboration between the National Heritage Board, National Environment Agency, Federation of Merchants' Associations, Singapore as well as the public, community and experts who gave their support for the bid.

INSCRIBING HAWKER CULTURE IN SINGAPORE ONTO THE UNESCO REPRESENTATIVE LIST OF THE INTANGIBLE CULTURAL HERITAGE OF HUMANITY

To nominate an element onto the UNESCO Representative List, Singapore, as a State Party, had to submit a nomination dossier detailing the following key criteria as set out by UNESCO.

How it meets UNESCO's definition of intangible cultural heritage;

How the potential inscription of Hawker Culture in Singapore increases visibility, awareness and dialogue of intangible cultural heritage;

How existing and future safeguarding measures ensure the promotion and continued practice and transmission of the element;

How the nomination effort has involved the widespread participation of the community; and

The inclusion of this element in our intangible cultural heritage inventory

Singapore's nomination journey for Hawker Culture in Singapore was first announced by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong at the National Day Rally in 2018, and was proceeded by a 6-month long campaign that sought to garner wide community support for Singaporeans in their support for the nomination. The nomination dossier was officially submitted on 26 March 2019.

An assessment of the dossier was subsequently conducted by a 12-member Evaluation Body, who on 16 Nov 2020, released a recommendation for Hawker Culture to be inscribed as an element onto the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The official inscription of Hawker Culture in Singapore was officially announced at the 15th Intergovernmental Committee held online on 16 Dec 2020.

UNESCO REPRESENTATIVE LIST OF THE INTANGIBLE CULTURAL HERITAGE OF HUMANITY

The UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (2003) seeks to encourage state party members to identify, protect and safeguard intangible cultural heritage practices around the world.

Singapore ratified the convention on 22 Feb 2018 and as a signatory to the convention, is committed to safeguarding intangible cultural heritage practices in Singapore, such as performing arts and traditional craftsmanship, together with submitting elements for inscription onto the UNESCO Representative List.

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As we reflect on the bicentennial of modern Singapore this year, we should not forget another significant milestone in our nation's history: Singapore's achievement of internal self-government in June 1959. This year marks its 60th anniversary.

To commemorate 60 years of self-rule, this graphic spread presents 60 objects from Singapore's various National Collections which, when taken together, provide a sweeping overview of the story of Singapore from the late first millennium, through the colonial period to the present.

The objects presented here are curated along five key sections:
A) Networks through Time, B) Colonial, C) Community and Faith, D) Art Historical, and E) Self-Government and Independence.

The narrative does not follow a simple chronology of key milestones in Singapore's history, but instead opts for a more complex, networked, hybrid approach blending chronology, geography, cultures and major themes.
Watch: RootsSG Presents: The Story of Raffles

60 objects

In choosing the objects to be included, I have been guided by the following criteria:
a) that these be objects in collections owned by publicly-funded national institutions in Singapore;

b) that these be masterpieces of art, or pieces of historical and socio-cultural significance, with a particular focus on pieces representative of significant collections of objects in public holdings;

c) that the graphic spread as a whole is community-inclusive, by which I mean representing all ethnic communities and faiths in Singapore, with a particular effort made in representing the voices of women;

d) that the spread be genre-inclusive, by which I mean representing a diverse variety of object types and art genres;

e) that the spread places Singapore in the larger global, Asian and Southeast Asian context, emphasising that Singapore, and Singapore's history, does not exist in a vacuum, but has always been open to and impacted by developments in the regional and global spheres; and finally,

f) that the objects chosen are on physical display, as far as possible, in the permanent galleries of the institutions from which they come.

This story of Singapore told through 60 objects is thus unique, in that it is global, cross-cultural, multi-faith and inclusive, by which I mean it includes collections beyond the National Collection held by the National Heritage Board and displayed at the National Museums and Art Galleries. The narrative presented here also reaches back further than the now widely-accepted 700-year timeline of Singapore history. The goal of this spread is ultimately to defamiliarise; to allow our readers to see that Singapore history is rich and multi-dimensional, and that as a nation and a people, we possess a wonderful treasure trove in our museums, archives and libraries that we should preserve, cherish and celebrate.

A) Networks through Time

Situated at the midway point between China and India, Southeast Asia has been at the crossroads of maritime trade since the late first millennium. The Tang Shipwreck, excavated off the island of Sumatra, is testament to large-scale intra-Asian maritime trade taking place at least from the 9th century. At the same time, archaeological digs at Fort Canning and around the Singapore River provide evidence that Singapore in the 14th century was already a thriving trading settlement. There are also corroborating accounts in the Sejarah Melayu (The Malay Annals) of a Kingdom of Singapura paying tribute to the Majapahit Empire.

From the 15th century, Southeast Asia takes centrestage in a global tussle among the European imperial powers to secure a monopoly on spices, and thereafter, on luxury goods from the East, in particular Chinese export porcelain and Indian trade textiles such as those in the (former) Hollander Collection of Indian Trade Cloth. Singapore's heritage as a cosmopolitan, East-West Asian port city has its antecedents in earlier port cities like Malacca (Melaka), Batavia (Jakarta), Manila, Canton (Guangzhou) and the cities of the former Coromandel Coast (corresponding in geography to today's Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh states), from which these luxury goods from the East were exported to the rest of the world.

Amidst this theatre of trade, war and colonialism came (English) East India Company operative, Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles, whose failed bid to secure the island of Java as a British colony became the impetus for his renewed search for a permanent British settlement in the lands (and seas) of the Johor-Riau-Lingga Sultanate.

B) Colonial

The British settlement and colony of Singapore was established by treaty between Raffles, Sultan Hussein Shah and Temenggong Abdul Rahman. The signing of this treaty resulted in the division of the larger Johor-Riau-Lingga Sultanate, a powerful maritime kingdom, of which Singapore was once part of. William Farquhar, who was appointed as the first Resident, spent more time than Raffles in Singapore, and did more for the fledgling colony in his initial years. Singapore thrived through free trade and drew a cosmopolitan resident population from all across Asia and beyond.

In the course of the century and half that the British were in Singapore and Southeast Asia, they invested in surveying and collecting the region's natural history and cultural heritage, amassing large quantities of artefacts, specimens and drawings that were deposited at the former Raffles Library and Museum (today's National Museum of Singapore), established in 1887. The museum also plays host today to the much older William Farquhar Collection of Natural History Drawings, commissioned by Farquhar himself in the early 1800s.

Southeast Asia during the colonial period of 19th to mid-20th centuries was divided and occupied by various European imperial powers: primarily the British in Singapore, Malaya, Burma (today's Myanmar) and North Borneo; the Dutch in the former Netherlands East Indies (today's Indonesia); the Spanish in the Philippines and the French in the former Indochina (today's Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos). The uneasy tension between colonial power and local agency is captured vividly in signature works of major Southeast Asian artists at the turn of the 19th century. This tension would fuel independence movements in the region post-World War II.

But for the time being, Singapore prospered as the foremost trading port in Southeast Asia. The advent of steam-ship and eventually air travel also established Singapore as a pre-eminent tourism destination in Asia, with the Raffles Hotel symbolising the grandeur and opulence of the East. The 1940s and '50s saw Singapore endure the atrocities of the war, the Japanese Occupation, and the aftermath. It was conferred City status in 1951.

C) Community and Faith

Multi-culturalism is a core facet of Singaporean identity and society. As a pre-eminent trading port in Southeast Asia, Singapore attracted, in the course of its history, ethnic and religious communities from all over Asia and Europe. Aside from the Malay, Chinese, Indian, Eurasian and various Peranakan communities-these ethnicities being themselves convenient amalgamations of many different sub-ethnicities-Singapore also welcomed Arabs, Jews, Armenians and Europeans.

Another important core facet of Singaporean identity and society is religious harmony, with Singapore being the most religiously diverse nation in the world. Singapore's Inter-religious Organisation today recognises 10 world religions in Singapore-the Baha'i faith, Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Jainism, Judaism, Sikhism, Taoism and Zoroastrianism.

This section attempts to capture and present the cultural and religious diversity of Singapore, with all ethnicities and faiths represented as far as possible. Alongside masterpieces of sacred art, material culture features strongly, with film culture being represented by the Cathay-Keris Malay Classics Collection, which was inscribed into the UNESCO Memory of the World Asia-Pacific Register (2014). In the spirit of inclusiveness, particular effort has also been made to feature the stories of women in the community.

D) Art Historical

A proper art history of Singapore in the context of the Southeast Asian and larger Asian region would require its own full graphic spread of 60 objects. As such, this section zooms in on Singapore alone, featuring primarily Singaporean artists-one artist from the Singaporean diaspora in the United Kingdom, one pioneer Singaporean art collector, and one Chinese artist who loved Singapore.

An art history of modern Singapore generally commences with the Nanyang Artists, a seminal group of Singaporean painters represented by the quartet of Liu Kang, Chen Chong Swee, Chen Wen Hsi and Cheong Soo Pieng, and the enigmatic Georgette Chen. They were distinguished by their strong affiliation with the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts and by their works, which fused elements of East and West in a distinctive "Nanyang" (Southern Seas) style.

The Nanyang Artists were influenced in turn by major Chinese artists of the early 20th century such as the likes of Xu Beihong, Qi Baishi, Pu Ru, Ren Bonian, Wu Changshuo. A significant collection of these latter artists' works was built up in the 1930s to 1950s by a pioneering local merchant and philanthropist, the late Dr Tan Tsze Chor, also known as the "pepper king". Part of the collection, known as the Xiang Xue Zhuang Collection, was generously given to the state by Tan's family in the 2000s. Around the same period, modern Chinese painter, Wu Guanzhong, regarded as one of the most important modern Chinese painters today, also bequeathed a large gift of his artworks to the National Collection, as a gesture of his strong affection for Singapore.

From the 1960s onwards, Singapore saw the emergence of major artists in various genres such as ceramics, sculpture, painting, print-making and performance art, many of whom have been awarded the Cultural Medallion-the nation's highest distinction for artists and cultural professionals.

A distinct break occurred in the late 1980s with the radical and controversial The Artists' Village (TAV) - an artist colony, collective and movement established by contemporary artist Tang Da Wu, which counted amongst its ranks ground-breaking artists such as Amanda Heng, Chng Seok Tin and the late Lee Wen. TAV, still active today, derives its notoriety from a ban on performance art in Singapore following a performance by artist Josef Ng in 1994 which saw him snipping his pubic hair in public. TAV's complex multi-faceted work defied categorisation and would prefigure today's new generation of local installation and multi-media artists.

In the meantime, the 1990s and 2000s saw significant investment by the government into the arts and culture scene, with the aim of turning around the perception of Singapore as a "cultural desert" and re-positioning Singapore as a "Renaissance City". The investment in the arts has borne fruit in terms of an extremely vibrant and active arts and heritage scene, with young Singaporean artists gaining prominence on the international stage.

E) Self-Government and Independence

The State of Singapore Constitution of 21 November 1958 articulated the structure of government for a self-governing Singapore, with the post of governor replaced by the office of the Yang di-Pertuan Negara, and with a fully-elected Legislative Assembly. Self-government was actualised on 5 June 1959, with the late Lee Kuan Yew sworn in as Singapore's first Prime Minister, alongside his first cabinet. To mark this significant milestone, a new national flag and anthem were adopted.

In 1963, Singapore ceased being a colony of Great Britain by merging with Malaya, Sarawak and Sabah to form the Federation of Malaysia. Barely two years later, Singapore would leave the federation, with the Proclamation of the Republic of Singapore on 9 August 1965 declaring Singapore its own independent republic.

Singapore's post-independence years saw significant economic growth grounded in a burgeoning manufacturing and electronics sector. Heritage brands such as Tiger Balm and Singapore's blossoming into the "Garden City" of Asia contributed to a more vibrant lifestyle and tourism scene.

In the 1980s, economic growth was accompanied by advances in the socio-cultural space, with Singapore investing in what continues to be one of the most extensive and radical public housing programmes in the world. The inclusion of a humble bus ticket from this period as the final object in the graphic spread makes a poignant statement on the great strides post-independence Singapore has made, from being a post-colonial, developing nation to today's global, first-world metropolis.

Singapore in the 1990s and 2000s continued to sustain its growth and build on its global positioning through espousing free trade and continually diversifying its economy while enhancing its urban, social and environmental landscape and infrastructure. It is considered one of the most dynamic and liveable cities in the world today.

Acknowledgements
The main and section text is written by the author while objects selected and the accompanying captions are edited by the author, based on recommendations and curatorial captions contributed by curators, archivists and other colleagues at Asian Civilisations Museum and Peranakan Museum, Asian Film Archive, Indian Heritage Centre, Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum, National Archives of Singapore, National Gallery Singapore, National Heritage Board, National Library Singapore, National Museum of Singapore, Singapore Art Museum and Singapore Botanic Gardens. See acknowledgements for full list of contributors.
The author would like to thank colleagues at the following institutions, who have advised on objects for this spread, contributed curatorial content, or supported the project in one way or another.

Asian Civilisations Museum and Peranakan Museum

Theresa McCullough, Principal Curator

Clement Onn, Senior Curator / Asian Export Art and Peranakan

Dr Stephen Murphy, Senior Curator / Southeast Asia

Noorashikin Zulkifli, Curator / West Asia

Naomi Wang, Assistant Curator / Southeast Asia

Asian Film Archive

Karen Chan, Executive Director

Chew Tee Pao, Archivist

Janice Chen, Archive Officer

Indian Heritage Centre

Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum

Prof Ng Kee Lin, Peter, Head

Low Ern Yee, Martyn, Research Associate

National Gallery Singapore

Dr Eugene Tan, Director

Lisa Horikawa, Deputy Director / Collection Development

Renee Stahl, Manager / Information

National Archives of Singapore

Wendy Ang, Director

Kevin Khoo, Specialist / Oral History Centre

National Library Singapore

Tan Huism, Acting Director

Gladys Low, Manager / Content and Services

National Museum of Singapore

Angelita Teo, Director

Iskander Mydin, Curatorial Fellow

Priscilla Chua, Curator

Singapore Art Museum

Dr June Yap, Director of Curatorial, Programmes and Publications

Singapore Botanic Gardens

Dr Nigel Taylor, Group Director

Terri Oh, Director of Education

Christina Soh, Manager / Library

Notes

According to the Pew Research Center's demographic study in 2014.

1.
https://www.pewforum.org/2014/04/04/global-religious-diversity/

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Low, Sze Wee. 2015. Between Declarations and Dreams: Art of Southeast Asia Since the 19th Century. Singapore: National Gallery Singapore.

Murphy, Stephen A., Naomi Wang, and Alexandra Green, eds. 2019. Raffles in Southeast Asia - Revisiting the Scholar and Statesman. Singapore: Asian Civilisations Museum.

National Heritage Board. 2016. "Changi Prison Gate Wall and Turrets." In Roots.Sg. Singapore: National Heritage Board. https://roots.sg/Content/Places/national-monuments/changi-prison-gate-wall-and-turrets.

-. 2016. "Chesed-El Synagogue." In Roots.Sg. Singapore: National Heritage Board. https://roots.sg/Content/Places/national-monuments/chesed-el-synagogue.

-. 2016. "Former Tanglin Halt Industrial Estate." In Roots.Sg. Singapore: National Heritage Board. https://roots.sg/Content/Places/landmarks/my-queenstown-heritage-trail/former-tanglin-halt-industrial-estate.

-. 2016. "National Flag." In Roots.Sg. Singapore: National Heritage Board. https://www.nhb.gov.sg/what-we-do/our-work/community-engagement/education/resources/national-symbols/national-flag.

-. 2016. "Shirin Fozdar." In Roots.Sg. Singapore: National Heritage Board. https://roots.sg/learn/stories/shirin-fozdar/story.

-. 2016. "Toa Payoh Dragon Playground." In Roots.Sg. Singapore: National Heritage Board. https://roots.sg/Content/Places/landmarks/toa-payoh-trail/toa-payoh-dragon-playground.

National Library Board. 2014. "1958 State of Singapore Constitution Is Adopted, 3rd June 1959." In HistorySG. Singapore: National Library Board. http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/history/events/be12893b-2734-4297-b6df-c7229bb05259.

Storer, Russell, Clarissa Chikiamco, and Syed Muhammad Hafiz, eds. 2018. Between Worlds: Raden Saleh and Juan Luna. Singapore: National Gallery Singapore.

Tan, Szan, and Hwei Lian Wong. 2006. The Xiang Xue Zhuang Collection: Donations to the Asian Civilisations Museum. Singapore: Asian Civilisations Museum.

Ting, Kennie. 2019. Singapore 1819 - A Living Legacy. Singapore: Talisman Publishing Pte Ltd.
Wright, Nadia H., Linda Locke, and Harold Johnson. 2018. "Blooming Lies - The Vanda Miss Joaquim Story." Biblioasia 14 (1).
The object captions in this graphic spread consist of existing curatorial content that has been minimally edited for length by the author. This content was researched and written by curators, archivists and subject specialists at the institutions featured in this spread at various times in the history of these institutions.The content has been, in most cases, adapted from curatorial content directly provided by the institutions, existing content in collection databases, display captions in the institutions' galleries, as well as the following publications and online references created and maintained by the featured institutions.

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Discover 60 objects from Singapore's various National Collections that provide a sweeping overview of the story of Singapore from the late first millennium, through the colonial period to the present.

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"The Mythical Origins of Singapura" by National Heritage Board (2016)

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"The Mythical Origins of Singapura" by National Heritage Board (2016)

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Roots.sg Presents: The Mythical Origins of Singapura

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"The Jackson Plan" from National Heritage Board (2017)

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"The Jackson Plan" from National Heritage Board (2017)

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"The Story of Raffles" from National Heritage Board  (2016)

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"The Story of Raffles" from National Heritage Board  (2016)

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What Was the British Empire? (BBC, 2023)

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What Was the British Empire? (BBC, 2023)

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What Was the British Empire? | Explained | Newsround

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Why Queen Elizabeth II was the queen of 15 countries (Vox, 2023)

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Why Queen Elizabeth II was the queen of 15 countries (Vox, 2023)

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Why Queen Elizabeth II was the queen of 15 countries

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A Thriving Singapore before Stamford Raffles, from Orang Laut to Craftsmen (CNA Insider, 2019)

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A Thriving Singapore before Stamford Raffles, from Orang Laut to Craftsmen (CNA Insider, 2019)

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A Thriving Singapore Before Stamford Raffles, From Orang Laut To Craftsmen

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Sir Stamford Raffles statue 'disappears' from Singapore skyline in optical illusion (CNA Insider, 2019)

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Sir Stamford Raffles statue 'disappears' from Singapore skyline in optical illusion (CNA Insider, 2019)

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Sir Stamford Raffles statue "disappears" from Singapore skyline in optical illusion

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The British Museum: Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles

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The British Museum: Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles

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Enjoy a collection of theatrical materials, metal and stone sculptures, drawings and textiles.

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The British Museum: Sir Stamford Raffles - collecting in SE Asia

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The British Museum: Sir Stamford Raffles - collecting in SE Asia

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Alexandra Green, Henry Ginsburg Curator for Southeast Asia Publication date: 19 September 2019

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Sir Stamford Raffles – collecting in Southeast Asia

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Alexandra Green look at the life and collections of Sir Stamford Raffles, highlighting his collecting practices and his contested legacy.

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Titus Kaphar: Can art amend history? (TED2017)

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Titus Kaphar: Can art amend history? (TED2017)

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Titus Kaphar: Can art amend history? | TED Talk

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Artist Titus Kaphar makes paintings and sculptures that wrestle with the struggles of the past while speaking to the diversity and advances of the present. In an unforgettable live workshop, Kaphar takes a brush full of white paint to a replica of a 17th-century Frans Hals painting, obscuring parts of the composition and bringing its hidden story into view. There’s a narrative coded in art like this, Kaphar says. What happens when we shift our focus and confront unspoken truths?

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Pitt Rivers Museum: Radical Hope, Critical Change

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Pitt Rivers Museum: Radical Hope, Critical Change

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Radical Hope events will reimagine museum practice. They will focus on how Western museums have relied on colonial ideas that have erased the many ways of knowing and being of people from around the world in favour of promoting one viewpoint.

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Conversation between Bonaventure Soh Bejeng Ndikung and Ariella Azoulay, moderated by Jonas Tinius

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Museum as Crimes Scenes - Introduction – Cashmere Radio

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The continuation of a conversation between curator Bonaventure Soh Bejeng Ndikung and Ariella Azoulay, Natasha Ginwala, Folakunle Oshun, Maria Berrios moderated by Jonas Tinius, as part of the Latitude on Air festival in June 2020. Together, they unpack complex histories and genealogies of museums, discuss issues of crime and injustice,…

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Visions for the future: An interview with Wandile Kasibe (2019)

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Visions for the future: An interview with Wandile Kasibe (2019)

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[Please find our collected voices from day one here and from day two here.]

A very moving Day Two begged the question of how to conclude the conference. From our perspective, the question of how to move on, how to end a meeting like this, remained open. We do not know how the momentum of the conference will translate into the different contexts of the participants' lives. Are they still thinking about the conference? Will they be able to change the way museums deal with their collections? How can the issues surrounding the collections be translated into political demands?

The last interview is a conversation with Wandile Kasibe, who proposes to look at the anthropological museum as a crime scene. We think that his answers offer some useful insights: on a theoretical as well as on a practical level.

Wandile Kasibe is a PhD Candidate of Sociology at University of Cape Town. His research focuses on "Museums and the Construction of Race Ideologies". He is currently a Public Programmes Coordinator of the Iziko Museums of South Africa.
Can you give us your impression of the past days at this conference?
Wandile Kasibe: Firstly, I must say that it really has been a wonderful experience for myself to be part of this conversation. I said it before: the organizers have done a great job of bringing together minds from different parts of the world, which is immensely important. At such a gathering you are able to interact, to share ideas and to learn from other people about what they are doing. It allows you to find out where the direction of global discussions and scholarship is going. But these are museum practitioners, historians, academics, young researchers, scholars that come together. It is through these minds that ideas are shaped, contested, that they are put on the table. For me this is a very important platform.

I had a couple of issues with the first panel. They seemed to create the impression that the induction of colonizing powers and Africans was basically on the exchange of objects, that there was a peaceful exchange. I had a problem with that, because we know that colonization was not a peaceful exchange. As much as we think that there was an element of bartering, it was on an asymmetric basis. As an African chief you could have been giving away something of significant value and in exchange you receive something that has no value at all. In result you are really not bartering at the same level.

I then started raising questions about the darker side of colonization. Why do we seem to be ignoring this side? I could sense that a lot of people didn't want to talk about the past, but rather wanted to move forward. But where are we moving forward to? You will never know where you are going, if you don't know where you are coming from.

In the museological context we must be able to talk about how the museum as an institution got to where it is today. How has the museum been involved in what I think you can call crimes against humanity? How has the museum received human remains that were stolen from graves, human remains that were then used for the scientific construction of racism? Are these questions a taboo here, in this part of the world?

Where I come from, we talk about it all the time. So now I come to the empire, to Germany, a place where in 1884 the Berlin conference was held, where Africa was divided. That discussion took place in Berlin, in this part of the world. Powerful nations came and participated. We know what happened afterwards from 1904 to 1908 when Lothar von Trotha issued an extermination order where the Nama, the Hereros and other native groups were slaughtered. I came expecting at least some kind of acknowledgment of that aspect of our past. But people here are silent about it. I am asking myself whether there is a conspiracy here. Was there an agreement that I wasn't part of that we shouldn't touch this aspect of the past? Is it a taboo here in Germany to talk abut the genocide that took place in Namibia? Are we bringing discomfort to this conference by putting these topics on the table?

I was excited to see that the majority of the people here acknowledged the fact that we should talk about those things, because this is what conferences are all about. Conferences are about engaging ideas, talking about issues and reflecting about the failures and successes of the museological institution form the time where it was formed up until today. You look at that past to understand where we are today. And when you understand where you are today, you are able to project where you are going in the future.

At the same time you shouldn't use the past to silence current debates. You should use it to make sure that you don't repeat the same mistakes. This is how the institution of the museum should move forward.
Is the past something you can rewrite?
Wandile Kasibe: The past is very much part of the presence. You can't rewrite the past, the past happened. But you can have historical justice. If you wronged me in the past, you acknowledge that you have wronged me, and you apologize. And you listen to what needs to happen now. So if you stole my bicycle, at least give me back the frame. If you can't afford it, let's talk about a compromise.

The question of repatriation and restitution comes right at the heart of that: historical justice. What are the discussions that should take place around the issue of restitution? What does it take in this context that includes issues of restoring the dignity of the victims of this colonial violence? How do we begin to do that?

This conference started to give us a sense of the different possibilities that we can temper with, different frameworks we could use in shaping the restitution. We moved in the right direction, because in the end people raised questions that were not raised in the first panel. Sometimes things grow gradually.
What is your contribution to the debate? What are we to do with the museum?
Wandile Kasibe: I argue that the museum of natural history and the anthropological museum are colonial crime scenes and that they require rigorous decolonial investigation. When the public enter those museums, they should be made aware that this is the place where crimes of the colonial past were committed. When a site has been demarcated as a crime scene, it is not an ordinary site. You are entering into a place now where you have to look for clues. You look more closely at the objects. What are those labels saying? Who wrote them? Who took those photographs? What was the context? You're entering as an investigator. When entering an exhibition that holds human remains that were stolen from the spoils of war or that were brought from the site of genocide in Namibia, you should be looking for those clues. How did this skull arrive here? Who was involved in the process? How much money was made from this exchange? All of those are questions the public should begin asking.

When you enter a crime scene, you identify evidence. Therefore, we also need to look at the objects through a different lens. They are evidence of a crime that was committed.

We need to use intangible heritage, for example performances, when we do this decolonial work. Often when we enter into the museological space, you have static displays. There is no intangible aspect that is attached to it, that will allow people to interpret this display in different ways. This is part of a much bigger project of decolonial work we need to do. We need to do this on an intellectual level as well as on a practical level. We need to look how we set up an exhibition so that we don't follow the colonial logic of putting things in a particular way.

When we set up an exhibition in a postcolonial context, communities become a central point. We must work with communities; we must work through communities so that their voices are as important as every other voice that forms part of an exhibition. In the colonial context the curator was the main expert, who knew everything, even when they knew nothing. Some people even curated exhibitions with objects while never having been in their country of origin. They had a very limited knowledge. Only because they were curators, they were regarded as experts. But the experts are the people who produced these objects. Therefore, those communities should have a strong voice in how those objects are being displayed.

I'm talking about visions for the museum of the 21 st century. There is a deep paradigm shift that needs to take place in how museums are designed and how they are being re-engineered to meet the needs of the 21 st century. We need to go into the structural formation of the museum. The meaning of museums has changed over time. So its meaning today is different to what it meant decades or centuries ago. The role of the museum is changing as we move into the future.

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Boasblogs • VOICES FROM THE CONFERENCE 3 – Visions for the future

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Please find our collected voices from day one here and from day two here.] A very moving Day Two begged the question of how to conclude the conference. From our perspective, the question of how to move on, how to end a meeting like this, remained open.

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Black Panther clip - Killmonger's heist (2018)

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Black Panther clip - Killmonger's heist (2018)

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Black Panther: Killmonger's Brazen Heist [CLIP] | TNT

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"Relooted" Video Game Announcement Trailer (2025)

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"Relooted" Video Game Announcement Trailer (2025)

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'Museums are hiding their imperial pasts - which is why my tours are needed' by Alice Procter (2018)

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'Museums are hiding their imperial pasts - which is why my tours are needed' by Alice Procter (2018)

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Museums are hiding their imperial pasts - which is why my tours are needed | Alice Procter

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The Daily Mail doesn't like my Uncomfortable Art Tours and their focus on slavery and colonialism, writes art historian Alice Procter

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The Exhibitionist - Uncomfortable Art Tours by Alice Procter

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The Exhibitionist - Uncomfortable Art Tours by Alice Procter

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Alice Procter runs Uncomfortable Art Tours as The Exhibitionist

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written by Nancy Berliner, Wu Tung Senior Curator of Chinese Art, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

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Listening, Learning, Meditating: Isabella’s Journey with Chinese Art

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Consulting Curator Nancy Berliner guest writes this post about Isabella’s passion for Chinese art.

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Visual Essay: Holocaust Memorials and Monuments from Facing History

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Visual Essay: Holocaust Memorials and Monuments from Facing History

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Visual Essay: Holocaust Memorials and Monuments

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Study various memorials and monuments and reflect on the ways in which we choose to remember history.

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Monuments Men and the Allied Effort to Save European Cultural Heritage 

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Monuments Men and the Allied Effort to Save European Cultural Heritage 

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The Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives program, often referred to as the Monuments Men, was an international group established in 1943 that worked under the Civil Affairs and Military Government Sections to help protect cultural property during and after World War II. Their mission was to identify art, architecture, monuments, and archives that needed to be preserved; work with Allied commanders to limit damage to these cultural resources; work with local officials to stabilize and repair damages to monuments and architecture; identify and locate art, archives, and other cultural resources that had been removed by German forces; gather recovered works into staging areas for identification and preservation; and return the works to legitimate owners.

Cable from General Marshall to General Eisenhower Regarding Protection of Artistic and Historic Monuments in Italy, October 14, 1943 [Eisenhower's Pre-Presidential Papers, Principal File, Box 132, Cables Official (GCM/DDE) July 29, 1943 - February 19, 1944 (3); NAID #7585075]

Memorandum from John J. McCloy to General Eisenhower, December 13, 1943 [Eisenhower's Pre-Presidential Papers, Principal File, Box 75, McCloy John J. (3); NAID #7584064]

The Ancient Monuments of Italy, Part I, March 19, 1944 (section 1 of 2) [Lauris Norstad Papers, Box 14, The Ancient Monuments of Italy Part I (1); NAID #7585003]

The Ancient Monuments of Italy, Part I, March 19, 1944 (section 2 of 2) [Lauris Norstad Papers, Box 14, The Ancient Monuments of Italy Part I (2); NAID #75850004]

The Ancient Monuments of Italy, Part II, March 19, 1944 [Lauris Norstad Papers, Box 14, The Ancient Monuments of Italy Part II; NAID #16911769]

Memorandum from General Dwight D. Eisenhower regarding preservation of historical monuments in Europe, May 26, 1944 [Eisenhower's Pre-Presidential Papers, Principal File, Box 13, Bradley Omar N. (6); NAID #7505528]

Annex XX (Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives) to Basic Preliminary Plan, Allied Control and Occupation of Germany (Control Council Period), February - April 1945 [Eisenhower Library Collection of 20th Century Military Records, Series II, Box 20; NAID #75850009]

Cable from General Marshall to General Eisenhower, April 10, 1945 [Walter Bedell Smith Collection of WWII Documents, Box 28, Eyes Only Cables 1945 (incoming) (3); NAID #7585000]

Cable from General Eisenhower to General Marshall, April 11, 1945 [Walter Bedell Smith Collection of WWII Documents, Box 28, Eyes Only Cables 1945 (outgoing) (4); NAID #7585002]

General Dwight D. Eisenhower, Supreme Allied Commander, inspects art treasures looted by the Germans and stored in the depths of a salt mine in Germany along with gold, silver, and paper currency. The mine was captured by U.S. Third Army troops. Behind Eisenhower are Omar Bradley (left), commanding general of the 12th Army Group, and (right) Lt. Gen. George S. Patton, commanding general of the Third Army. April 12, 1945. [U.S. Army photo 66-78]

Monthly Report of Military Governor, U.S. Zone, 20 September 1945, No. 2: Monuments, Fine Arts and Archives, September 20, 1945 [Eisenhower's Pre-Presidential Papers, Principal File, Box 150, Military Government of Germany: Monthly Report of the Military Governor, U.S. Zone (2); NAID #7583533]

Monthly Report of Military Governor, U.S. Zone, 20 October 1945, No. 3: Reparations and Restitutions, October 20, 1945 [Eisenhower's Pre-Presidential Papers, Principal File, Box 150, Military Government of Germany: Monthly Report of the Military Governor, U.S. Zone (4); NAID #7583534]

Notes for Use at Luncheon Given at Metropolitan Museum of Art, April 2, 1946 [Eisenhower's Pre-Presidential Papers, Principal File, Box 192, Speeches November 1945 - April 1946 (1); NAID #7583544]

Arts, Monuments and Archives: A Provisional Technical Manual for Civil Affairs/Military Government, April 1951 [This guide draws heavily on the wartime experiences of the Monuments Men] [Eisenhower Library Collection of 20th Century Military Records, Series III, Box 5; NAID #7585010]

See Also:
Nazi War Crimes
Other Primary Resources:
International Research Portal for Records Related to Nazi-Era Cultural Property
The Einsatzstab Reichsleiter Rosenberg (ERR) Photographic Albums at the International Military Tribunal at Nuremberg

description of the albums
access to the digitized copies of the albums

Civil Affairs and Military Government Activities in Connection with Monuments, Fine Arts and Archives -- This report from the General Board, U.S. Forces, European Theater is available online at the Combined Arms Center at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas

Records of the Monuments, Fine Arts and Archives (MFAA) Section of the Reparations and Restitution Branch, OMGUS, 1945-1951 -- These are the official records of the MFAA and are held by the National Archives in College Park, Maryland. A guide to these records is available online. (These records have been digitized and are available by subscription on Fold3, an Ancestry.com web site.)

Holocaust-Era Assets -- A Finding Aid to Records at the National Archives at College Park, Maryland, requests for these materials should be directed to archives2reference@nara.gov. Listed below are the guides to records available in the research room in College Park, as well as select digitized documents that are available online.
Holocaust-Era Assests Research Page: Doing Research at NARA Civilian Agency Records Military Agency Records A sampling of images relating to looted art
Secondary Sources:
Bradsher, Greg. "Documenting Nazi Plunder of European Art." The Record, November 1997. Bradsher, Greg. "Nazi Gold: The Merkers Mine Treasure." Prologue, Vol. 31, No. 1 (Spring 1999). Bradsher, Greg. "Monuments Men and Nazi Treasures." Prologue, Vol. 45, No. 2 (Summer 2013).
Edsel, Robert M., and Bret Witter. The Monuments Men: Allied Heroes, Nazi Thieves, and the Greatest Treasure Hunt in History. New York: Center Street, 2009.
Edsel, Robert M. "The Art Army: Harvard's Monuments Men at War," Harvard Magazine, January-February 2010.
Edsel, Robert M. Rescuing Da Vinci: Hitler and the Nazis Stole Europe's Great Art: America and Her Allies Recovered It. Dallas: Laurel Publishing, 2006.

Edsel, Robert M. Saving Italy: The Race to Rescue a Nation's Treasures from the Nazis. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2013.

Grimsted, Patricia Kennedy. "Spoils of War Returned: U.S. Restitution of Nazi-Looted Cultural Treasures to the USSR, 1945-1959." Prologue, Vol. 34, No. 3 (Fall 2002).

Rothfeld, Anne. "Nazi Looted Art: The Holocaust Records Preservation Project." Prologue, Vol. 34, No. 3 (Fall 2002).

Photographs:

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Monuments Men and the Allied Effort to Save European Cultural Heritage

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The Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives program, often referred to as the Monuments Men, was an international group established in 1943 that worked under the Civil Affairs and Military Government Sections to help protect cultural property during and after World War II.

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Tuan Andrew Nguyen: The Resonance of Invisible Communities

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Tuan Andrew Nguyen: The Resonance of Invisible Communities

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Cluster of Excellence Temporal Communities

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Tuan Andrew Nguyen: The Resonance of Invisible Communities

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M Shed in Bristol is proud to announce the launch of GRIOT, a thought-provoking intervention in the Transatlantic Traffic of Enslaved Africans Gallery, developed by the 'Rebel Curators'. Opened 25 March 2025.

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Loot: Britain and the Benin Bronzes by Barnaby Phillips (2021)

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Loot: Britain and the Benin Bronzes by Barnaby Phillips (2021)

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NYT Lesson of the Day: 'Kehinde Wiley's Times Square Monument: That's No Robert E. Lee' (2019)

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NYT Lesson of the Day: 'Kehinde Wiley's Times Square Monument: That's No Robert E. Lee' (2019)

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Find all our Lessons of the Day here. Featured Article: "Kehinde Wiley's Times Square Monument: That's No Robert E. Lee"
Even before you start reading, look at the image above and the others found in the article. What do you feel as you look at the statue? What do you think the sculpture might represent or symbolize? What could its title, "Rumor of War," mean? Why do you think that?

Next, consider some of the decisions the artist made: the figure's facial expression, his clothing, the fact that he is on horseback, the size of the sculpture along with the base it sits on, its title and the typeface chosen for its engraving, the colors, materials used and anything else you notice.

Now consider the sculpture's placement in Times Square in New York City. Why do you think it's there? Would you like to see it in person? Why or why not?
Read the article, then answer the following questions:
Finally, read the headline of the featured article. Do you recognize the name Robert E. Lee? What might the headline writer be suggesting by saying the work is "not Robert E. Lee"? What about the choice of "monument" over "statue" or "sculpture"? What clues does this headline give you about how the article's writer feels about the work?

Do you recognize the name Kehinde Wiley? If so, what do you know about him and his work?

1. What will be the statue's permanent location? What are three reasons this is significant? You might consider the state, the city and the placement in that city in your answer.

2. The article's writer says the rider reflects an effort to reclaim history. What details support this idea?

3. Where was Mr. Wiley when he came up with the idea for the sculpture? When did this occur? What was he looking at, in particular, at the time? How did he feel? What did it make him want to do?

4. What events that occurred about a year later made him even more committed to creating the sculpture? Why?

5. The article states:

The oppression of African-Americans is still pervasive in our society," said Alex Nyerges, the director of the Virginia museum. "But if anyone is going to take on the mantle of trying to change the conversation and make things better for the present and the future, I can think of no better place to start.

To what degree, if at all, do you think it's possible for a work of art to accomplish something like changing a conversation in the larger culture or the world at large? Explain.

You have read that Mr. Wiley is also a painter, perhaps best known for his portrait of former President Barack Obama, which hangs in the National Gallery. Take a look at the painting. What does the painting seem to say about Mr. Obama?

Read this excerpt from " Obama Portrait Artists Merged the Everyday and the Extraordinary," an article published around the time of the painting's unveiling:

Part of what Mr. Obama saw in Mr. Wiley's work, the former president said, was the capacity to elevate ordinary people to the level of royalty, those "so often out of sight and out of mind."

"Kehinde lifted them up and gave them a platform and said they belong at the center of American life," Mr. Obama said. "That was something that moved me deeply, that's part of what I believe politics should be about - not simply celebrating the high and the mighty and expecting that the country unfolds from the top down but rather that it comes from the bottom up."

What, if anything, that Mr. Obama said about the portrait applies to the sculpture "Rumor of War." Do you see any common themes in the former president's portrait and in "Rumor of War"? How does each of the works present a narrative, and what do these narratives seem to be telling the viewer?

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Lesson of the Day: 'Kehinde Wiley's Times Square Monument: That's No Robert E. Lee'

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Find all our Lessons of the Day here. Featured Article: " Kehinde Wiley's Times Square Monument: That's No Robert E. Lee " Even before you start reading, look at the image above and the others found in the article. What do you feel as you look at the statue?

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Case Study: 'Rumors of War' from Historic England

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Case Study: 'Rumors of War' from Historic England

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Case Study: ‘Rumors of War’ Sculpture – Richmond, Virginia, USA | Historic England

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A case study on reinterpreting heritage, from Virginia, USA, where a counter-memorial has been added to the local commemorative landscape.

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Denver Art Museum Returns Four Artworks to the People of Cambodia (2021)

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Denver Art Museum Returns Four Artworks to the People of Cambodia (2021)

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Denver Art Museum Returns Four Artworks to the People of Cambodia | Denver Art Museum

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DENVER–Nov. 30, 2021–Working in collaboration with U.S. and Cambodian governments, the Denver Art Museum today announces that four works from Cambodia previously deaccessioned from its collection were picked up from the Denver Art Museum by U.S. officials for return to Cambodia. The pieces entered the museum’s collection approximately 20 years ago, three as gifts and one as a purchase from Douglas Latchford.

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Dividing the Spoils: Perspectives on military collecting and the British empire

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Dividing the Spoils: Perspectives on military collecting and the British empire

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Edited by Henrietta Lidchi and Stuart Allan, Sept 2020

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At a time of heightened international interest in the colonial dimensions of museum collections, Dividing the Spoils provides new perspectives on the motivations and circumstances whereby collections were appropriated and acquired during colonial military service. Combining approaches from the fields of material anthropology, imperial and military history, this book argues for a deeper examination of these collections within a range of intercultural histories that include alliance, diplomacy, curiosity and enquiry, as well as expropriation and cultural hegemony.

As museums across Europe reckon with the post-colonial legacies of their collections, Dividing the Spoils explores how the amassing of objects was understood and governed in British military culture, and considers how objects functioned in museum collections thereafter, suggesting new avenues for sustained investigation in a controversial, contested field.

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Manchester University Press - Dividing the spoils

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Dividing the spoils - Browse and buy the Hardcover edition of Dividing the spoils by Henrietta Lidchi

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Fallen Idols by Alex von Tunzelmann (2021)

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Fallen Idols by Alex von Tunzelmann (2021)

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Statement by the JANM Board of Trustees on the Defense of History, Democracy, and Civil Rights (Feb 11, 2025)

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Statement by the JANM Board of Trustees on the Defense of History, Democracy, and Civil Rights (Feb 11, 2025)

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Statement by the JANM Board of Trustees on the Defense of History, Democracy, and Civil Rights | Japanese American National Museum

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Editors please note: JANM’s Pavilion is closed for renovation; programs will continue on the JANM campus and at other locations at janm.org/OnTheGo.

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Larrakia Cultural Treasures Returned in Historic Ceremony at Bristol Museum & Art Gallery (2 Sept 2025)

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Larrakia Cultural Treasures Returned in Historic Ceremony at Bristol Museum & Art Gallery (2 Sept 2025)

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Larrakia Cultural Treasures Returned in Historic Ceremony at Bristol Museum & Art Gallery

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Cambodia tracking down thousands of priceless looted antiquities from 60 Minutes (Dec 17, 2023)

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Cambodia tracking down thousands of priceless looted antiquities from 60 Minutes (Dec 17, 2023)

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Cambodia tracking down thousands of priceless looted antiquities | 60 Minutes

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Exploring Chinese History with Ai Weiwei's Circle of Animals/Zodiac Heads, LACMA (2021)

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Exploring Chinese History with Ai Weiwei's Circle of Animals/Zodiac Heads, LACMA (2021)

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Exploring Chinese History with Ai Weiwei’s Circle of Animals/Zodiac Heads

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Three years ago, I was fortunate enough to participate in my first archaeological excavation. This was an exciting time for me as a non-traditional student; I never imagined I’d end up back in school, much less taking an international trip alone to realize my far-fetched dream of becoming an archaeologist.The site director Rui and his colleagues could easily trace back nine generations’ worth of personal family history in the region of Portugal we were excavating, so a sense of responsibility and stewardship was quickly felt by our group.

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The Garden of Perfect Brightness 3: Destruction, Looting, and Memory (1860-present) from MIT Visualizing Cultures

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The Garden of Perfect Brightness 3: Destruction, Looting, and Memory (1860-present) from MIT Visualizing Cultures

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"Trophies of War: Representing 'Summer Palace' Loot in Military Museums in the UK" by Louise Tythacott (2015)

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"Trophies of War: Representing 'Summer Palace' Loot in Military Museums in the UK" by Louise Tythacott (2015)

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"Collecting and Displaying China's 'Summer Palace' in the West: The Yuanmingyuan in Britain and France"

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"Collecting and Displaying China's 'Summer Palace' in the West: The Yuanmingyuan in Britain and France"

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Edited by Louise Tythacott, 2018

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Collecting and Displaying China’s “Summer Palace” in the West: The Yuanmingyuan in Britain and France

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In October 1860, at the culmination of the Second Opium War, British and French troops looted and destroyed one of the most important palace complexes in imperial China—the Yuanmingyuan. Known in the West as the

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"Exhibiting and Auctioning Yuanmingyuan Loot in 1860s and 1870s London: the Elgin and Negroni Collections" by Louise Tythacott (2018)

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"Exhibiting and Auctioning Yuanmingyuan Loot in 1860s and 1870s London: the Elgin and Negroni Collections" by Louise Tythacott (2018)

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Exhibiting and Auctioning Yuanmingyuan (“Summer Palace”) Loot in 1860s and 1870s London: The Elgin and Negroni Collections | Journal for Art Market Studies

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This article examines the exhibitions and sales of Yuanmingyuan (or ‘Summer Palace’) loot taken from China in October 1860 by two soldiers in the Anglo-French armies – James Bruce, 8th Earl of Elgin (1811-1863) and Captain Jean-Louis de Negroni (b.1820). Both men displayed their collections before auctioning them – the former in the prestigious South Kensington Museum (now the V&A) in 1862; the latter in a well known exhibitionary site, the Crystal Palace in Sydenham in 1865. Such displays and public exhibitions were used as a device for enhancing the value of collections destined for the art market. This article thus explores the inter-relationship between museum/exhibition sites and auction houses in the selling of looted objects from China’s Yuanmingyuan in 1860s and 1870s London.  

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Chinese Zodiac Official Trailer #1 (2012) - Jackie Chan Movie HD

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Virtual reality brings Old Summer Palace back to life (The State Council, PRC, 2017)

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Virtual reality brings Old Summer Palace back to life (The State Council, PRC, 2017)

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A research team of Tsinghua University professors has recreated the original appearance of the Old Summer Palace by using photos along with virtual reality technology.

The team, lead by Guo Daiheng, a professor from the Architecture School of Tsinghua, briefed their digital study on the imperial palace and their achievements at a press conference on April 18.

Guo's mentor was well-known late Chinese architect Liang Sicheng. It took Guo and her team 15 years to complete the digital restoration.

The Old Summer Palace in northwest Beijing was first constructed in the early 18th century as a site to honor the best of Chinese landscaping and Western styles. The garden used to cover 350 hectares, with a perimeter of 10 kilometers.

However, in 1860, Anglo-French forces sacked and looted the Old Summer Palace, also known as Yuanmingyuan, and burned it to the ground. From then on, the park suffered continual damage at the hands of the Eight-Power Allied Forces (composed of Britain, France, Germany, Russia, the United States, Japan, Italy and Austria), warlords, bandits, and the entire site has been in ruins since.

The restoration scenery of Sea Magnanimity at the Old Summer Palace.[Photo/Asianewsphoto]

The restoration scenery of Huifang Academy.[Photo/Asianewsphoto]

The restoration scenery of Lotus Yard.[Photo/Asianewsphoto]

The restoration scenery of a pool that existed in the early ruling period of the Qianlong emperor during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).[Photo/Asianewsphoto]

The restoration scenery of the Grand Opera Tower in Tongle Garden at the Old Summer Palace.[Photo/Asianewsphoto]

The restoration scenery of a Western-style fountain at the Old Summer Palace.[Photo/Asianewsphoto]

The restoration of an overlooking view of several main buildings of the Old Summer Palace.[Photo/Asianewsphoto]

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A research team of Tsinghua University professors has recreated the original appearance of the Old Summer Palace by using photos along with virtual reality technology. The team, lead by Guo Daiheng, a professor from the Architecture School of Tsinghua, briefed their digital study on the imperial palace and their achievements at a press conference on April 18.

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What  led to the burning of Beijing's Old Summer Palace? (The China Project, 2022)

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What  led to the burning of Beijing's Old Summer Palace? (The China Project, 2022)

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Debates over Beijing’s derelict Old Summer Palace are about more than history | CNN

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In a country where cultural heritage is either zealously restored or demolished to make way for new developments, the decision to leave the Old Summer Palace in ruins is more political than it may seem.

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Debates over Beijing's derelict Old Summer Palace are about more than history (CNN, 2021)

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Debates over Beijing's derelict Old Summer Palace are about more than history (CNN, 2021)

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Debates over Beijing’s derelict Old Summer Palace are about more than history | CNN

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In a country where cultural heritage is either zealously restored or demolished to make way for new developments, the decision to leave the Old Summer Palace in ruins is more political than it may seem.

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Should the old Summer Palace be rebuilt? (China Daily, 2020)

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Should the old Summer Palace be rebuilt? (China Daily, 2020)

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Should the old Summer Palace be rebuilt?

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Editor’s note: A proposal by a NPC deputy on rebuilding the Yuanmingyuan (the old Summer Palace) Park has sparked heated debate online. The park, which was torched by the invading British and French troops after plundering countless treasures in 1860, is now mostly in ruins. Should the old Summer Palace be restored to its original state? Readers share their opinions.

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"'Decolonization' at the V&A: Site of Conscience or Repository of Knowledge?" (2025)

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"'Decolonization' at the V&A: Site of Conscience or Repository of Knowledge?" (2025)

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Global Humanities Lecture

25 June 20205

Dr. Tristram Hunt, Director V&A

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‘Decolonisation’ at the V&A: Site of Conscience or Repository of Knowledge?

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"Let's Talk Labels: A Conversation around the Pitt Rivers Museum's Labelling Matters project" (2021)

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"Let's Talk Labels: A Conversation around the Pitt Rivers Museum's Labelling Matters project" (2021)

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Let’s Talk Labels: A Conversation around the Pitt Rivers Museum’s Labelling Matters project Part 2

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'How to Navigate London's Wondrous (and Very Big) V&A Museum' from NY Times (May 13, 2024)

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'How to Navigate London's Wondrous (and Very Big) V&A Museum' from NY Times (May 13, 2024)

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Immerse yourself in over half a million works from every creative discipline

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Secrets of the Papua New Guinea Sculpture Garden, Stanford (Feb 28 2024)

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Secrets of the Papua New Guinea Sculpture Garden, Stanford (Feb 28 2024)

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Secrets of the Papua New Guinea Sculpture Garden

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How 10 artists-in-residence from the Sepik River region worked with architects to create an iconic public art environment.

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Origin of Everything
Season 3 Episode 1 | 12m 14s |

Are museum collections ethical? How did these institutions end up with their vast array of artifacts and remains from every corner of the globe? Well, chances are there was some definite shadiness involved. Danielle examines this complicated debate and looks closely at the cases of Saartjie Baartman and Chang and Eng Bunker.

Aired: 01/02/20

Rating: NR

From:

Problems Playing Video? Report a Problem |

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Origin of Everything | The Problem with Museums | Season 3 | Episode 1

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Origin of Everything Season 3 Episode 1 | 12m 14s | Are museum collections ethical? How did these institutions end up with their vast array of artifacts and remains from every corner of the globe? Well, chances are there was some definite shadiness involved.

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China Rekindles Wartime Fury, Stirring Fears of Anti-Japan Hate (NY Times, Aug 30, 2025)

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China Rekindles Wartime Fury, Stirring Fears of Anti-Japan Hate (NY Times, Aug 30, 2025)

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Imagined Communities: Reflections on the Origin and Spread of Nationalism by Benedict Anderson (1983)

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Imagined Communities: Reflections on the Origin and Spread of Nationalism by Benedict Anderson (1983)

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What are the imagined communities that compel men to kill or to die for an idea of a nation? This notion of nationhood had its origins in the founding of the Americas, but was then adopted and transformed by populist movements in nineteenth-century Europe. It became the rallying cry for anti-Imperialism as well as the

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Exhibition: "The Time is Always Now: Artists Reframe the Black Figure" Philadelphia Museum of Art (Nov 9, 2024- Feb 9, 2025)

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Exhibition: "The Time is Always Now: Artists Reframe the Black Figure" Philadelphia Museum of Art (Nov 9, 2024- Feb 9, 2025)

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The Time Is Always Now: Artists Reframe the Black Figure

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We are conducting maintenance on our web ticketing platform. Please stop by any Admissions Desk when you arrive to purchase tickets, we are ready to welcome you!

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'British Museum Sues Former Curator for Return of Stolen Items' from NY Times (March 27, 2024)

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'British Museum Sues Former Curator for Return of Stolen Items' from NY Times (March 27, 2024)

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What Crazy Rich Asians Got Wrong About Singapore (2018)

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What Crazy Rich Asians Got Wrong About Singapore (2018)

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What Crazy Rich Asians Got Wrong About Singapore

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"Fort Benning, briefly Fort Moore, is Fort Benning again - but honors another Benning, military says" (April 16, 2025)

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"Fort Benning, briefly Fort Moore, is Fort Benning again - but honors another Benning, military says" (April 16, 2025)

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Fort Benning, briefly Fort Moore, is Fort Benning again - but honors another Benning, military says • Georgia Recorder

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Fort Benning’s name has officially been restored after a two-year stint as Fort Moore that was part of a national move away from Confederate namesakes. But the Pentagon says the Army post near Columbus is now named for a different Benning – World War I veteran Fred Benning of Nebraska, an Army corporal who enlisted […]

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"The Museum of Other People: From Colonial Acquisitions to Cosmopolitan Exhibitions" by Adam Kuper (2024)

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"The Museum of Other People: From Colonial Acquisitions to Cosmopolitan Exhibitions" by Adam Kuper (2024)

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The Museum of Other People by Adam Kuper: 9780593700679 | PenguinRandomHouse.com: Books

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A MOST ANTICIPATED BOOK • From one of the world’s most distinguished anthropologists, an important and timely work of cultural history that looks at the origins and much debated future of anthropology…

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'As an Empath, Portraiture Works for Me': Amy Sherald on How She Makes Space for Black Histories in Her First U.K. Show from ArtNet (Oct 11, 2022)

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'As an Empath, Portraiture Works for Me': Amy Sherald on How She Makes Space for Black Histories in Her First U.K. Show from ArtNet (Oct 11, 2022)

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"Kara Walker Deconstructs a Statue, and a Myth" from New York Times by Siddhartha Mitter (Sept 8, 2025)

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"Kara Walker Deconstructs a Statue, and a Myth" from New York Times by Siddhartha Mitter (Sept 8, 2025)

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"Statue of Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein Shaking Hands Mysteriously Appears in D.C." from ArtNews by Alex Greenberger (Sept. 23, 2025)

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"Statue of Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein Shaking Hands Mysteriously Appears in D.C." from ArtNews by Alex Greenberger (Sept. 23, 2025)

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Statue of Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein Shaking Hands Mysteriously Appears in D.C.

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A statue of Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein appeared in Washington, D.C. to mark Friendship Month.

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"New monument commemorates tragic anti-immigrant chapter in Wyoming history" from NPR (Sept 28, 2025)

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"New monument commemorates tragic anti-immigrant chapter in Wyoming history" from NPR (Sept 28, 2025)

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New monument commemorates tragic anti-immigrant chapter in Wyoming history

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At a time when President Trump is going after foreign laborers in the U.S, and saying unflattering accounts of U.S. history should be removed, Rock Springs, Wyoming has put up a new monument to ethnic violence there.

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Why Fish Don't Exist by Lulu Miller (2020)

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Why Fish Don't Exist by Lulu Miller (2020)

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Museums, Collections and Social Repair in Vietnam by Graeme Were (2023)

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Museums, Collections and Social Repair in Vietnam by Graeme Were (2023)

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Museums, Collections and Social Repair in Vietnam

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Museums, Collections and Social Repair in Vietnam analyses the relationship between museums, collections and social repair in contemporary Vietnam. Drawing on fieldwork in a range of museums in the country, alongside interviews with museum workers and stakeholders, and analyses of museum exhibitions, the book explores how museums help ordinary people overcome loss suffered during conflict. Focusing on key objects in museum collections that elicit strong emotions or feelings, Graeme Were examine

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"The China Collectors: America's Century-Long Hunt for Asian Art Treasures" by Karl E. Meyer and Shareen Blair Brysac (2010)

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"The China Collectors: America's Century-Long Hunt for Asian Art Treasures" by Karl E. Meyer and Shareen Blair Brysac (2010)

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The China Collectors ( Karl E. Meyer, Shareen Blair Brysac) (z Lib.org) : yellpwceane : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

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Erasing History: How Fascists Rewrite the Past to Control the Future by Jason Stanley (2024)

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Erasing History: How Fascists Rewrite the Past to Control the Future by Jason Stanley (2024)

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Erasing History: How Fascists Rewrite the Past to Control the Future

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Book - Non-fiction. By Jason Stanley. 2024. 256 pages. A global call to action for those who wish to preserve democracy - in the United States and abroad - before it is too late.

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"Strategic Remembering in Vietnam-US Relations: How a Monument of War Turns into a Marker of Peace" by Anh Ngoc, Quynh Phan, Thi Gammon (2024)

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"Strategic Remembering in Vietnam-US Relations: How a Monument of War Turns into a Marker of Peace" by Anh Ngoc, Quynh Phan, Thi Gammon (2024)

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"Achieving Active Collections: The Vermont Historical Society helping volunteer organizations"

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"Achieving Active Collections: The Vermont Historical Society helping volunteer organizations"

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Exhibits at the Waterbury Historical Society showcase just some of the institution's collections; many items are housed in off-site storage units, making them difficult to access and use. Courtesy of the Vermont Historical Society.

This challenge wasn't unique to VHS. Across the museum field, other institutions were facing similar issues and seeking solutions. In 2012, Rainey Tisdale, Trevor Jones, and Elee Wood launched their grassroots Active Collections (AC) initiative, advocating for "leaner collections with greater impact."

As we became proponents of the AC ethos at VHS, we also began collaborating with local historical societies, many of which were similarly overwhelmed by ever-growing collections and shrinking volunteer bases. Along the way, we've developed some guiding principles for institutions aiming to streamline their collections to better reflect their communities and today's world.

How the Work Began

Standards, procedures, and policies developed in the museum field in the late 20th century aimed to improve collections stewardship-but often had unintended consequences. These practices treat all collections as equally important and emphasize owning and preserving collections over effectively using them. Detailed cataloguing practices have created backlogs of unprocessed items, tight environmental and storage standards create financial burdens, and reactionary deaccessioning procedures result in collections bloated with items that no longer belong.

AC recognizes a variety of factors, within society and the field, that brought us to this crossroads. While deaccessioning so-called "lazy objects" is a core tenet of the AC manifesto, it also offers broader strategies for realigning collections with mission and meaning. However, it is not the only pathway to better collections the movement offers. AC helps us uncover untold stories in objects that better connect with the communities we serve. By identifying the most meaningful objects in our collections, we can develop new exhibits and programs that allow people to connect with true touchstones of history.

By 2018, as we were continuing to evaluate our own collections at VHS, we were also supporting local historical societies and museums in this work. Vermont has over 190 local historical societies, most volunteer-run, that are struggling to manage large, aging collections while striving to more actively engage with their communities. AC seemed to offer a promising path forward.

In 2019, VHS hosted its first AC workshop with movement co-founder Rainey Tisdale in a packed room. We followed that with a virtual course in 2020 in which we introduced AC concepts to a small cohort of organizations and then updated policies and collections documents together. Ongoing mini-workshops introduce AC to even more organizations and are particularly helpful for those who are not collections professionals, such as trustees and volunteers.

In these offerings, we noticed a pattern emerging-participants understood and embraced the concepts but struggled with implementation. As one participant told us, "Too much to do, not enough of us to do it."
In 2024, we applied for and received a grant from the Institute for Museum and Library Services (IMLS) to pilot the two-year Activating 21st Century Local History Program, offering workshops, online resources, and collections care support for two local historical society cohorts. (As of this writing, the future of our IMLS grant is uncertain due to a federal proposal to eliminate the agency.)

To VHS, the project and the grant represented a significant step forward for Vermont and for the broader museum field. Most importantly, it recognized the needs and importance of small, volunteer-run organizations. While IMLS is working on the first National Museum Survey, existing data suggests that as many as half of the museums and historical societies in the US are volunteer-run or have minimal staff. Collections stewardship is often done by those passionate volunteers, without professional training.

Most collections aren't held in climate-controlled buildings but in historic structures or retrofitted office buildings. The 2005 Heritage Health Index painted a dire picture of the state of collections nationwide. A 2019 update revealed minimal improvements, particularly for small institutions. We believe the AC approach can help reverse the trend.

What We've Learned

The Activating 21st Century Local History Program started in early 2025 with our first cohort: Bixby Memorial Free Library, Brookfield Historical Society, Sharon Historical Society, Thetford Historical Society, and Waterbury Historical Society.

Guided by VHS staff, these organizations are building advanced skills in applying the Active Collections framework. They attend group meetings and workshops and are undertaking a focused collections project tailored to their organization's needs. Here is what we are learning together:

Dive Deep into Your Mission

Cohort members are developing processes to continually reassess their collections based on actual use and storytelling potential. A central AC tenet is that collections must advance the organization's mission-or they must go.

Though previous staff and volunteers surely had the best intentions, many collections have items that no longer make sense. Collecting priorities evolve even when an institution's mission remains constant. Many missions and collecting scopes are intentionally broad to cast a wide net.

For local historical societies, the mission is often clear: collect the history of a specific town. But what does "of the town" mean? For example, one cohort member is strongly considering deaccessioning an extensive basket collection donated by a former resident of the town because the baskets were not made locally. Another is reassessing a large newspaper collection from a neighboring town, included only because the publisher lived locally. These tough calls require clarity about what an institution's mission really means in practice.

No Judgment

Another guiding principle of our work with local historical societies is to always assume good intentions. Previous volunteers and staff did their best with the resources and information they had. It is OK to revisit and revise their decisions.

Especially in volunteer-run organizations, turnover and inconsistent application of museum best practices are common. But that doesn't mean we can't do better now. Passionate and dedicated people steward our collections: we can honor their work without shouldering their burdens.

Free to Be You

This work encourages local historical societies to embrace their unique characteristics. While it is important to know the "ideal" for collections care and management, most standards are unattainable even for larger organizations. The program (and Active Collections) encourages organizations to make choices that work best for their goals and resources.

For one cohort member, this means identifying objects for use in history kits that could be "checked out" by teachers or community members. For another, it means reaffirming the community's support for a large, specialized collection by involving them in volunteer opportunities to move, evaluate, and deaccession parts of it.

Lean into Sustainability

A huge challenge for local historical societies and small museums today is simply continued existence. Declining volunteerism coupled with increasing costs means that large, unfiltered collections are even more overwhelming. One solution to that is deaccessioning, but embracing sustainable practices goes beyond that.

We could adopt broader environmental and storage standards, including "tiered" preservation plans. Instead of striving for unattainable ideals, we can create realistic standards in care and management that are both achievable and sustainable. The updated Bizot Green Protocol leads us somewhat along that path, stating, "Museums should apply whatever methodology or strategies best suit their collections, building and needs, and innovative approaches should be encouraged."

We can embrace the idea that nothing lasts forever, and plan for the decay, obsolescence, and loss of certain objects or collections. Some in the historic preservation field, such as Caitlin DeSilvey, author of Curated Decay: Heritage Beyond Saving, are already championing these ideas. One of our cohort members is considering using some deaccessioned textiles for a community project that coincides with its yearly exhibition theme on "mending."

We Work Best Together

This program continually highlights the benefits of building networks and working collaboratively. In April, after several virtual meetings, our cohort gathered for an in-person workshop. This first face-to-face interaction led to deeper engagement and robust discussion. Afterwards, we saw a surge in conversations on our cohort-only listserv related to the workshop and other collections topics. Cohort members are now regularly sharing ideas, examples, and documents.

Too often, collections staff are siloed in basements and storage areas. Building local, regional, or statewide groups to tackle shared challenges can help everyone move forward. We could also think even bigger. What about a regional or national shared deaccessioned object "clearinghouse" like the Netherlands' Rejection Database and Museum Depot Shop, or the United Kingdom's Find an Object website (see the Resources box below for more information).

Tackling collections overload within our own institutions is a great start, but Active Collections can serve as a framework to shift the broader field. We can update antiquated property laws whose requirements no longer fit today's realities (does everyone even have a local newspaper anymore?) and slow the work down. We can acknowledge our limitations as institutions-and as a field-that lack the resources to provide the care we say we should.

Much of embracing Active Collections is about giving ourselves permission. Permission to make decisions, to say "enough," and to be our own experts. Rather than chasing the ideal, we embrace the real. Small historical societies and museums actually have no other choice.

Tips for Starting Your Active Collections Journey

Do one thing. This doesn't have to be a big project. Start small by treating newly acquired collections "actively" before tackling the backlog. Break the work down into manageable steps.

Invite others to the party. Bring in kids, artists, community members, and other interested individuals to find their "favorite" pieces. Use their input to create an exhibit, online slideshow, or video about these items.

Find your cohort. Look for similar institutions that want to do the same work as you. Even discovering shared frustrations can be a valuable first step.

Know thyself. What makes your community special? Think about the objects you already have (and the ones you wish you had) that can tell stories reflective of the people and events that shape your local identity.

Have fun. Don't take an "all work, no play" attitude. Create opportunities for your team to build camaraderie and have fun together.

Resources

Active Collections initiative: activecollections.org

Active Collections Online Resource Center: vermonthistory.org/resource-center

Bizot Green Protocol: Access the PDF

Rejection Database: afstotingsdatabase.nl

Museum Depot Shop: shop.museumdepotshop.nl/en/

Find an Object: museumsassociation.org/find-an-object/

Eileen P. Corcoran is Director of Service & Outreach and Hannah Kirkpatrick is Program Coordinator at the Vermont Historical Society in Barre.

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Achieving Active Collections: The Vermont Historical Society helping volunteer organizations

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We had 175 chairs, 230 spoons, and 800 dresses. Do these items truly tell the story of Vermont? Established in 1838, the Vermont Historical Society (VHS) has been collecting objects and archival ma...

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How the Word is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America by Clint Smith (2021)

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How the Word is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America by Clint Smith (2021)

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"A moving and perceptive survey of landmarks that reckon, or fail to reckon, with the legacy of slavery in America... this is an essential consideration of how America's past informs its present."―Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"[A] devastating portrait with unforgettable details...a brilliant, vital work about 'a crime that is still unfolding.'"―Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

"[A] powerful and diligent exploration of the realities and ongoing consequences of slavery in America."―Booklist (starred review)

"Clint Smith's gifts as both a poet and a scholar make How the Word Is Passed a richly provocative read about places where the story of American slavery lives on...[it] succeeds in making the essential distinction between history and nostalgia."-Bookpage (starred review)

Poet and journalist Clint Smith's debut examines the legacy of slavery in modern America...bringing the past into light with lyrical mastery." -

Smith reveals and makes present for his readers the profoundly disturbing truths of what transpired in these places, of the systemic and strategic violence and abuse that enabled the society in which we now live... The book doesn't simply bring news of the past; it seeks to convey the urgency of that news in our troubled present." -

"Smith tells his stories with the soul of a poet and the heart of an educator. Smith's ambitious book is fueled by a humble sense of duty: he sought the wisdom of those who tell of slavery's legacy "outside traditional classrooms and beyond the pages of textbooks"; public historians who "have dedicated their lives to sharing this history with others." Smith channels the spirit of Toni Morrison here; the writer as one to pass on the word so that it is never forgotten."―The Millions

"Smith forces us to reconsider what we think we know about American history."―Time

"Sketches an impressive and deeply affecting human cartography of America's historical conscience...an extraordinary contribution to the way we understand ourselves." Julian Lucas, New York Times Book Review

"Part of what makes this book so brilliant is its bothandedness. It is both a searching historical work and a journalistic account of how these historic sites operate today. Its both carefully researched and lyrical. I mean Smith is a poet and the sentences in this book just are piercingly alive. And it's both extremely personal-it is the author's story-and extraordinarily sweeping. It amplifies lots of other voices. Past and present. Reading it I kept thinking about that great Alice Walker line 'All History is Current'." -

"The summer's most visionary work of nonfiction is this radical reckoning with slavery, as represented in the nation's monuments, plantations, and landmarks." -Adrienne Westenfeld, Esquire

"What [Smith] does, quite successfully, is show that we whitewash our history at our own risk. That history is literally still here, taking up acres of space, memorializing the past, and teaching us how we got to be where we are, and the way we are. Bury it now and it will only come calling later." -USA Today

"Both an honoring and an exposé of slavery's legacy in America and how this nation is built upon the experiences, blood, sweat and tears of the formerly enslaved." -The Root

"The detail and depth of the storytelling is vivid and visceral, making history present and real. Equally commendable is the care and compassion shown to those Smith interviews - whether tour guides or fellow visitors in these many spaces. Due to his care as an interviewer, the responses Smith elicits are resonant and powerful...Smith deftly connects the past, hiding in plain sight, with today's lingering effects." - Hope Wabuke, NPR

"Smith understands well that the narrative-formation that gives slavery its legacy and power is happening every day. By tour guides and curators and teachers. By the formerly-incarcerated. By those repositories of knowledge rarely considered as what they truly are: society's historians on the frontline...enthralling and engaging." - Kamil Ahsan, Boston Globe

"James Baldwin wrote that history 'is literally present in all that we do'; Smith's book illuminates that reality for slavery in America, interrogating the lies we tell ourselves and helping us see clearly so that we can chart a new path towards justice."-Ploughshares

"Inspired by the destruction of Confederate monuments in his native New Orleans, a poet takes to the road, plotting a journey that winds into the past, from Monticello to New York City to Louisiana's notorious Angola prison, drilling deep into the bedrock of our racist past." - Oprah Daily

"A powerful, timely book, one that we should all read over and over again, marking up the pages as we go. " - Bitch

"Stop by stop, Smith weaves a tapestry of willful ignorance before pointing the way toward improvement." - Stuart Miller, Los Angeles Times

"This is a brave and important book that needed to be written and demands to be read." -David Takami, Seattle Times

"Smith reveals and makes present for his readers the profoundly disturbing truths of what 'transpired in these places, of the systemic and strategic violence and abuse that enabled the society in which we now live... The book doesn't simply bring news of the past; it seeks to convey the urgency of that news in our troubled present." - Claire Messud, Harper's

"In this tremendously researched and fascinating book, Smith examines various sites in the United States (North as well as South) and Dakar, Senegal to uncover forgotten or suppressed histories that reveal the lengths to which we must confront our past in order to be a freer and more just society." - New York Observer

"This book is a beautiful, painful tour of some of the darkest and most complicated parts of American history that will make readers rethink the truth being told about the sins of our past that are still very much alive in the present." - The Daily Beast

"Clint Smith's How the Word is Passed is a book for this moment. At once a deeply researched history of American slavery and a very contemporary look at the grim legacy of its manifold cruelties (and how they are memorialized in plain sight), every high school senior in the country should have a copy of How the Word is Passed, the better to understand that 'yes this is who we are'."

"Clint Smith chronicles in vivid and meditative prose his travels to historical sites that are truth-telling or deceiving visitors about slavery. Humans enslaved Black people, and then too often enslaved history. But How the Word Is Passed frees history, frees humanity to reckon honestly with the legacy of slavery. We need this book." ―Ibram X. Kendi, National Book Award-winning author of Stamped from the Beginning

"In this stunning book, Clint Smith takes readers on a necessary journey. Like the best of the tour guides he meets, he tells us the truth with conviction and compassion, and he has much to teach, both about the history of slavery across America and about how to pass the word on." ―W. Caleb McDaniel, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Sweet Taste of Liberty

"A work of moral force and humility, How the Word is Passed offers a compelling account of the history and memory of slavery in America. Writing from Confederate Army cemeteries, former plantations, modern-day prisons, and other historical sites, Clint Smith moves seamlessly between past and present, revealing how slavery is remembered and misremembered-and why it matters. Engaging and wise, this book combines history and reportage, poem and memoir. It is a deep lesson and a reckoning."―Matthew Desmond, Pulitzer prize-winning author of Evicted

"A beautifully written, evocative, and timely meditation on the way slavery is commemorated in the United States." ―Annette Gordon-Reed, Pulitzer prize-winning author of The Hemingses of Monticello

"Clint Smith has given us a new lens for seeing the spaces we inhabit, the stories they tell, and the people who tell those stories. How the Word is Passed sheds light on the contested narratives beneath the surface of our collective national identity, inviting us to dig a little deeper, reminding us never to take received histories for granted."―Eve L. Ewing, author of 1919 and Ghosts in the Schoolyard

"There is perhaps no greater challenge than convincing a nation to remember what it would rather choose to forget. Clint Smith, one of our most thoughtful writers and thinkers, skillfully documents how echoes of enslavement remain everywhere... How the Word Is Passed is a vital, desperately-needed contribution to that reckoning."―Wesley Lowery, Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter and author of They Can't Kill Us All

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Beginning in his own hometown of New Orleans, Clint Smith leads the reader through an unforgettable tour of monuments and landmarks-those that are honest about the past and those that are not-that offer an intergenerational story of how slavery has been central in shaping our nation's collective his

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"Learning from the Germans: Race and Memory of Evil" by Susan Neiman (2019)

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"Learning from the Germans: Race and Memory of Evil" by Susan Neiman (2019)

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We build the future on the foundations of our past

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UNESCO Fight Illicit Trafficking (1970 Convention)

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UNESCO Fight Illicit Trafficking (1970 Convention)

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UNESCO Teaching Module: UNESCO's Mission for Peace and Education in a Changing World

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UNESCO Teaching Module: UNESCO's Mission for Peace and Education in a Changing World

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"How Did UNESCO Get So Politicized?" by Yasmeen Serhan (2017)

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"How Did UNESCO Get So Politicized?" by Yasmeen Serhan (2017)

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How Did UNESCO Get So Politicized_The Atlantic_2017

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The Golden Road: How Ancient India Transformed the World by William Dalrymple (2024)

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The Golden Road: How Ancient India Transformed the World by William Dalrymple (2024)

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At the height of the Roman empire, after its conquest of Egypt in 30BC, luxurious Indian goods suddenly became available to Europeans in unprecedented quantities. No one could resist them. So much gold and silver flowed away to India to pay for these things, grumbled Pliny the Elder, that the subcontinent had become "the sink of the world's most precious metals".

At a time when the yearly wage of a Roman soldier was about 900 sesterces, Pliny, a Roman miltiary commander and author, estimated that Indian merchants were annually draining the empire of at least 55m sesterces. He would have been horrified to know that, in fact, Indian imports into Egypt at this time were probably worth over a billion sesterces a year. Indian museums are said to hold more Roman coins than any other country outside the former empire.

All this, merely "to enable the Roman matron to flaunt see-through clothes in public", sneered Pliny. His carping that the imperial balance of trade had been wrecked by "women's decadent need to follow fashion" only underlines that, 2,000 years ago, the fabulous lightweight muslins and other cottons manufactured in India had become the most coveted textiles in the world. His dislike of India's spices ("It is quite surprising that the use of pepper has come so much into fashion," he wrote, "its only desirable quality being a certain pungency ..."), and of its famed gems and handicrafts, also made him an outlier among his compatriots. So addicted did Europeans become to Indian peppercorns that by the second century AD even soldiers guarding the far frontier of the empire at Hadrian's Wall in Britain craved Indian pepper to spice up their daily meals. In Rome itself, Caligula's consort Lollia Paulina proudly walked around wearing 40m sesterces' worth of Indian emeralds and pearls in her hair, around her neck and on her shoes.

India was the great religious and philosophical superpower of Eurasia, with lasting effects into the present

Forget the Silk Road, argues William Dalrymple in his dazzling new book. What came first, many centuries before that, was India's Golden Road, which stretched from the Roman empire in the west all the way to Korea and Japan in the far east. For more than a millennium, from about 250BC to AD1200,Indian goods, aesthetics and ideas dominated a vast "Indosphere". Indian merchants, travelling huge distances on the monsoon winds, reaped vast profits from its matchless cloth, spices, oils, jewellery, ivory, hardwoods, glass and furniture.

The Golden Road deftly charts these economic developments. But Dalrymple's larger theme is India's intellectual hegemony. As he shows, during this era India was the great religious and philosophical superpower of Eurasia, with lasting effects into the present.

The book focuses first on the spread of Buddhism, which from a marginal Indian sect in due course became central to Chinese, Japanese and Korean culture, as well as flourishing elsewhere in the region. It then traces the extraordinary adoption of Hindu and Sanskrit culture by rulers across south-east Asia who were swayed by the prestige of these Indian modes of thought and life. The greatest Buddhist and Hindu temples ever constructed lie not in India itself, but, respectively, at Borobodur on Java, and at Angkor Wat in Cambodia, the largest religious structure ever erected anywhere in the world. Finally, The Golden Road tells the gripping story of how fundamental astronomical and mathematical tools such as our modern number symbols, the decimal system, algebra, trigonometry and the algorithm were developed in India and spread across the world and, along with the Indian game of chess, eventually reached the backward cultures of Christian Europe.

Dalrymple is a born storyteller, with a wonderful facility for expounding complex events with verve and clarity. Like any successful synthesis, his text draws on vast reading as well as a keen eye for telling details. Yet it's also a deeply personal work. Before writing a string of acclaimed books about British imperial adventures in south Asia, he was already renowned as a chronicler of its esoteric religious traditions. The Golden Road,teeming with his own evocative descriptions of far-flung cave and forest temples, sculptures and wall paintings, is not just a historical study but also a love letter - to a lost syncretic world of interacting and evolving religious creeds and intellectual movements, when Indian ideas transformed the world.

The Golden Road: How Ancient India Transformed the World by William Dalrymple is published by Bloomsbury (£30). To support the Guardian and Observer, order your copy from guardianbookshop.com. Delivery charges may apply. Fara Dabhoiwala's What Is Free Speech? The History of a Dangerous Idea will be published by Penguin in March 2025

This article was amended on 8 September 2024 to correct the spelling of William Dalrymple's surname in the headline. It was amended again on 12 September 2024 to correct a reference to Roman soldiers at Hadrian's Wall. This should have read AD, not BC.

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The Golden Road by William Dalrymple review - when India ruled the world

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A dazzling account of the trade that enriched the subcontinent and allowed Romans to enjoy fabulous clothes, ivory, emeralds - and a dash of pepper

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Ice Sculpture spelling 'Democracy' melts (Oct 2025)

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Ice Sculpture spelling 'Democracy' melts (Oct 2025)

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Ice Sculpture Spelling ‘Democracy’ Melts on National Mall in Washington, DC

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The sculpture was made by conceptual artists Nora Ligorano and Marshall Reese, with activist Ben Cohen and his Up In Arms campaign.

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Yukiyo Kawano "Dwelling on my Falling" (2021)

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Yukiyo Kawano "Dwelling on my Falling" (2021)

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“Dwelling on my Falling”: Yukiyo Kawano’s Nuclear Vision - Asia-Pacific Journal: Japan Focus

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The Center of the Tokyo Raids and War Damage

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The Center of the Tokyo Raids and War Damage

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Striving to Teach the Value of Life and Peace to the Next Generation

In the early hours before dawn on 10 March, 1945, some three hundred American B-29 bombers took part in a carpet bombing raid on the Shitamachi (downtown) district of Tokyo. This highly populated area was quickly rendered a fiery hell that made refugees of one million persons and claimed the lives of an estimated one hundred thousand others. The raid was one of over a hundred such raids that eventually laid waste to sixty percent of the city's total area.

The Association to Record the Tokyo Air Raid has actively collected artifacts and documents detailing the extent of these air raids and war damages since 1970. In 1999, public plans for a Memorial Hall of Peace were frozen, and, in league with the Institute of Politics and Economy, the association saw no other choice but to seek private donations in an effort to build a proper edifice. With the cooperation of over four thousand donors, the present building was finally completed on 9 March, 2002. The land for the building, which is located in one of the areas most damaged by the raids, was donated by a single generous supporter.

In March 2007, further contributions from our kind patrons allowed additional space to be added to the building. As a result, we have been able to both expand our exhibits and create lecture space for groups of students touring Tokyo. This has enabled us to realize our objective of making the center a place of learning for young people.

We look forward to producing special exhibits in the future as well as to the center long serving as a focal point for further research and investigations into the topic of war damages. We sincerely desire that it serve as a place where young and old alike can learn the importance of life and foster a willing spirit to share that knowledge with others. With a firm determination to never allow the repetition of such tragic events and a refusal to allow the suffering of civilians to have been in vain, it is the center's earnest desire to pass knowledge on to future generations and stimulate the interaction of peace-loving individuals.

Katsumoto Saotome
Director, The Center of the Tokyo Raids and War Damage

"In Time of War"-- Statue of mother and child by Shin Kohno.

"Children's World Peace Statue (Tokyo)"-- Plans for this statue and diligent fundraising were conducted by Tokyo junior and senior high school students while studying about the effects of the conventional and atomic air raids.

This room on the second floor is used for viewing video material and holding seminars with survivor speakers for reserved groups. The walls are covered with photographs, maps, and original works of art that all illustrate the horrors of the air raid.

Survivor's seminar for students.

A map produced by the cente to show damaged areas.

"Blazing Road" by San-ichi Onozawa.

A collection of incendiary bombs, victims' belongings, survivors' documents and photographs, and other war-related materials is housed in this room on the third floor.

Wartime education and the student relocation program are the themes of the "Children and War" room.

This room re-creates daily life during air raid blackouts.

The "Thinking about War and Peace" corner highlights the writings, activities, and vision for the twenty-first century of the center's director, Katsumoto Saotome.

Actual size model of incendiary bomb clusters. Each weapon was designed to release thirty-eight smaller bombs before reaching the ground.

Child's fire-scarred kimono.

Tile and dish melted together by intense heat.

Shoulder bag, hat, and milk bottle of a child who was carried on its mother's back.

American strategic documents detailing the plans and results of the Tokyo air raid.

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In the early hours before dawn on 10 March, 1945, some three hundred American B-29 bombers took part in a carpet bombing raid on the Shitamachi (downtown) district of Tokyo. This highly populated area was quickly rendered a fiery hell that made refugees of one million persons and claimed the lives of an estimated one hundred thousand others.