Curiosities or science in the National Museum of Victoria

Rethinking the nineteenth‐century museum via the Ottoman imperial museum

“…In fact, many of Abdülhamid's archeological gifts were not strictly speaking gifts, but rather bargaining chips through which he sought to facilitate the construction of railways throughout the empire. 16 Gareth Knapman, amongst others, notes that nineteenth-century museum collections were often built via an exchange of items between institutions (Knapman, 2017). Citing Martin Rudwick, he argues that such gift exchanges were "part of the 'republic of letters' and a backbone to scholarly engagement" (Rudwick, 2005, p. 39, cited in Knapman, 2017.…”

“…Gareth Knapman, amongst others, notes that nineteenth‐century museum collections were often built via an exchange of items between institutions (Knapman, 2017). Citing Martin Rudwick, he argues that such gift exchanges were “part of the ‘republic of letters’ and a backbone to scholarly engagement” (Rudwick, 2005, p. 39, cited in Knapman, 2017, p. 98).…”

“…Gareth Knapman, amongst others, notes that nineteenth‐century museum collections were often built via an exchange of items between institutions (Knapman, 2017). Citing Martin Rudwick, he argues that such gift exchanges were “part of the ‘republic of letters’ and a backbone to scholarly engagement” (Rudwick, 2005, p. 39, cited in Knapman, 2017, p. 98). Building on Endersby's argument, he further posits that such gift exchanges (in contradistinction to commercial exchanges) “gave greater power to the periphery” (Endersby, 2008; Knapman, 2017, p. 91).…”

“…Citing Martin Rudwick, he argues that such gift exchanges were “part of the ‘republic of letters’ and a backbone to scholarly engagement” (Rudwick, 2005, p. 39, cited in Knapman, 2017, p. 98). Building on Endersby's argument, he further posits that such gift exchanges (in contradistinction to commercial exchanges) “gave greater power to the periphery” (Endersby, 2008; Knapman, 2017, p. 91). Though Abdülhamid's and Ottomans' peripheral position could be likened to colonial context that Knapman and others discuss as I already mentioned, Abdülhamid's gifts still stand apart because they are not circulated in a scholarly framework of research and collection building, but are more directly political and economic in their aims.…”