Repatriation, display and interpretation

Abstract

The British Museum and the National Museum of Wales have lent the finds from Kendrick's Cave, in Llandudno, north Wales, for display and storage at Llandudno Museum; and the British Museum has sent the famous body from Lindow Moss, near Manchester, to be shown at the Manchester Museum, 100km away in England. How should metropolitan or national museums relate to provincial museums? Should there be more such loans? The exhibition in Manchester deliberately raises another question too: how – if at all – should human remains be displayed?

Us and Them: who benefits from experimental exhibition making?

“…A Bog Body Mystery gave rise to a huge increase in comment card feedback; divided opinion sharply within the Museum; prompted three measured critiques in academic and professional journals (Rees Leahy 2008;Burch 2008;James 2008), and triggered a blast of invective from media blog Manchester Confidential. 20 Loathed by some, the exhibition was feted by others: it was listed by The Times as a top 5 attraction; 21 was named in December 2008 by the Museums Journal as one of two outstanding exhibitions of the year outside London, and won the temporary exhibition category of the national Design Week awards 2009.…”

“…This definitely did not work for everyone, but it seems clear from the research that almost all the participating visitors learned something, were moved by the experience and felt able to contribute to the debate surrounding the 'bog body mystery'. In his review of the Lindow Man exhibition, James (2008) both posed and answered the question, 'Other than students, should a museum challenge its visitors?' He responded, 'Public life in Britain badly needs the imaginative quality of critique offered by Lindow Man.'…”

Silk Road riches no embarrassment

“…Some Uyghurs do claim her as theirs (Pringle 2010: 30-31). Nor does acknowledgement of sensitivities necessarily satisfy everyone, as witness recent experience in Britain, for one (James 2008;Sitch 2008;Sayer 2009). What, then, of exhibits 'which have a strong affective and emotional impact' (Uzzell & Ballantyne 1998: 154)?…”