I completely agree with you. I think your article could inspire the kind of questions people ask of their museums. I am going to share it with my friend, John Immerwahr, who has produced a number of wonderful short videos related to exhibits in the Philadelphia Museum of Art. His son, Daniel has had several articles in the New Yorker and New York Review of Books. Daniel is a superior historian/writer from Northwestern University. https://johnimmerwahr.org/projects/ and her is a link to one of the videos featuring Daniel, and it's really tremendous: https://youtu.be/TnI4l6rFuHI?si=mGUq9RfgXrc7MuBb
Thank you Margaret! You've shared John Immerwahr's super cool talk about Guano with me and appreciate you providing the link here for others who may be interested. I admire his work enormously and am flattered you will send it on to him.
Well said! I agree, those empty spaces should inspire questions and conversations about where the pieces come from and why they are no longer on display. We can learn from empty spaces. Thank you for this.
As it is now, from what you observed in this instance, this action is serving more as censorship than anything else, at least from the perspective of an unknowing visitor to The Met. I hope your post plays in part in rectifying this situation!
I think there are museums all across the country now grappling with questions about the provenance of their collections. Making their research and reparations more transparent might bring in more visitors to the museum and fill the empty spaces with more meaningful explanations of their holdings currently in their care. Let's hope so!
I think I would be guilty of passing a glance at an empty display case with no thought as to why. After reading your post, I'll be more aware of empty museum exhibits and question exactly why that is.
I confess that if I hadn't been looking to see what had been emptied from The Met, I may have simply passed on by. The museum makes it so easy. The design of this emptied exhibit provides the cultural affordances to guide the visitor through without asking questions. The experience is structured in a way which silences and erases the crime of cultural looting. Museums need to be a place where questions are welcome.
If they had taken digital images and created a virtual exhibition of the objects it would have held the visitors attention. The message of why it was important to return the objects could have been more effectively communicated, as well as sharing an understanding of the culture of the people who owned the object.
Thanks for sharing this! I imagine that people looking back 100 years from now (assuming we haven’t done ourselves in) will shake their heads at the way we dealt with all of this.
“Nothing to see here,” right that’s a missed opportunity Met thank you for highlighting this Jill. Appreciate reinforcing how possession seemed the goal as well as “How did this sacred object come into the possession of Mrs. John Crosby Brown?” That I would really like to know. Sad to hear it’s taken over 30 years to return items. I’m sure there’s more and great idea that museums could use pictures to educate. TY!
Mrs. John Crosby Brown is an interesting figure about whom I have not yet found out much about. She traveled across several continents amassing quite a collection. Searching for biographical information about her and coming up empty-handed. Clearly a woman who had her own ideas and interests and enjoyed the privileges afforded to her through her husband and father to pursue them. Appreciate your feedback that museums might offer new ways to engage the public in reckoning with the past.
Thanks for this! I have been researching art repatriation for my own work and find the overlap of law, art history, anthropology, and ethics really fascinating.
I remember visiting the Getty before it moved to its current location and feeling odd about the visit. Now I know I was beginning to unwire a lifetime of programming around Empire, art, and museums.
Did you see the wonderful Join Oliver episode on this? Definitely part of this conversation you open here. Thanks for introducing me to Erin Thompson!
Glad to find someone else who is fascinated by this interdisciplinary exploration. Your visit to the Getty reminds me of my own visceral response to museums visits. "Now I know I was beginning to unwire a lifetime of programming around Empire, art and museums." Emily, I hadn't seen the John Oliver segment and laughed! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YE7DpRjDd-U
It would be great if your article could be shared with someone at the MET and their counterparts in other museums, because I feel you offer a lot of suggestions for moving forward. I am not very knowledgeable about these circumstances with American museums, but I am a little familiar with the struggles in Greece to have pieces returned that were stolen many years ago. The late Melina Mecouri and her husband, Jules Dassin, continued throughout their lives to campaign for the return of Greek artifacts and relics. Some have been, but many, many more could be returned and should be returned. Of course, I especially appreciate all your suggestions that contribute to adult education.
How fascinating to hear about the work Melina Mecouri and Jules Dassin in repatriating Greek artifacts and relics. The Parthenon marbles don't belong in the British Museum and yet a year ago this was still under debate in the UK. While I'd love it if someone at The Met paid attention to my piece, I think it more important for me to invite readers to begin asking questions of the museums they patronize about their collections. The public needs to be involved in this work. Yes to more adult ed!
Any '80s kid from Oshkosh (& certainly those who came before us) will tell you about the Native mummy who "lived" in the basement of the Oshkosh Public Library. We'd see her on field trips! The child in me was sad to learn she had been "removed" (or returned) to her rightful location, but the adult in me (the citizen in me, the scholar in me) says, "Phew." That just makes sense!
I don't know this story, Laura Jean. This is wild to hear about. There is a story to be told in the removal (hopefully returned?). When I was at the U of Chicago one of my favorite places to visit was the Oriental Institute. Real Egyptian mummies and so much more! Only last year did they change their name to the Institute for the Study of Ancient Cultures. The reckoning work has been a long time coming. Orientalism is one more version of colonialism.
My friend Ginny works at (& has worked at) the OPM for years, and she confirmed much of this for me. I will try to find out more to pass along. Yes, so many things & name changes a long time coming. I’ve been teaching some mid 20th century stuff lately & some of the language surrounding gender & race — so outmoded — has to be explained to Gen Z!
I've been to the old Oshkosh Public Library downtown and it is an amazing civic temple. I can only imagine what has been down in their basement over the years. I'll be curious to hear what you find out.
Thank you for this article and for pointing out the obvious--just emptying the display case of sacred objects will not create discussion or connection. I hope that changes. We've had stolen items in our museums for a long time and it will take a focused effort over time to correct this. I appreciate your questions and exploration.
When I saw this article, I thought ohhh what has the Met put there to further explain both the repatriation and the items sent back. Stunned that they didn’t think this through. Perhaps they have an entire virtual reality exhibit in the works, like the ones in Europe that makes history come alive. As a Pollyanna I am going to believe it is in the works. Or at least it will be after they see Jill’s note. 😏
The Met has had plenty of time to think things through. I'm sure the attorneys helped craft the language in these statements. The fight to return Cambodian art continues in the courts. The Met has handled this quite differently than a couple of decades ago when they dealt with the provenance of Nazi-era looted art in collections. They can do better now.
I completely agree with you. I think your article could inspire the kind of questions people ask of their museums. I am going to share it with my friend, John Immerwahr, who has produced a number of wonderful short videos related to exhibits in the Philadelphia Museum of Art. His son, Daniel has had several articles in the New Yorker and New York Review of Books. Daniel is a superior historian/writer from Northwestern University. https://johnimmerwahr.org/projects/ and her is a link to one of the videos featuring Daniel, and it's really tremendous: https://youtu.be/TnI4l6rFuHI?si=mGUq9RfgXrc7MuBb
Thank you Margaret! You've shared John Immerwahr's super cool talk about Guano with me and appreciate you providing the link here for others who may be interested. I admire his work enormously and am flattered you will send it on to him.
Well said! I agree, those empty spaces should inspire questions and conversations about where the pieces come from and why they are no longer on display. We can learn from empty spaces. Thank you for this.
Thank you. Empty spaces can open minds.
As it is now, from what you observed in this instance, this action is serving more as censorship than anything else, at least from the perspective of an unknowing visitor to The Met. I hope your post plays in part in rectifying this situation!
I think there are museums all across the country now grappling with questions about the provenance of their collections. Making their research and reparations more transparent might bring in more visitors to the museum and fill the empty spaces with more meaningful explanations of their holdings currently in their care. Let's hope so!
I think I would be guilty of passing a glance at an empty display case with no thought as to why. After reading your post, I'll be more aware of empty museum exhibits and question exactly why that is.
I confess that if I hadn't been looking to see what had been emptied from The Met, I may have simply passed on by. The museum makes it so easy. The design of this emptied exhibit provides the cultural affordances to guide the visitor through without asking questions. The experience is structured in a way which silences and erases the crime of cultural looting. Museums need to be a place where questions are welcome.
If they had taken digital images and created a virtual exhibition of the objects it would have held the visitors attention. The message of why it was important to return the objects could have been more effectively communicated, as well as sharing an understanding of the culture of the people who owned the object.
Exactly. A missed opportunity to make amends.
Thanks for sharing this! I imagine that people looking back 100 years from now (assuming we haven’t done ourselves in) will shake their heads at the way we dealt with all of this.
Different times and these women who did something independent of their husbands that interested them. There is something remarkable about that.
That’s true! At a time when they had no legal rights to anything.
Great piece, Jill! Thanks for making me think in a new way.
Thank you for reading and feedback.
“Nothing to see here,” right that’s a missed opportunity Met thank you for highlighting this Jill. Appreciate reinforcing how possession seemed the goal as well as “How did this sacred object come into the possession of Mrs. John Crosby Brown?” That I would really like to know. Sad to hear it’s taken over 30 years to return items. I’m sure there’s more and great idea that museums could use pictures to educate. TY!
Mrs. John Crosby Brown is an interesting figure about whom I have not yet found out much about. She traveled across several continents amassing quite a collection. Searching for biographical information about her and coming up empty-handed. Clearly a woman who had her own ideas and interests and enjoyed the privileges afforded to her through her husband and father to pursue them. Appreciate your feedback that museums might offer new ways to engage the public in reckoning with the past.
Thanks for this! I have been researching art repatriation for my own work and find the overlap of law, art history, anthropology, and ethics really fascinating.
I remember visiting the Getty before it moved to its current location and feeling odd about the visit. Now I know I was beginning to unwire a lifetime of programming around Empire, art, and museums.
Did you see the wonderful Join Oliver episode on this? Definitely part of this conversation you open here. Thanks for introducing me to Erin Thompson!
Glad to find someone else who is fascinated by this interdisciplinary exploration. Your visit to the Getty reminds me of my own visceral response to museums visits. "Now I know I was beginning to unwire a lifetime of programming around Empire, art and museums." Emily, I hadn't seen the John Oliver segment and laughed! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YE7DpRjDd-U
Oh wonderful! And yes- I live in all the seams! Happy to find a kindred spirit!
It would be great if your article could be shared with someone at the MET and their counterparts in other museums, because I feel you offer a lot of suggestions for moving forward. I am not very knowledgeable about these circumstances with American museums, but I am a little familiar with the struggles in Greece to have pieces returned that were stolen many years ago. The late Melina Mecouri and her husband, Jules Dassin, continued throughout their lives to campaign for the return of Greek artifacts and relics. Some have been, but many, many more could be returned and should be returned. Of course, I especially appreciate all your suggestions that contribute to adult education.
How fascinating to hear about the work Melina Mecouri and Jules Dassin in repatriating Greek artifacts and relics. The Parthenon marbles don't belong in the British Museum and yet a year ago this was still under debate in the UK. While I'd love it if someone at The Met paid attention to my piece, I think it more important for me to invite readers to begin asking questions of the museums they patronize about their collections. The public needs to be involved in this work. Yes to more adult ed!
Any '80s kid from Oshkosh (& certainly those who came before us) will tell you about the Native mummy who "lived" in the basement of the Oshkosh Public Library. We'd see her on field trips! The child in me was sad to learn she had been "removed" (or returned) to her rightful location, but the adult in me (the citizen in me, the scholar in me) says, "Phew." That just makes sense!
I don't know this story, Laura Jean. This is wild to hear about. There is a story to be told in the removal (hopefully returned?). When I was at the U of Chicago one of my favorite places to visit was the Oriental Institute. Real Egyptian mummies and so much more! Only last year did they change their name to the Institute for the Study of Ancient Cultures. The reckoning work has been a long time coming. Orientalism is one more version of colonialism.
My friend Ginny works at (& has worked at) the OPM for years, and she confirmed much of this for me. I will try to find out more to pass along. Yes, so many things & name changes a long time coming. I’ve been teaching some mid 20th century stuff lately & some of the language surrounding gender & race — so outmoded — has to be explained to Gen Z!
I've been to the old Oshkosh Public Library downtown and it is an amazing civic temple. I can only imagine what has been down in their basement over the years. I'll be curious to hear what you find out.
Thank you for this article and for pointing out the obvious--just emptying the display case of sacred objects will not create discussion or connection. I hope that changes. We've had stolen items in our museums for a long time and it will take a focused effort over time to correct this. I appreciate your questions and exploration.
Emptying the cases is not enough, though it is at least a start. The hard work lies ahead.
When I saw this article, I thought ohhh what has the Met put there to further explain both the repatriation and the items sent back. Stunned that they didn’t think this through. Perhaps they have an entire virtual reality exhibit in the works, like the ones in Europe that makes history come alive. As a Pollyanna I am going to believe it is in the works. Or at least it will be after they see Jill’s note. 😏
The Met has had plenty of time to think things through. I'm sure the attorneys helped craft the language in these statements. The fight to return Cambodian art continues in the courts. The Met has handled this quite differently than a couple of decades ago when they dealt with the provenance of Nazi-era looted art in collections. They can do better now.
Actually the talk is by Daniel, but indeed it was first identified to me by his Dad. I've already sent this article by you to John.
Oh, gosh, yes. My apologies for confusing father and son. Both are brilliant scholars!