Echoes from the Museum

In this final episode, the spotlight falls on the Museum itself as Jack Ashby and Lainy Malkani ask what is to be gained from uncovering the hidden human stories behind natural history collections. A far greater diversity of people were involved in building these scientifically invaluable collections than has traditionally been told. By telling these histories more completely, museums can only increase their relevance. Can these new ways of seeing collections in museums can help to bring about a shift in colonial thinking in the museum sector, one that ensures that the human story behind the collections continues to be told?

Takeaways

• The human story behind natural history collections is crucial.
• Honesty about collection histories makes museums more relevant.
• Alfred Russell Wallace's contributions are often overshadowed.
• Local collectors like Ali played significant roles in scientific discoveries.
• Museums can tell richer stories by acknowledging diverse contributors.
• Specimens in museums connect us to stories of extinction.
• Research into collections can unlock new scientific insights.
• Indigenous knowledge is vital in understanding biodiversity.
• Museums need to address their historical narratives.
• The relevance of museums can be enhanced through storytelling.

Chapters

00:00 Exploring the Human Stories Behind Natural History

02:07 The Legacy of Alfred Russell Wallace

05:57 Unlocking Hidden Histories in Museum Collections

08:48 The Importance of Relevance and Honesty in Museums

In this second episode, Lainy Malkani and Jack Ashby head to the storerooms of the University Museum of Zoology in Cambridge to take a closer look at one of the world’s finest collections of thylacine skins. They explore how what was done to thylacines and what was done to Tasmanian Aboriginal people was part of the same historical process. As populations of both were diminished, demand for their remains in western museums rocketed. 

The man who sent the skins to Cambridge was Morton Allport. Recent research has revealed an uncomfortable truth about how Allport built his reputation as a leading “man of science”, by both stoking that demand, and working to fulfil it.

Listeners should be aware that we will be discussing events that involved racial violence in Tasmania.

Takeaways

• The thylacine represents both extinction and colonial violence.
• Morton Alport's collection methods were unscientific and brutal.
• Alport's legacy is intertwined with the genocide of Aboriginal people.
• Museum specimens often reflect colonial biases and narratives.
• The term 'collector' can be misleading in museum contexts.
• Alport's actions raise ethical questions about scientific practices.
• The human story behind collections is often overlooked.
• New perspectives can shift colonial thinking in museums.
• Understanding the past is crucial for future museum practices.
• The relationship between collectors and institutions shapes scientific reputations.

Chapters

00:00 Exploring the Human Story Behind Natural History

03:02 The Thylacine: A Symbol of Extinction and Colonialism

06:07 Morton Alport: The Collector or the Broker?

12:08 Revisiting Colonial Narratives in Museum Collections

Today, natural history museums are starting to research the deeper histories of how their collections were built, and this is revealing some surprising and troubling stories. 

Thylacines, or Tasmanian tigers, are icons of extinction, and some of the world’s best-preserved specimens are in University Museum of Zoology, Cambridge. This series explores new research there, uncovering an uncomfortable truth about how the history of the extinction of the thylacine had strong parallels with the violent events that took place in Tasmania in the nineteenth century. 

Join zoologist and author Jack Ashby (University of Cambridge), journalist and academic Lainy Malkani (University of the Arts London), and Elder uncle Hank Horton, a Pakana man from Trooloolway mob, lutruwita, Tasmania, for a conversation about thylacines, museum collecting, and why it’s important to tell these difficult stories. 

The series is part of a unique art/science collaboration between the Sonic Screen Lab, UAL (Lainy Malkani, Professor Shreepali Patel & Julia Schauerman), Hank Horton, and the University Museum of Zoology, Cambridge (Jack Ashby).

Listeners should be aware that we will be discussing events that involved racial violence in Tasmania.

Takeaways

• The thylacine's extinction is linked to colonial violence.
• Colonialism had a devastating impact on Aboriginal populations.
• The human stories behind museum collections are often overlooked.
• Aboriginal culture emphasizes a deep connection to the land.
• Hank Horton shares insights on traditional Aboriginal practices.
• The thylacine was the largest marsupial carnivore of modern times.
• Genocide definitions apply to the treatment of Tasmanian Aboriginal people.
• The parallels between human and animal extinction are profound.
• Preservation efforts were not prioritized by colonizers.
• Understanding these histories is crucial for modern conservation efforts.

Chapters

00:00 Exploring the Human Story Behind Extinction

02:52 Colonial Violence and the Thylacine's Extinction

06:12 Aboriginal Connection to Country and Culture

09:05 Parallels Between Human and Animal Extinction

12:20 The Legacy of Collectors and Specimens