Many natural history institutions built their collections by taking scientific specimens while on colonial expeditions, and the implementation of human culture or specimens rarely took consent of the parties involved into account. On a study abroad trip to London, England in January of 2024, I examined a few examples of colonial expeditions, racist rhetoric, and lack of autonomy within the field of Natural History. This research was completed in part through archival research, at both The Wellcome Collection and The Royal Society, and in part through visiting several natural history institutions, which include the Natural History Museum in South Kensington, the Hunterian Museum at the Royal College of Surgeons of England, and the London Zoo. Archival documents revealed that a broad definition of science emboldened those in power to dehumanize and alienate indigenous groups in the quest for knowledge. Institutional visits revealed that the displays surrounding specimens, both alive and preserved, play into cultural stereotypes and sometimes fail to acknowledge the bitter past of natural history. My research provides examples as to the continued prevalence of colonial ideology within the field of natural history. Along with other researchers and activists, my work highlights the need to discuss the decolonization of natural history, and the need to address the past and present inequalities of science, thus creating a more just, equitable, and diverse science of the future.
Author(s): Lizzy Childers, Zoology
Advisor(s): Kimberly Hamlin, Department of History
You must be logged in to post a comment.