New Book from Dr. Catherine Nichols! Exchanging Objects is based on her research at the Smithsonian Institution.
As an historical account of the exchange of 鈥渄uplicate specimens鈥� between anthropologists at the Smithsonian Institution and museums, collectors, and schools around the world in the late nineteenth century, this book reveals connections between both well-known museums and little-known local institutions, created through the exchange of museum objects. It explores how anthropologists categorized some objects in their collections as 鈥渄uplicate specimens,鈥� making them potential candidates for exchange. This historical form of what museum professionals would now call deaccessioning considers the intellectual and technical requirement of classifying objects in museums, and suggests that a deeper understanding of past museum practice can inform mission-driven contemporary museum work. Read the introduction .