Retrospective Thinking: Decolonizing Minerals at National Museums Scotland

Abstract

This paper explores the mineral specimens held by the Science and Technology department at National Museums Scotland (NMS). It examines what these objects and their provenance reveal about the Museum’s collecting methods and how they reflect and perpetuate colonial attitudes in Britain in the nineteenth century. It is informed by recent work moving the Science and Technology collection to new storage, prompting detailed examination of each object and its records. 

Case studies show that stories of the people involved in mining and manufacturing processes are absent from NMS documentation while the collectors and Museum staff loom large. Archival research can remedy this to an extent, but it is time consuming and still leaves an incomplete picture. 

The paper considers whether it is possible to set about retrospectively compensating for stories not told and how we can ensure documentation for our contemporary collecting does not follow a similarly biased pattern.