Have national museums had their day?

The concept of the national museum which developed during the 18th and 19th Centuries coincided with the age of exploration, emerging science and empire building. The grand stone structures of these museums reflected a sense of national pride. They were places where members of the public could see specimens and artefacts representing other cultures from around the world.

But since those early days, the provenance of many collections has come under increased scrutiny. Today numerous artefacts taken or looted from different countries, often during times of war or occupation, are at the centre of repatriation disputes. The world has changed dramatically since the birth of the first national museums and what they represented, so can they stay relevant or have national museums had their day?

(Photo: A statue of an elephant with trunk up at the National Museum of Natural History, one of the Smithsonian Institution Museums in Washington DC. USA. Credit: BBC/Alex Segre/BBC Images)

Contributors:
Samuel J Redman, professor of history, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, USA
Prof Dr Patricia Rahemipour, director, Institute for Museum Research, Berlin, Germany
Dr Julien Volper, curator, Royal Museum for Central Africa, Tervuren, Belgium
Dr Mathew Trinca, professor of museum practise, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia

Presenter: Charmaine Cozier
Producer: Jill Collins
Researcher: Evie Yabsley
Technical producer: Mitch Goodall
Production co-ordinator: Ellie Dover
Production management assistant: Liam Morrey
Editor: Tom Bigwood