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