The Museum of Other People

Praise

“A nuanced, informative look at the history, development, and future of museums of anthropology and ethnology. . . . This highly recommended work . . . challenges preconceptions and encourages readers to think critically about this complex and important issue.”
—Library Journal, starred review

“Authoritative . . . [A] vigorous examination of ethnography and anthropology museums. . . . Kuper’s deeply researched history. . . . advocates for cosmopolitan museums that can transcend ‘ethnic and national identities’ and ‘challenge boundaries.’ A vibrant cultural history.”
—Kirkus Reviews, starred review

“Kuper’s case is strong and his voice—erudite and elegiac—commands respect as the summation of a long and honourable life in the service of anthropology.”
—Times Literary Supplement (UK)
 
“A provocative look at questions of ethnography, ownership and restitution . . . the argument [Kuper] makes in The Museum of Other People is important precisely because just about no one else is making it. He asks the questions that others are too shy to pose. . . . Required reading.”
—Financial Times (UK)
 
“[A] tale of the evolution of these now endangered disciplines and the institutions created for their exposition. . . . Kuper is adamant that, ultimately, ‘the local cannot be curtained off from the global.’”
—The Telegraph (UK)
 
“Kuper suggests we need to think carefully about the complex and often contradictory histories of the objects in our museums. . . . Highly readable—not least because he articulates quite a lot of things that other museum commentators possibly think, but don’t dare say. . . . fascinating.”
—The Times (UK)
 
“Kuper exposes the limits of contemporary curators who seek to atone for the colonial past. . . . He suggests that they are as fuelled by romantic and relativistic ideas of difference as their forebears. . . . [and] puts forward the case for a ‘Cosmopolitan Museum’ that transcends ethnic and national identities, in which comparisons and connections are made—one that is guided less by politicking than rigorous inquiry.”
—Literary Review (UK)
 
“Debates rage about the appropriateness of objects displayed in many anthropological exhibitions amid accusations they perpetuate poisonous imperialist narratives. . . . Kuper uses a historical approach to explore these contemporary controversies. . . . [and] makes the case that we should not throw out the baby with the bathwater by also rejecting the very idea of anthropological expertise.”
—The Times Higher Education (UK)