Objects and Empire (Museums and the Politics of Ownership)

Confronts the V&A’s imperial past through 12 powerful object histories that illuminate the urgent ethical challenges of restitution and decolonization today

The history of the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) is intimately connected to the story of British imperialism. From its founding moment at the 1851 Great Exhibition—with its celebratory display of colonial treasures—to its position as a repository for the loot and booty, as well as gift and purchases, of various military and scientific expeditions, the galleries of South Kensington necessarily reflect the long history of British expansion abroad. Today, the museum is leading the conversation in the UK surrounding the question of restitution and repatriation of contested heritage.

In Objects and Empire, V&A director Tristram Hunt brings together 12 stories from the history of the museum to illustrate the complexities of the V&A’s current work, and the context in which it should be seen. Drawing on well-known treasures from the V&A’s collection, from Tipu’s Tiger to the Agra Colonnade, the book tackles some of the most pressing and topical issues in contemporary museum ethics, asking what responsibilities museums bear as they confront the moral demand to decolonise their collections.