Manchester Museum Displays Colonial-Era African Objects

Why this is here: The Manchester Museum admits it has almost no records detailing the origins of the 40,000 African objects in its collection.

The Manchester Museum in England opened an “Africa Hub” to display roughly 40,000 objects from Africa. These items entered the museum’s collection during the height of the British Empire through donation, theft, or force. Museum curators acknowledge they lack detailed records about where most of the objects originated.

The new hub aims to gather missing information with help from the public. An online platform allows people in Africa and worldwide to contribute to identifying the objects.

The museum hopes this collaborative effort will improve how the objects are displayed and inform future discussions about potential restitution. However, tracing the origins of all 40,000 objects presents a considerable challenge. The museum continues to research the provenance of these items.