Image: British Museum (Regina Victorica)
Survey of British public shows just over half believe the museum should have a permanent display on the transatlantic slave trade.
A new survey suggests the majority of people would be in favour of an exhibition on the transatlantic slave trade at the British Museum.
An online poll conducted by YouGov asked more than 2,000 people ‘Do you think the British Museum should have a permanent display about Britain’s role in the trade of enslaved African people?’.
Just over half (52.7%) said yes, while 22.3% said they didn’t know, and 25.6% said no.
A higher percentage of those surveyed, 72%, reportedly agreed with the statement “As a society, public education about the reality of the British Empire is important in order for us to understand Britain’s multicultural society today.”
Two thirds of those surveyed, 66%, said they agree that the British Museum has a role in educating the public about Britain’s history in the trade of enslaved African people.
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The study was jointly commissioned by non-profit organisation The Good Law Project and The World Reimagined, a UK-based public art and education initiative that uses sculpture trails and community programs to explore the history and legacy of the transatlantic slave trade.
The two groups yesterday sent an open letter to the British Museum’s Director, Nicholas Cullinan.
The letter reads: “We all recognise that the British Museum is a powerful cultural institution, sharing narratives, cultures and histories with a global audience. Quite rightly, the British Museum seeks to document Britain’s role in the world, bridging the gap between the past, present and future.
“However, in all of that, there is no exhibition on the transatlantic trade in enslaved African people.”
The letter goes on to say that in the museum’s Room 46, which is dedicated to European history at the time of transatlantic enslavement, there are signs which read “trade and discovery” “encounters with Africa, Asia and the Americas (which) reshaped the European world view,” and “European settlement in North America and the Caribbean financed by profitable crops of sugar and tobacco”.
The letter argues that this room “should not be judged by what’s inside it but instead, by what it is missing. Good history is about telling a whole story, not a selective or convenient one.”
It continues: “The Museum must acknowledge Britain’s role in the trade in enslaved African people in order to serve the British public, who deserve to understand their own history.”
Addressing Cullinan directly, it reads: “History is about unsettling settled facts. In your role as Director you are leading this transformation, and we ask that one of the priorities for the project is to take action on this omission.”
A second open letter was sent to Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy, which encourages the Secretary of State to “set the priorities for the Museum”, adding that its “Masterplan project is a vital opportunity for ensuring that a confident 21st century Britain can be honest about what is still recent history, a shared history that has shaped Britain profoundly and the lives of millions of people here and all over the world.”
A British Museum spokesperson told The Guardian: “Our current exhibition created by the contemporary artist Hew Locke looks fully and critically at the issue of the transatlantic slave trade, and the Enlightenment Gallery has a permanent dedicated display. We also have a Collecting and Empire trail, which explores how the collection was shaped by this period of history.
“We recognise our role in educating visitors on all aspects of human history and evolving displays, so we are providing our visitors with the best possible experience.”
