Dethroning historical reputations: universities, museums and the commemoration of benefactors

Description

The essays in this interdisciplinary collection are drawn from a conference at the Institute of Historical Research in the University of London. Historians, fundraisers, a sociologist and a museum director examine these current issues from different perspectives, with an introductory essay by Sir David Cannadine, president of the British Academy. Together they explore an emerging conflict between the past and present, history and ideology, and benefactors and their critics. Published as part of the IHR Shorts Series by the Institute of Historical Research. List of illustrations Preface Notes on contributors 1. Introduction 2. Commentary on universities, museums and the commemoration of benefactors 3. The English civic universities: endowments and the commemoration of benefactors 4. Donors to an imperial project: Randlords as benefactors to the Royal School of Mines, Imperial College of Science and Technology 5. The expectations of benefactors and a responsibility to endow 6. The funder’s perspective 7. Calibrating relevance at the Pitt Rivers Museum 8. From objects of enlightenment to objects of apology: why you can’t make amends for the past by plundering the present 9. British universities and Caribbean slavery 10. Risk and reputation: the London blue plaques scheme 11. ‘A dreary record of wickedness’: moral judgement in history 12. We have been here before: ‘Rhodes Must Fall’ in historical context Bibliography Index