Défense et illustration du Musée d’Ethnographie. Repairing Ethnography and exploring the notion of “French” American Collections through museum genealogies

This article brings together four episodes of French 19th century museal history through which to explore the tensions inherent to incorporating the (material) culture of others – in this case Pre-Columbian America – into national collections, and the process through which they become part of a nati...

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Main Author: Susana Stüssi Garcia
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Alma Diamond, University of Bologna 2025-03-01
Series:Museum, Materials and Discussions
Subjects:
Online Access:https://mmdjournal.unibo.it/article/view/21589
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author Susana Stüssi Garcia
author_facet Susana Stüssi Garcia
author_sort Susana Stüssi Garcia
collection DOAJ
description This article brings together four episodes of French 19th century museal history through which to explore the tensions inherent to incorporating the (material) culture of others – in this case Pre-Columbian America – into national collections, and the process through which they become part of a national patrimoine. As a guiding thread, we use not a particular collection but the idea of “American French collections” and their association to a specific type of national institution that used them abundantly in its historical genealogy: the idea of a “French national museum of ethnography.” We offer a historical panorama where Amerindian and Pre-Columbian French collections found themselves at the heart of several debates regarding the definition and function of the museum and during which the need to “repair” – either an object, a national institution or a concept – was invoked.
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series Museum, Materials and Discussions
spelling doaj-art-ba85629145034fef89df14ac5281eb342025-08-20T03:43:57ZengAlma Diamond, University of BolognaMuseum, Materials and Discussions3034-96992025-03-0121659310.6092/issn.3034-9699/2158919967Défense et illustration du Musée d’Ethnographie. Repairing Ethnography and exploring the notion of “French” American Collections through museum genealogiesSusana Stüssi Garcia0Independent researcherThis article brings together four episodes of French 19th century museal history through which to explore the tensions inherent to incorporating the (material) culture of others – in this case Pre-Columbian America – into national collections, and the process through which they become part of a national patrimoine. As a guiding thread, we use not a particular collection but the idea of “American French collections” and their association to a specific type of national institution that used them abundantly in its historical genealogy: the idea of a “French national museum of ethnography.” We offer a historical panorama where Amerindian and Pre-Columbian French collections found themselves at the heart of several debates regarding the definition and function of the museum and during which the need to “repair” – either an object, a national institution or a concept – was invoked.https://mmdjournal.unibo.it/article/view/21589ethnographical museumspre-columbian artfrench national collectionsaméricanismee.t. hamy
spellingShingle Susana Stüssi Garcia
Défense et illustration du Musée d’Ethnographie. Repairing Ethnography and exploring the notion of “French” American Collections through museum genealogies
Museum, Materials and Discussions
ethnographical museums
pre-columbian art
french national collections
américanisme
e.t. hamy
title Défense et illustration du Musée d’Ethnographie. Repairing Ethnography and exploring the notion of “French” American Collections through museum genealogies
title_full Défense et illustration du Musée d’Ethnographie. Repairing Ethnography and exploring the notion of “French” American Collections through museum genealogies
title_fullStr Défense et illustration du Musée d’Ethnographie. Repairing Ethnography and exploring the notion of “French” American Collections through museum genealogies
title_full_unstemmed Défense et illustration du Musée d’Ethnographie. Repairing Ethnography and exploring the notion of “French” American Collections through museum genealogies
title_short Défense et illustration du Musée d’Ethnographie. Repairing Ethnography and exploring the notion of “French” American Collections through museum genealogies
title_sort defense et illustration du musee d ethnographie repairing ethnography and exploring the notion of french american collections through museum genealogies
topic ethnographical museums
pre-columbian art
french national collections
américanisme
e.t. hamy
url https://mmdjournal.unibo.it/article/view/21589
work_keys_str_mv AT susanastussigarcia defenseetillustrationdumuseedethnographierepairingethnographyandexploringthenotionoffrenchamericancollectionsthroughmuseumgenealogies