The Body in the Museum

Abstract

Describes changing cultural values and attitudes toward the display of human remains in museums, using two case studies to examine the subject in detail. The authors discuss the enduring popularity of mummies and bog bodies in museums and the history of displaying human remains, including the embalmed bodies of Lenin and Eva Peron and the example of Jeremy Bentham's will, which requested the display of his preserved remains. They also examine ownership of human remains as well as cultural sensitivities in various cultural groups regarding the unsanctioned disturbance of human remains. Legal and ethical frameworks governing the display of remains are discussed in detail, including museum codes of ethics. The first of two case studies is the exhibition "London Bodies" at the Museum of London, which sought to explore how the physical appearance of Londoners varied from prehistory to the present day with archaeological and historical evidence. Skeletal material, facial reconstructions, and analytical information was presented to illustrate the effect of social and medical issues on Londoners over time. This exhibition is contrasted with "Body Worlds," a popular exhibition of plastinated bodies--human bodies that have been preserved by injection with formaldehyde, dehydration using acetone, and impregnation under pressure with a liquid polymer solution. The authors contrast the case of the former exhibit, academic in nature, with the latter, a popular exhibit touted as educational and scientific. Though all the human remains in the second case study were from consenting donors, the impact on public attitudes can still pose ethical problems. The authors examine surveys of visitor attitudes toward human remains in the two case studies and shifts in attitude toward the display of Egyptian mummies. They discuss finding a balance between ethics, preservation, repatriation, and the goals of the institution in conclusion. A sidebar by Laura S. Phillips and Linda Roundhill describes the decision by the Burke Museum in Seattle not to deaccession a popular Egyptian mummy and coffin, but to rehouse them into a better storage and display environment as well as a more respectful display and interpretation. A second inserted text summarizes the results of a survey of public attitudes toward the display of human remains.