New Books Network Jack Ashby, "Nature's Memory: Behind the Scenes at the World’s Natural History Museums" (Penguin, 2025)
May 31, 2025
Jack Ashby, a zoologist from the University Museum of Zoology in Cambridge, reveals the fascinating truths behind natural history museums. He discusses the surprising dominance of mammals in exhibits despite their rarity in the wild and addresses biases in representation, particularly regarding insects. Ashby advocates for enhanced storytelling to showcase biodiversity's importance and emphasizes museums as crucial players in combating climate change. His insights encourage a reevaluation of how these institutions educate and engage the public.
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Scale and Mission of Museums
- Natural history museums are enormous with millions of specimens, vastly larger than art museums.
- They display similar creatures globally, aiming to connect people to biodiversity and nature.
Colonial Roots of Collections
- Museums amassed collections through voyages driven by colonial exploitation, not just science.
- Some collections originated from violent, problematic contexts like concentration camps.
Museums and Their Histories
- Museums struggle to honestly tell their complex, often violent histories.
- They are beginning to highlight contributions of diverse people historically overlooked.