Closet for the Curious: Display Promotional Image.
As we delve deeper into our investigation, we are confronted with intricate themes: the Problems of ‘Natural History’ and ‘Humanism,’ the entanglements of Colonialism, the pathways of Gendered access to education, and the curious stories that bring these themes to life. Our exploration traces the evolution of Talbot Rice’s gallery space – a narrative that also echoes the development of museum practice. From the sixteenth-century “cabinets of curiosity” marked by rarities and novelties, to the taxonomic collections of the seventeenth century, to the late eighteenth and nineteenth-century use of public museums by nations to civilise and educate their populations, our display wants to stimulate critical thinking about the history of architectural space.[1]
Developing a title that summarised the breadth of our historical exploration was a major challenge for our group. We thought it would be prudent to devise a title that would resonate with our final arrangement of displays. The concept of a ‘Cabinet of Curiosities’, a collection built and constructed according to the collector’s own intentions, aptly reflects our situation. [2] Much like how Robert Jameson assembled glamorous collections for the Natural History Museum as material symbols of its intellect and status, our exhibition seeks to provide a counter-narrative to the building’s conventional story.
I suggested that the title of the exhibition should reflect the notion of unveiling hidden histories. It reminds me of the phrase ‘Skeleton in the Closet,’ suggestive of secrets unearthed. Combining this phrase with the underlying concept of the ‘Cabinet of Curiosities,’ we get the beginning of the title, ‘Cabinet of Curiosities.’
To further emphasize our critical stance, we incorporated the idea of the Old College’s ‘Uneven Evolution.’ It conveys our centralised intention to question the building’s accessibility and the diverse communities it has served or failed to serve over time. The building’s past exclusion of women, such as the Edinburgh Seven, contrasts with the honourable legacy of Charles Darwin and eclipses figures such as John Edmonstone. Currently, the building is divided into different sections with varying degrees of openness, reflecting the current challenges faced.
In summation, “Closet for the Curious: Old College’s Uneven Evolution” resonated with us as a title that encapsulated the depth of our enquiry, inviting the audience to think about the multi-faceted history of the gallery.
[1] Rhiannon Mason, ‘Cultural Theory and Museum Studies’, in A Companion to Museum Studies (John Wiley & Sons, Ltd, 2006), 23–24, https://doi.org/10.1002/9780470996836.ch2.
[2] ‘Cabinets of Curiosities and The Origin of Collecting’, Sotheby’s Institute of Art (blog), accessed 26 April 2024, https://www.sothebysinstitute.com/cabinets-of-curiosities-and-the-origin-of-collecting.
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