7 A regimental culture of collecting
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Desmond Thomas
Abstract
The spread of military museums across the United Kingdom reflects the atomised regimental system which characterises the history and organisational culture of the British Army. The history of most British regiments includes colonial campaigns, and opportunities to acquire trophies and souvenirs, an ongoing practice since the beginning of human conflict itself, have rarely been lacking. Enemy weapons, flags and other military accoutrements have always been popular choices as souvenirs but non-military objects, some of which would now be classified as ethnographic material, were also eagerly procured. This chapter examines, using the first-hand experience of the author, the regimental collecting of contemporary or near-contemporary conflict, reviewing practices and challenges. Applying the findings of several regimental museum surveys and other research, these present-day practices will be compared with those of longer established regimental museums to help contextualise and better understand why certain types of objects might have been collected historically. It considers the relationship between provenance and legitimacy both in historical and contemporary contexts.
Abstract
The spread of military museums across the United Kingdom reflects the atomised regimental system which characterises the history and organisational culture of the British Army. The history of most British regiments includes colonial campaigns, and opportunities to acquire trophies and souvenirs, an ongoing practice since the beginning of human conflict itself, have rarely been lacking. Enemy weapons, flags and other military accoutrements have always been popular choices as souvenirs but non-military objects, some of which would now be classified as ethnographic material, were also eagerly procured. This chapter examines, using the first-hand experience of the author, the regimental collecting of contemporary or near-contemporary conflict, reviewing practices and challenges. Applying the findings of several regimental museum surveys and other research, these present-day practices will be compared with those of longer established regimental museums to help contextualise and better understand why certain types of objects might have been collected historically. It considers the relationship between provenance and legitimacy both in historical and contemporary contexts.
Chapters in this book
- Front matter i
- Contents v
- List of figures vii
- List of contributors xi
- Preface xv
- Acknowledgements xviii
- List of abbreviations xix
- Introduction 1
-
Part I: Ideologies of empire and governance
- 1 Spoils of war 19
- 2 The agency of objects 39
- 3 Collecting and the trophy 60
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Part II: Military collecting cultures
- 4 Soldiering archaeology 85
- 5 The officers’ mess 106
- 6 Seeing Tibet through soldiers’ eyes 128
- 7 A regimental culture of collecting 162
- 8 Military histories of ‘Summer Palace’ objects from China in military museums in the United Kingdom 187
- 9 Indigenising folk art 205
- 10 Community consultation and the shaping of the National Army Museum’s Insight gallery 229
- 11 Mementoes of power and conquest 247
- Afterword 269
- Archival sources 284
- Bibliography 287
- Index 314
Chapters in this book
- Front matter i
- Contents v
- List of figures vii
- List of contributors xi
- Preface xv
- Acknowledgements xviii
- List of abbreviations xix
- Introduction 1
-
Part I: Ideologies of empire and governance
- 1 Spoils of war 19
- 2 The agency of objects 39
- 3 Collecting and the trophy 60
-
Part II: Military collecting cultures
- 4 Soldiering archaeology 85
- 5 The officers’ mess 106
- 6 Seeing Tibet through soldiers’ eyes 128
- 7 A regimental culture of collecting 162
- 8 Military histories of ‘Summer Palace’ objects from China in military museums in the United Kingdom 187
- 9 Indigenising folk art 205
- 10 Community consultation and the shaping of the National Army Museum’s Insight gallery 229
- 11 Mementoes of power and conquest 247
- Afterword 269
- Archival sources 284
- Bibliography 287
- Index 314
