About
Reexhibiting the Museum is a single-day conference which aims to shift the academic conversation away from the dominant narratives of nineteenth-century museum-making, too often centred around major national museums and galleries based in London. Instead, we want to bring together researchers working on museums and their collections across and beyond the UK, bringing new perspectives and centring new narratives.
It will explore diverse aspects of nineteenth-century museum formation, including colonialism, municipal and regional galleries, and non-museum spaces, to bring a fuller picture of museums and exhibitions — their displays and their visitors — to the historical record.
Call For Papers
Closes 12 July 2025
We particularly welcome papers discussing the following topics:
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Development and innovation in nineteenth-century museums
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Strategies of display in museum and non-museum spaces in the nineteenth-century, including temporary exhibitions and international exhibitions
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National, regional, and municipal museums
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Methods and mechanics of nineteenth-century collecting
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Collections of societies and mechanics institutes
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International connections between nineteenth-century museums (influences, models, or collaborations)
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Movement and transport of museum objects and artworks across spaces
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Colonialism and the nineteenth-century museum
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British museums’ links to Empire
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Museums in the colonies
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We encourage submissions from PhD candidates, early career researchers, and established scholars. We welcome submissions for individual papers of 20 minutes (followed by up to 10 minutes of discussion and questions); themed sessions (90 minutes for three papers or 60 minutes for two paired papers, including discussion and questions); round tables or workshops (maximum 90 minutes).
Please submit abstracts of no more than 300 words together with a brief biography as an e-mail attachment to reexhibitingthemuseum@gmail.com no later than 12 July 2025.
For round tables or workshops, please include a description of the proposed form and content (300 words maximum).
Successful applicants will be notified by 12 August 2025.
Venue
Address
ThinkTank Birmingham Science Museum
Millennium Point
Curzon St
Birmingham B4 7XG
Accessibility
ThinkTank Birmingham is a fully accessible venue with lift access to all conference areas. An Induction loop system is available, and sensory maps of the space are provided online, alongside other accessibility measures.
More information
For more information on the venue's accessibility see ThinkTank's access information page or get in touch with us for any unanswered queries. We are committed to making Reexhibiting the Museum an inclusive and accessible event for all.
Bursaries
We are excited to be able to offer a bursary to our presenters to aid with travel to, and accommodation in, Birmingham for the conference to ensure that there are no barriers to access for potential applicants.
Details and practicalities will be circulated to participants along with notification of a successful application, but if you have any questions in the meantime, please don't hesitate to get in touch with us via email. ​
FAQs
Q: When do applications for participants close?
A: Applications should be made no later than 12 July 2025, and we will be in touch with successful applicants by 12 August 2025.
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Q: Who can apply?
A: We encourage submissions from PhD candidates, early career researchers, museum professionals, and established scholars. We welcome attendance from all!​​​​​
Committee
Mary Clayton-Kastenholz
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Dr. Maialen Maugars
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Amalia Wickstead
Amalia (she/her) is a PhD candidate at UCL, co-supervised by the Ashmolean Museum. Her research seeks to highlight the colonial role of casts of Greek and Roman sculpture within nineteenth-century museum collections.
