The Colonial Roots of Botany: Legacies of Empire in the Botanic Gardens of Oxford and Kew

Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review

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The Colonial Roots of Botany : Legacies of Empire in the Botanic Gardens of Oxford and Kew. / Nielsen, Vibe.

In: Museum Management and Curatorship, Vol. 38, No. 6, 2023, p. 696-712.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review

Harvard

Nielsen, V 2023, 'The Colonial Roots of Botany: Legacies of Empire in the Botanic Gardens of Oxford and Kew', Museum Management and Curatorship, vol. 38, no. 6, pp. 696-712. https://doi.org/10.1080/09647775.2023.2269222

APA

Nielsen, V. (2023). The Colonial Roots of Botany: Legacies of Empire in the Botanic Gardens of Oxford and Kew. Museum Management and Curatorship, 38(6), 696-712. https://doi.org/10.1080/09647775.2023.2269222

Vancouver

Nielsen V. The Colonial Roots of Botany: Legacies of Empire in the Botanic Gardens of Oxford and Kew. Museum Management and Curatorship. 2023;38(6):696-712. https://doi.org/10.1080/09647775.2023.2269222

Author

Nielsen, Vibe. / The Colonial Roots of Botany : Legacies of Empire in the Botanic Gardens of Oxford and Kew. In: Museum Management and Curatorship. 2023 ; Vol. 38, No. 6. pp. 696-712.

Bibtex

@article{fd788a85ebb143ac899fd23110786c88,
title = "The Colonial Roots of Botany: Legacies of Empire in the Botanic Gardens of Oxford and Kew",
abstract = "Although the involvement of botanic gardens in the colonial expansion of the British Empire is well documented, the public communication of this part of the history of the gardens is not as visible as it has increasingly become in many ethnographic museums, where the topic has been dealt with more actively within recent years. In this article, presenting findings from ethnographic fieldwork conducted in the botanic gardens of Oxford and Kew in 2022 and 2023, I show how colonial.era scientific practices are still used in the namegiving of plants, although scientists within the field have become increasingly aware of the importance of recognising Indigenous people and places. Through an analysis of the wording applied in signs and guided tours, I furthermore demonstrate how colonial legacies of the plant collections of the two gardens are only superficially communicated to their visitors, despite numerous initiatives taking place behind the scenes. ",
keywords = "Faculty of Humanities, Botanic Gardens, Colonial Legacies, Decolonisation, Public Engagement, British Empire, Kew Gardens, Oxford Botanic Garden, University of Oxford",
author = "Vibe Nielsen",
year = "2023",
doi = "10.1080/09647775.2023.2269222",
language = "English",
volume = "38",
pages = "696--712",
journal = "Museum Management and Curatorship",
issn = "0964-7775",
publisher = "Routledge",
number = "6",

}

RIS

TY - JOUR

T1 - The Colonial Roots of Botany

T2 - Legacies of Empire in the Botanic Gardens of Oxford and Kew

AU - Nielsen, Vibe

PY - 2023

Y1 - 2023

N2 - Although the involvement of botanic gardens in the colonial expansion of the British Empire is well documented, the public communication of this part of the history of the gardens is not as visible as it has increasingly become in many ethnographic museums, where the topic has been dealt with more actively within recent years. In this article, presenting findings from ethnographic fieldwork conducted in the botanic gardens of Oxford and Kew in 2022 and 2023, I show how colonial.era scientific practices are still used in the namegiving of plants, although scientists within the field have become increasingly aware of the importance of recognising Indigenous people and places. Through an analysis of the wording applied in signs and guided tours, I furthermore demonstrate how colonial legacies of the plant collections of the two gardens are only superficially communicated to their visitors, despite numerous initiatives taking place behind the scenes.

AB - Although the involvement of botanic gardens in the colonial expansion of the British Empire is well documented, the public communication of this part of the history of the gardens is not as visible as it has increasingly become in many ethnographic museums, where the topic has been dealt with more actively within recent years. In this article, presenting findings from ethnographic fieldwork conducted in the botanic gardens of Oxford and Kew in 2022 and 2023, I show how colonial.era scientific practices are still used in the namegiving of plants, although scientists within the field have become increasingly aware of the importance of recognising Indigenous people and places. Through an analysis of the wording applied in signs and guided tours, I furthermore demonstrate how colonial legacies of the plant collections of the two gardens are only superficially communicated to their visitors, despite numerous initiatives taking place behind the scenes.

KW - Faculty of Humanities

KW - Botanic Gardens

KW - Colonial Legacies

KW - Decolonisation

KW - Public Engagement

KW - British Empire

KW - Kew Gardens

KW - Oxford Botanic Garden

KW - University of Oxford

U2 - 10.1080/09647775.2023.2269222

DO - 10.1080/09647775.2023.2269222

M3 - Journal article

VL - 38

SP - 696

EP - 712

JO - Museum Management and Curatorship

JF - Museum Management and Curatorship

SN - 0964-7775

IS - 6

ER -

ID: 391628745