By: Kevin Twohig

Kevin Twohig — Wed, 01 Mar 2023 19:19:32 +0000

Hi Katie, excellent review! Your summary and analysis of Collecting the World is very good and provides a detailed yet concise understanding of this week’s reading. I also appreciated your background not only of the author’s credentials and area of study but also his connection to the British Museum which is obviously relevant to this work and adds an interesting twist to the research and narrative. One thing I thought was interesting that you very clearly and proficiently stated in your review was the role of and impact on Sloane’s work as related to the growth of British colonization and Atlantic slave trade. In this way, this week’s reading provides a very interesting dichotomy to our reading of Thomas Harriot where Harriot’s work was far less directly impacted by or contributing to many of the issues of colonization that are still seen today, especially as they relate to more modern discussions of the ethics of museum collections of which the British Museum is perceived by many to be the largest (though not only) offender. Looking forward to further discussion!

By: Dominick Mellusi

Dominick Mellusi — Tue, 28 Feb 2023 20:31:04 +0000

Katie, first of all, thank you for this review. You provide a good wholistic examination of Collecting the World: The Life and Curiosity of Hans Sloane by James Delbourgo. Thank you for providing Delbourgo’s credentials and the links to them. I can see how he is qualified to handle this material and write this monograph. It is interesting that his degrees are in philosophy and not history. It is certainly not the first time a scholar has crossed disciplines. It would also explain why he cites Michel Foucault in the book. I am glad you articulated the main argument of the book in a concise way in your second paragraph. Admittedly, I knew what the argument was tacitly, but had a hard time putting it into words. I would certainly agree that the author removes Hans Sloane from a pedestal that he may otherwise be upon. He was a man of science and seemed brilliant, but that does not take away his contributions to institutions of colonization and slavery. As you point out, Delbourgo thinks that Sloane is a neglected figure in the history of science, but also that is because his story is harder to tell due to his involvement with the slave trade and the much of his collections have been destroyed or scattered amongst different collectors. I’d say a strength of the book would be its lengthy efforts to document how Sloane’s methods of preservation were genius and so detail oriented. The author’s display of this is especially impressive given the lack of access to sources , as you pointed out. I hope to discuss further in class the nature of Sloane’s relationship to the slave trade and colonialism and his scientific endeavors. Thanks again for this review.

Comments on: Review of “Collecting the World: The Life and Curiosity of Hans Sloane,” by James Delbourgo

By: Kevin Twohig

By: Dominick Mellusi