Decolonising the World Wildlife Gallery, Kendal Museum

Abstract

This paper draws on research carried out by the author between 2023-2025 for Kendal Museum’s ‘Reimagining the World Wildlife Gallery’ (RWWG) project. Engaging with broader debates surrounding decolonisation and museums, the paper argues for the importance of connecting natural history collections in provincial museums like Kendal to their colonial past. One of the primary donors to, and benefactors of, Kendal Museum’s World Wildlife Gallery in the 20th century was Colonel Edgar Garston Harrison (1863-1947) – a big game hunter and soldier serving in the British colonial army in eastern Africa 1895-1906. Harrison’s military roles included commanding violent operations against the Indigenous Nandi and Talai communities of western Kenya, who continue to seek redress for injustices endured during British colonisation and rule. This history was previously unknown to the museum but is now being incorporated into collection interpretation and gallery displays. Whilst there is much work to be done to move beyond metaphorical support for decolonisation initiatives in the UK Museum sector, including ongoing calls for decolonisation and reparative justice in collection interpretation is an important step in this process.