http://savageminds.org/2006/08/06/ota-benga/ Notes and Queries in Anthropology — A Group Blog Thu, 18 Mar 2010 21:42:41 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 http://savageminds.org/2006/08/06/ota-benga/comment-page-1/#comment-35961 Articles for the Weekend - Museums « Boas Blog Sat, 21 Oct 2006 04:33:39 +0000 http://savageminds.org/2006/08/06/ota-benga/#comment-35961 [...] The Scandal at the Zoo (via Savage Minds) Visitors to the Monkey House that second day got an even better show. Ota Benga and an orangutan frolicked together, hugging and wrestling and playing tricks on each other. The crowd loved it. To enhance the jungle effect, a parrot was put in the cage and bones had been strewn around it. The crowd laughed as the pygmy sat staring at a pair of canvas shoes he had been given. “Few expressed audible objection to the sight of a human being in a cage with monkeys as companions,” The New York Times wrote the next day, “and there could be no doubt that to the majority the joint man-and-monkey exhibition was the most interesting sight in Bronx Park.” [...] [...] The Scandal at the Zoo (via Savage Minds) Visitors to the Monkey House that second day got an even better show. Ota Benga and an orangutan frolicked together, hugging and wrestling and playing tricks on each other. The crowd loved it. To enhance the jungle effect, a parrot was put in the cage and bones had been strewn around it. The crowd laughed as the pygmy sat staring at a pair of canvas shoes he had been given. “Few expressed audible objection to the sight of a human being in a cage with monkeys as companions,” The New York Times wrote the next day, “and there could be no doubt that to the majority the joint man-and-monkey exhibition was the most interesting sight in Bronx Park.” [...]

]]> http://savageminds.org/2006/08/06/ota-benga/comment-page-1/#comment-33872 Savage Minds: Notes and Queries in Anthropology — A Group Blog » Fashioning Natural History Tue, 10 Oct 2006 00:37:46 +0000 http://savageminds.org/2006/08/06/ota-benga/#comment-33872 [...] It would be kinda cool and funny if it weren’t for the disturbing history of this kind of thing. Although my guess is that C. Taylor took these pictures fully aware of this history and probably intending some kind of ironic commentary on it. [...] [...] It would be kinda cool and funny if it weren’t for the disturbing history of this kind of thing. Although my guess is that C. Taylor took these pictures fully aware of this history and probably intending some kind of ironic commentary on it. [...]

]]> http://savageminds.org/2006/08/06/ota-benga/comment-page-1/#comment-18493 Savage Minds: Notes and Queries in Anthropology — A Group Blog » In the Flesh in the Museum Thu, 10 Aug 2006 23:37:19 +0000 http://savageminds.org/2006/08/06/ota-benga/#comment-18493 [...] Representations of Indians in American Natural history Museums Preface: The recent posts on Ota Benga and the popular museum reminded me of an essay I had wanted to post last year when Kerim posted about the Bavarian village in display in Africa. I had prepared it for posting last year, but for some reason never did. The essay deals with the display of living people, and particularly native North and South Americans, in ethnographic/educational contexts—not the sideshow, but the museum and the culture fair. [...] [...] Representations of Indians in American Natural history Museums Preface: The recent posts on Ota Benga and the popular museum reminded me of an essay I had wanted to post last year when Kerim posted about the Bavarian village in display in Africa. I had prepared it for posting last year, but for some reason never did. The essay deals with the display of living people, and particularly native North and South Americans, in ethnographic/educational contexts—not the sideshow, but the museum and the culture fair. [...]

]]> http://savageminds.org/2006/08/06/ota-benga/comment-page-1/#comment-17963 orange. Mon, 07 Aug 2006 10:01:01 +0000 http://savageminds.org/2006/08/06/ota-benga/#comment-17963 Kerim, I agree it is important to remember what happened to Ota Benga and to not forget our colonial heritage in general. Especially Ota Benga has been linked to the African Village Event in Augsburg Zoo. But I say, in this case, the historical perspective is misleading, because it prevents an adequate reflection of what is <i>really</i> going on on such events. The historical context that is stressed by connecting Ota Benga's case with contemporary events like the african village made people expect tribal africans being put on display in huts. After the event opened those people's reactions were "oh well, it isn't <i>that</i> bad" and that was it--instead of asking for the marketing strategy that is behind such events and theme parks. Of course the marketing of cultures is rooted in our colonial past and the connection is to stress, but I really have missed and do miss anthropologists focussing on contemporary representation, with all due respect to anthros' interest in history. Kerim, I agree it is important to remember what happened to Ota Benga and to not forget our colonial heritage in general. Especially Ota Benga has been linked to the African Village Event in Augsburg Zoo. But I say, in this case, the historical perspective is misleading, because it prevents an adequate reflection of what is really going on on such events. The historical context that is stressed by connecting Ota Benga’s case with contemporary events like the african village made people expect tribal africans being put on display in huts. After the event opened those people’s reactions were “oh well, it isn’t that bad” and that was it–instead of asking for the marketing strategy that is behind such events and theme parks.
Of course the marketing of cultures is rooted in our colonial past and the connection is to stress, but I really have missed and do miss anthropologists focussing on contemporary representation, with all due respect to anthros’ interest in history.

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