The Museum: A Short History of Crisis and Resilience, by Samuel J. Redman. New York: New York University Press, 2022.

REVIEWED BY LAUREN FREIJE

Museums exist in the context of the world around them. As museums have evolved to take their place as cultural institutions, they have been forced to respond to a multitude of world events to better serve the public. Redman presents a historical analysis of museums, beginning with the Spanish Flu epidemic and tracing their evolution to the present-day, where they face challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic and increased social protests. By tracing the history of how museums answer in times of crisis, Redman demonstrates the importance of adaptability and resilience in museums.  

As World War I began, museum staffers with skills in fields such as chemistry and textiles were inspired to volunteer for the war efforts. This led to decreased staffing at many museums, and attendance numbers soon waned in response to the Spanish Flu epidemic.  However, after the war and the epidemic ended, museums experienced a period of economic prosperity which allowed for building expansions and increased acquisitions. The Great Depression soon struck which again caused museums to lay off many employees and attendance numbers declined. However, positive changes soon arrived for museums with the New Deal, which allowed museums to benefit from labor from staff hired through the Works Progress Administration. Museums turned their attention to aiding in war efforts as World War II began, with museums like the Smithsonian directly supplying information on the South Pacific Islands to the U.S. military. The changes implemented by museums during this time proved to be permanent, as museums adjusted to be reflections of the events happening around them.  

During the 1970s, art museums were faced with a series of challenges as members of the Art Workers’ Coalition (AWC) protested injustices faced by artists and other cultural workers. Tensions further heightened in the 1980s and 1990s when the passing of NAGPRA forced museums to reevaluate their collections and acknowledge their roles as shapers of the cultural narrative. Also, new museums such as the Holocaust Memorial Museum and the National Museum of the American Indian confronted visitors with difficult histories of racism and genocide. As the world entered the twenty first century, many museums had adapted their operations to acknowledge their responsibilities as cultural institutions. This adaptability proved to be essential as museums faced new challenges such as increased natural disasters as a result of climate change, closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and widespread protests after the murder of George Floyd. All the events of the last forty years have established that museums must not shy away from uncomfortable conversations.  

Redman uses a chronological approach when discussing the history of museum crises and how they persevered, which allows the reader to trace the path of museum evolution. By focusing on the most influential events of the twentieth and twenty first centuries, Redman shows how museums survive only through resilience and adaptation. Museums better serve their communities when they acknowledge and work to solve their biases and mistakes. The author establishes that it is impossible for a museum to be neutral; but by addressing the cultural context around them, museums can connect to diverse audiences and pave a new way forward.  

The Museum: A Short History of Crisis and Resilience is a valuable addition to the reading of any person working in museology, including students, staff, and administration. Redman provides real-world examples of museums proving their resilience and presents a thought-provoking historical analysis of museums. The book effectively conveys the message that crisis is inevitable when working in museums, so it is necessary that museums prepare in advance and respond accordingly. As museums continue to recover from the pandemic and address uncomfortable topics, the history presented in this book can serve as a reminder of how museums have evolved and how they can continue to adapt to an ever-changing world.  

Lauren Freije is a first year MA student in the IU Indianapolis Museum Studies Program.