‘A generously varied and purposeful testament to the importance of conversations between disciplines, institutions and cultures.’ Journal of the History of Collections

‘A rich and fascinating picture of the circulation of collections through time in a style accessible to a broader scientific audience. The message of the value of researching mobility and putting it to valuable purpose is clear and provides much food for thought.’ Archives of Natural History

‘In light of [the] broad disciplinary scope and attention to diverse collections—as well as its theoretical attention to circulation beyond individual objects—Mobile Museums will be of use to anyone who needs to follow a collection on the move.’
Museum Worlds

‘This edited volume opens the potential of an examination of the history of scientific knowledge that goes beyond circulation and shifts to the milieu-dependent values of the “mobility turn.”’
Nuncius

‘An important new volume shakes up how we think about museums and their collections… This…is surely one of the best recent books published on the history of museums, collections, and exchange… An impressive and wide-ranging study…featuring an accomplished roster of international authors… Spectacularly illustrated, with well-selected historical and contemporary visual materials, the book provides abundant opportunities to teach about the history of collections. It is highly recommended for historians of science, museums, and collecting. The book is further recommended for graduate courses on the history of science, museums, and cultural exchange in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.’
Isis

‘This book advances a paradigm shift in studies of museums and collections. A distinguished group of contributors reveal that collections are not dead assemblages. The nineteenth and twentieth centuries were marked by vigorous international traffic in ethnography and natural history specimens that tell us much about colonialism, travel and the history of knowledge – and have implications for the remobilisation of museums in the future.’ – Nicholas Thomas, University of Cambridge

‘The first major work to examine the implications and consequences of the migration of materials from one scientific or cultural milieu to another, it highlights the need for a more nuanced understanding of collections and offers insights into their potential for future re-mobilisation.’ – Arthur MacGregor