Dear Henry,
Advocacy is needed to gently persuade people what to think. Unfortunately, when it comes to natural history specimens, particularly taxidermy, some people already know what they think and are extremely hostile in advancing their own severe opinions! All too often, the institutional response is defensive and ill-founded ideas are treated as though they were valid. In such cases I believe a more robust response is required. Some of this is argued in a chapter of my book on the history of taxidermy. See attached for the relevant text and details of the book.
Pat


Date: Wed, 13 Aug 2014 07:21:11 +0000
From: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Advocacy toolkit for natural history museums
To: [log in to unmask]

Hello- please find attached the first instalment of an advocacy toolkit we’ve been working on in the North West, as part of our package of support for staff in museums with natural history collections. Feel free to distribute it- and I hope it’s useful. There will be more to follow.

 

Very best wishes,

Henry

Henry McGhie BSc MA AMA | Head of Collections and Curator of Zoology (Honorary Scientific Associate, Faculty of Life Sciences) | Manchester Museum | The University of Manchester | Oxford Road | Manchester | M13 9PL

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