The Art of the Anthropological Diorama: Franz Boas, Arthur C. Parker, and Constructing Authenticity

Dioramas are devices on the frontier of various disciplines. Their use developed during the nineteenth century, following reforms aimed at developing the educational dimension of museums. This book examines the anthropological dioramas of two North American museums in the early twentieth century: the American Museum of Natural History, New York, and the New York State Museum, Albany. Dioramas featuring human figures are now the subject of harsh criticism; this thorough study of the work of the artists and scientists who made them sheds light on their genesis. Sites for creating and mediating knowledge – combining painting, sculpture, photography, and material culture – dioramas tell a story that is always political. They create visions of otherness and of ancestry within the museum.