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The Museum Makers: A Journey Backwards - from Old Boxes of Dark Family Secrets to a Golden Era of Museums
Part memoir, part detective story, part untold history of museums – this is a compelling family story.
272 pages, Paperback
Published September 21, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
March 25, 2021
Rachel Morris is a museum designer - who knew such a thing existed? But that is what attracted me to this book.
Having never given a moment thought to how museums came about I found this book strangely interesting and fascinating.
The author also created a “Museum of Me” from boxes and trunks holding articles of long ago ancestors stored under her bed for generations and has interspersed her own biography onto these pages.
The chapters where she describes, very interestingly, the early creation of museums small and large going back centuries turn out to be sometimes eerie, strange and fascinating. All of which was news to me. I may not remember any of it a day from now, but I enjoyed the journey.
Having never given a moment thought to how museums came about I found this book strangely interesting and fascinating.
The author also created a “Museum of Me” from boxes and trunks holding articles of long ago ancestors stored under her bed for generations and has interspersed her own biography onto these pages.
The chapters where she describes, very interestingly, the early creation of museums small and large going back centuries turn out to be sometimes eerie, strange and fascinating. All of which was news to me. I may not remember any of it a day from now, but I enjoyed the journey.
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February 1, 2022I know a number of people have loved this book but it was not for me. I am not rating it as I gave up on it. I just couldn’t get interested enough in the story. Maybe the wrong book at the wrong time for me.
August 30, 2020
My father’s father died when I was eight years old. I had only just started to get to know him and he was gone. We didn’t know that much about him other than he was born in East Street, Bridport in 1902 and was an orphan whose mother was called Margaret Annie. About 12 years ago my father and I decided that we could see what we could find out if there was anything to find that was. We trawled all the family history sites and then one day got lucky and found his mother on a census. We discovered a whole family going right back to 1595 that we knew nothing about.
Rachel Morris didn’t have a problem. She knew lots about her family and the various characters involved from her parents all the way back through the generations to the painter William Gale. There were stories that she had heard that were more rumour than fact and most importantly she had boxes of these personal family archives under her bed and they had been there for years. Just the thought of them and the circumstances behind receiving them made her sad.
However, it was time to pull them out from under the bed, blow the dust off them and start looking through.
Tipping the contents out onto the carpet in her room from the first box and sorting them into small piles for each relative brought a flood of emotions back. There was no monetary value to the items within the boxes, letters, locks of hair, photos, poems, wool, diaries and even a hat! The treasure was the stories that the items would tell of her family.
And what a family it was. Her father was an immensely talented printer and mostly an absent alcoholic. Her mother had been told not to marry him by her mother, but being headstrong did so in secret. She was left bringing up her and her siblings, after the disappeared but never really stopped loving him as she was to find out through the letters in the boxes. The hub of these family memories is her Gran, a formidable yet kind woman. She was brought up on art books and romantic love. She had lived in New Zealand, a place that she loathed, written a book, went back to England leaving her husband with her two daughters there. She returned to the UK in 1947 and never went back.
As she is sifting these family stories into some semblance of order, she realises that she is creating what she calls the Museum of Me. It is fitting in some ways as she works for a company that puts together exciting and innovative displays for some of our top museums. Museums do what she is trying to do, which is with these personal effects to present the past in a way that we can understand and how they often came about from large personal collections.
Women are the memory keepers, they can keep those family links and connections
It is a fascinating story of her family and all their successes and secrets, full of happy and sad memories. Whilst she could not always understand the reasons why a particular family member did something, her collection gave her an insight into some of the reasons why it happened. I thought that it was really nicely written, sensitive and also written with an authority and confidence. She doesn’t judge her family for the decisions that they made, each person made that particular choice at a certain time of their life for a variety of reasons. If you like family histories, then I can recommend Dadland by Keggie Carew and Mary Monro’s Stranger in My Heart. They are very similar to this, women unpacking their father’s history that they knew almost nothing about.
Rachel Morris didn’t have a problem. She knew lots about her family and the various characters involved from her parents all the way back through the generations to the painter William Gale. There were stories that she had heard that were more rumour than fact and most importantly she had boxes of these personal family archives under her bed and they had been there for years. Just the thought of them and the circumstances behind receiving them made her sad.
However, it was time to pull them out from under the bed, blow the dust off them and start looking through.
Tipping the contents out onto the carpet in her room from the first box and sorting them into small piles for each relative brought a flood of emotions back. There was no monetary value to the items within the boxes, letters, locks of hair, photos, poems, wool, diaries and even a hat! The treasure was the stories that the items would tell of her family.
And what a family it was. Her father was an immensely talented printer and mostly an absent alcoholic. Her mother had been told not to marry him by her mother, but being headstrong did so in secret. She was left bringing up her and her siblings, after the disappeared but never really stopped loving him as she was to find out through the letters in the boxes. The hub of these family memories is her Gran, a formidable yet kind woman. She was brought up on art books and romantic love. She had lived in New Zealand, a place that she loathed, written a book, went back to England leaving her husband with her two daughters there. She returned to the UK in 1947 and never went back.
As she is sifting these family stories into some semblance of order, she realises that she is creating what she calls the Museum of Me. It is fitting in some ways as she works for a company that puts together exciting and innovative displays for some of our top museums. Museums do what she is trying to do, which is with these personal effects to present the past in a way that we can understand and how they often came about from large personal collections.
Women are the memory keepers, they can keep those family links and connections
It is a fascinating story of her family and all their successes and secrets, full of happy and sad memories. Whilst she could not always understand the reasons why a particular family member did something, her collection gave her an insight into some of the reasons why it happened. I thought that it was really nicely written, sensitive and also written with an authority and confidence. She doesn’t judge her family for the decisions that they made, each person made that particular choice at a certain time of their life for a variety of reasons. If you like family histories, then I can recommend Dadland by Keggie Carew and Mary Monro’s Stranger in My Heart. They are very similar to this, women unpacking their father’s history that they knew almost nothing about.
September 1, 2020
Subtitled ‘A Journey from Dark Boxes of Family Secrets to a Golden Era of Museums’, the book is described as part memoir, part detective story, part untold history of museums.
The author argues persuasively that objects have the power to evoke memories more strongly than words alone. Not just because they can be experienced via other senses, such as touch, but because they provide a more direct link to stories. The author’s passionate belief in the power of stories comes across as she talks about them making objects “glint with light” and helping to “set them moving in our imagination”.
The book traces the transition from 19th century national museums “devised by history’s winners” to the museums of the 20th century aimed at telling the stories of “the underdog, the poor, the dispossessed, history’s losers”. In doing so, Rachel Morris addresses topics of contemporary debate, such as the racism and colonialism associated with the acquisition and display of some objects in museums. (It was for this reason that a recent article in The Guardian newspaper about Hans Sloane, founder of the British Museum, caught my eye.)
In uncovering and collating the stories that constitute the author’s family history, it helps that it is peopled with characters such as the Free Lover and the London Aunt. The person who features most prominently, and memorably, in the book is Gran, one time romantic novelist and curator of most of the family’s stories. Those stories involve family scandals, illegitimate children, mistresses and the author’s rascal of a father. The latter gives rise to the detective story alluded to in the blurb.
Being a fellow book lover, one of my favourite chapters was the one in which Rachel Morris discusses imaginary museums in books (and film). To her list of suggested titles, I’d like to add Meet Me at the Museum by Anne Youngson, The Signature of All Things by Elizabeth Gilbert, Behind the Scenes at the Museum by Kate Atkinson and The Museum of Broken Promises by Elizabeth Buchan.
The Museum Makers is a fascinating book about the history of museums and museum-making. In picking out some of her personal favourites, Rachel Morris reveals herself to be drawn to the small and/or curious, such as the Pitt Rivers Museum in Oxford. But what makes the book even more interesting – and poignant – is the author’s childhood memories and her desire to tell the stories of the (often long-suffering or overlooked) women of previous generations of her family. In this respect, the family tree is useful for navigating the complexities of the author’s extended family and there are some wonderful photographs to help bring those people to life.
I can’t do better than echo the author’s own description of The Museum Makers as being the ‘catalogue’ for her museum – “a quirky, unconventional, very personal catalogue”. I hope her fears for the future of museums, especially small local museums, due to loss of local authority funding prove unfounded.
The author argues persuasively that objects have the power to evoke memories more strongly than words alone. Not just because they can be experienced via other senses, such as touch, but because they provide a more direct link to stories. The author’s passionate belief in the power of stories comes across as she talks about them making objects “glint with light” and helping to “set them moving in our imagination”.
The book traces the transition from 19th century national museums “devised by history’s winners” to the museums of the 20th century aimed at telling the stories of “the underdog, the poor, the dispossessed, history’s losers”. In doing so, Rachel Morris addresses topics of contemporary debate, such as the racism and colonialism associated with the acquisition and display of some objects in museums. (It was for this reason that a recent article in The Guardian newspaper about Hans Sloane, founder of the British Museum, caught my eye.)
In uncovering and collating the stories that constitute the author’s family history, it helps that it is peopled with characters such as the Free Lover and the London Aunt. The person who features most prominently, and memorably, in the book is Gran, one time romantic novelist and curator of most of the family’s stories. Those stories involve family scandals, illegitimate children, mistresses and the author’s rascal of a father. The latter gives rise to the detective story alluded to in the blurb.
Being a fellow book lover, one of my favourite chapters was the one in which Rachel Morris discusses imaginary museums in books (and film). To her list of suggested titles, I’d like to add Meet Me at the Museum by Anne Youngson, The Signature of All Things by Elizabeth Gilbert, Behind the Scenes at the Museum by Kate Atkinson and The Museum of Broken Promises by Elizabeth Buchan.
The Museum Makers is a fascinating book about the history of museums and museum-making. In picking out some of her personal favourites, Rachel Morris reveals herself to be drawn to the small and/or curious, such as the Pitt Rivers Museum in Oxford. But what makes the book even more interesting – and poignant – is the author’s childhood memories and her desire to tell the stories of the (often long-suffering or overlooked) women of previous generations of her family. In this respect, the family tree is useful for navigating the complexities of the author’s extended family and there are some wonderful photographs to help bring those people to life.
I can’t do better than echo the author’s own description of The Museum Makers as being the ‘catalogue’ for her museum – “a quirky, unconventional, very personal catalogue”. I hope her fears for the future of museums, especially small local museums, due to loss of local authority funding prove unfounded.
April 19, 2023
I would give this book zero stars if I could. It completely lost me at: “Olive… fell in love with all things russian, and especially with Sergei Stepniak, a Ukrainian emigre….” This is unforgivable and embarrassing for a book by a professional “museum-maker” on how we curate our history.
Some interesting facts and thoughts on museums (note on Soane’s collection was a gem), but unfortunately for me this sits in the ugly shadow of text that needs some heavy decolonising (yes I finished it). The author couldn’t even bring herself to condemn the soviets for their museum looting and destruction (why not?). And almost randomly throws in ISIS / Palmyra and then does not really say anything about this - why not? (and where could the weapons have come from?)… yawn.
This book will do well with a thoroughly researched edit please, cleansing itself of imperialist tone and a skewed personal affinity with russia (where was the editor in this, honestly?!). I won’t even start on the glossing over of child abuse either.
Instead I’ll finish by quoting the author, to remind what she owes to the past and why this needs a desperate edit - “I wrote the book to try and understand what the past means to us… and what we owe the past…”
Some interesting facts and thoughts on museums (note on Soane’s collection was a gem), but unfortunately for me this sits in the ugly shadow of text that needs some heavy decolonising (yes I finished it). The author couldn’t even bring herself to condemn the soviets for their museum looting and destruction (why not?). And almost randomly throws in ISIS / Palmyra and then does not really say anything about this - why not? (and where could the weapons have come from?)… yawn.
This book will do well with a thoroughly researched edit please, cleansing itself of imperialist tone and a skewed personal affinity with russia (where was the editor in this, honestly?!). I won’t even start on the glossing over of child abuse either.
Instead I’ll finish by quoting the author, to remind what she owes to the past and why this needs a desperate edit - “I wrote the book to try and understand what the past means to us… and what we owe the past…”
January 3, 2021
I absolutely loved this book. I read it in two sittings and enjoyed every page. As a lifelong lover of museums and how they can be used to tell stories, the whole concept was a total joy. The family story in question is a fascinating, though tragic, but the author doesn't dwell in the sadness, she acknowledges it.
August 28, 2020
This is an unusual book with two streams which intertwine throughout the book; the memories of a family through one person’s discoveries, and the making and maintaining of museums. Rachel Morris’ family is dominated, like many, by stories and the women who tell them. Museums in whatever part of the world, however local, national or even symbolic in themselves, are shown as not only repositories of objects, but the focus of stories in themselves.
The power of story is central to this book, as Rachel looks at the stories of her family that survived via her redoubtable Grandmother. It also looks at the way that stories are attached to buildings and their contents, from the smallest items to the largest. This book sets out the history of museums as repositories for personal or local collections by enthusiasts, from the might of the great London museums established by bequests, to the small local museums in towns and cities across Britain. It also looks at the problems faced by museums today, by the financial pressures on local authorities which means underfunding for many traditional institutions. It also mentions the dramatic issues faced by those who attempt to maintain or begin to collect objects in war zones. This thoughtful book looks at how we interpret the past, whether it is best done through objects, and the importance of preserving stories in an effective way. I was fascinated by this book, and very pleased to have the opportunity to read and review it.
The first element of this book is the personal story. Morris is a museum designer, and one day she is inspired to go beyond arranging displays and exhibitions to take out boxes of long stored items from under a bed. As she looks at the objects she remembers her childhood in difficult circumstances, her parents being absent and her grandmother having limited financial resources to care for her and her brothers. There are also the stories of family members with notorious reputations as relationships are spoiled, money lost and families put under strain. Morris looks at the stories around the articles she finds, the letters and the photographs, the tiny scraps of lives lived in different times and in different places. As a display she compiles those things which reflects people and stories as important and speaking to today.
The other element of the book looks at how the obsessive collections of enthusiasts of so many different items led to collections which span the full range from the might of the British Museum, through a museum in which nothing can be moved, via the sometimes surprising things to be found in small museums. It looks briefly at the problems of cataloguing, the evolution of catalogues themselves, and the problems of categorization. There is discussion of arranging displays in the light of chronology, “Progress”, and the whole philosophical question of how objects should be shown to an audience. There is a look at at the sheer logistics of showcases, labelling and display generally before the more mundane questions of funding and keeping the buildings staffed and open.
This book opens the view of the reader to so many questions which beset the museum organisations in the twenty first century, such as ownership and origin of objects, even the questions relating to repatriation of items obtained in dubious circumstances. She has opted to ask the big questions through the prism of her family history, which gives what could otherwise be an academic exercise a personal twist. It is a book that will be of interest to many in the heritage sector, as well as those who visit and love museums, and anyone who looks at objects and items in the light of the past and the comments they can make into the future from the present. I found it an enlightening book with much to recommend it, and enjoyed reading it.
The power of story is central to this book, as Rachel looks at the stories of her family that survived via her redoubtable Grandmother. It also looks at the way that stories are attached to buildings and their contents, from the smallest items to the largest. This book sets out the history of museums as repositories for personal or local collections by enthusiasts, from the might of the great London museums established by bequests, to the small local museums in towns and cities across Britain. It also looks at the problems faced by museums today, by the financial pressures on local authorities which means underfunding for many traditional institutions. It also mentions the dramatic issues faced by those who attempt to maintain or begin to collect objects in war zones. This thoughtful book looks at how we interpret the past, whether it is best done through objects, and the importance of preserving stories in an effective way. I was fascinated by this book, and very pleased to have the opportunity to read and review it.
The first element of this book is the personal story. Morris is a museum designer, and one day she is inspired to go beyond arranging displays and exhibitions to take out boxes of long stored items from under a bed. As she looks at the objects she remembers her childhood in difficult circumstances, her parents being absent and her grandmother having limited financial resources to care for her and her brothers. There are also the stories of family members with notorious reputations as relationships are spoiled, money lost and families put under strain. Morris looks at the stories around the articles she finds, the letters and the photographs, the tiny scraps of lives lived in different times and in different places. As a display she compiles those things which reflects people and stories as important and speaking to today.
The other element of the book looks at how the obsessive collections of enthusiasts of so many different items led to collections which span the full range from the might of the British Museum, through a museum in which nothing can be moved, via the sometimes surprising things to be found in small museums. It looks briefly at the problems of cataloguing, the evolution of catalogues themselves, and the problems of categorization. There is discussion of arranging displays in the light of chronology, “Progress”, and the whole philosophical question of how objects should be shown to an audience. There is a look at at the sheer logistics of showcases, labelling and display generally before the more mundane questions of funding and keeping the buildings staffed and open.
This book opens the view of the reader to so many questions which beset the museum organisations in the twenty first century, such as ownership and origin of objects, even the questions relating to repatriation of items obtained in dubious circumstances. She has opted to ask the big questions through the prism of her family history, which gives what could otherwise be an academic exercise a personal twist. It is a book that will be of interest to many in the heritage sector, as well as those who visit and love museums, and anyone who looks at objects and items in the light of the past and the comments they can make into the future from the present. I found it an enlightening book with much to recommend it, and enjoyed reading it.
September 28, 2023
3.5 stars. Thoughtful history of/meditation on museums combined a little awkwardly with a mildly interesting family memoir.
I liked how she described the layers of time and meaning in museums. One example: “…not only the time when the object was made and the time inside the visitor’s head - i.e. Now - but also the times in between, when the object was brought to the museum, and how and why, and how its history then intertwined with the history of the museum. All these different ‘times’ become magically entangled and yet also weirdly, simultaneously present.”
I liked how she described the layers of time and meaning in museums. One example: “…not only the time when the object was made and the time inside the visitor’s head - i.e. Now - but also the times in between, when the object was brought to the museum, and how and why, and how its history then intertwined with the history of the museum. All these different ‘times’ become magically entangled and yet also weirdly, simultaneously present.”
April 19, 2023
Really enjoyed this. It wasn't what I expected, but enjoyed both the author's family story and the history of British museums. Really interesting.
August 29, 2020
The synopsis of The Museum Makers tapped into that part of me that is fascinated with family history, both my own and other people's.
Rachel Morris is a museum maker, responsible for some amazing displays and museums. One day, after a chance visit to a museum that stirs something within her, she is compelled to pull out from under her bed various boxes of family items and papers that she hasn't looked at for years. This prompts her to pull all the threads together, look at her family's past and collate it as she would for a museum collection. I think there's nothing quite like exploring family archives and I enjoyed this aspect of Rachel's journey very much.
The book combines family stories with interesting facts about museums, both large and small, both British and further afield. For me, it was the family stories that stood out, that engaged me the most, that made me consider just how much of the past stays hidden and how little rises to the surface for future generations. It's so important to record them if at all possible.
Morris has an appealing writing style and I found her tales of her gran, mum, dad, and other family members so absorbing. This is an informative book for anyone who has ever visited a museum and wondered how all the artefacts found their way there. It's also the perfect read for those who like delving into social history. It's quite a short read but it's absolutely packed with detail to enthrall the reader.
Rachel Morris is a museum maker, responsible for some amazing displays and museums. One day, after a chance visit to a museum that stirs something within her, she is compelled to pull out from under her bed various boxes of family items and papers that she hasn't looked at for years. This prompts her to pull all the threads together, look at her family's past and collate it as she would for a museum collection. I think there's nothing quite like exploring family archives and I enjoyed this aspect of Rachel's journey very much.
The book combines family stories with interesting facts about museums, both large and small, both British and further afield. For me, it was the family stories that stood out, that engaged me the most, that made me consider just how much of the past stays hidden and how little rises to the surface for future generations. It's so important to record them if at all possible.
Morris has an appealing writing style and I found her tales of her gran, mum, dad, and other family members so absorbing. This is an informative book for anyone who has ever visited a museum and wondered how all the artefacts found their way there. It's also the perfect read for those who like delving into social history. It's quite a short read but it's absolutely packed with detail to enthrall the reader.
April 17, 2022
The Museum Makers is Morris's love letter to museums, stories that objects tell and her family history. I'll admit I'm a bit biased with my rating because the author mentioned so many authors and literary work that I adore personally so I might or might not have bumped up the rating bc of that :> But ofc I also gained a lot from the conversations on the transcendence nature of museums, human's complex relationship with the past, the emotional meaning of curating objects, etc.
However, I think this book would've benefitted from a slight restructuring- by getting to the point about museology and museums first, before jumping into the author's memoir. Readers who picked this book up for the history of museums, process of museum making, etc. would inevitably be discouraged by the slow, seemingly irrelevant beginning about Morris's family. I too, really struggled to get invested. I didn't know Morris (I found out this book thru the illustrator- Isabel Greenberg, whom I love!!), so to be frank the main thought that kept running thru my head initially was "why should I care", which sounds so mean but I truly didn't feel connected to the story Morris was telling. I almost gave up, but then the "museum history" part began, and from there on I got a better understanding on Morris as a person, her voice and thoughts. I came to appreciate her sometimes spontaneous train of thoughts and unique writing style.
I do think this is a great book full of nuggets of interesting historical facts about the making of museums, as well as a beautiful patchwork of a family's pain, loss and separation spanning multiple decades. It's a book that requires patience, sympathy and a reflective mind to enjoy.
Also this playlist is literally made for this book. Highly recommend playing it in the bg while reading!
However, I think this book would've benefitted from a slight restructuring- by getting to the point about museology and museums first, before jumping into the author's memoir. Readers who picked this book up for the history of museums, process of museum making, etc. would inevitably be discouraged by the slow, seemingly irrelevant beginning about Morris's family. I too, really struggled to get invested. I didn't know Morris (I found out this book thru the illustrator- Isabel Greenberg, whom I love!!), so to be frank the main thought that kept running thru my head initially was "why should I care", which sounds so mean but I truly didn't feel connected to the story Morris was telling. I almost gave up, but then the "museum history" part began, and from there on I got a better understanding on Morris as a person, her voice and thoughts. I came to appreciate her sometimes spontaneous train of thoughts and unique writing style.
I do think this is a great book full of nuggets of interesting historical facts about the making of museums, as well as a beautiful patchwork of a family's pain, loss and separation spanning multiple decades. It's a book that requires patience, sympathy and a reflective mind to enjoy.
Also this playlist is literally made for this book. Highly recommend playing it in the bg while reading!
Rating System
★★★★★+: to-die for, life-changing
★★★★★: brilliant, recommend wholeheartedly
★★★★✩: liked a lot with some minor issues regarding personal preferences
★★★✩✩: appreciated but struggled to finish or a bit forgettable
★★✩✩✩: would not recommend
★✩✩✩✩: yikes, i warned you
November 12, 2022
'Each artefact is beautifully shaded as if she understood every curve and dip and dent and break in its surface and loved every broken tooth on an Anglo-Saxon comb and every twist in a metal nail. Which she probably did because she had lived with those artefacts from the time she was born.'
'I soon discovered there was no order at all in most of the boxes under the bed. The generations and their things were jumbled and confused. People who, in real life, had hated each other were sharing boxes--and sometimes the opposite was also true, and lovers who had been separated in real life had come together in the boxes.'
'The big museums, being invigilated, have always been a haven for dreamy, slightly lonely children running away from their difficult families. I wouldn't have been the only solitary child haunting the galleries of the British Museum. Now I look back and see all the things I didn't notice in the museum. I didn't see the layers of time. I only saw two moments -- then; when the object was created, and now; which was the time I lived in. I didn't perceive all the times in between -- the long journeys that objects make, the times when they were loved, given, borrowed, looted, stolen. I didn't;t wonder where all this stuff had come from, who had collected it and why. I didn't hear the din of war -- the violence that is woven through the stories of many objects, particularly the frequent coercion of their last lives before they arrived in the museum.'
'The first trustees spent hours debating just how this access was to be achieved. So much democracy made them nervous, and in the end they made entrance free but not easy. [...] What really bothered the trustees was not the number of visitors but who they were. Fear of what they called "the Lower Classes" was endemic.'
'It was a hot September and the air was yellow and as dense as honey. The cafes were shuddering with music. When night fell in Sarajevo, the balloon sellers came out and the parks came alive with couples whispering in the darkness.'
'When we make museums [...] we try not to strip an object back to a single meaning but somehow to evoke the clouds of meaning that hang around each one of them.'
'I soon discovered there was no order at all in most of the boxes under the bed. The generations and their things were jumbled and confused. People who, in real life, had hated each other were sharing boxes--and sometimes the opposite was also true, and lovers who had been separated in real life had come together in the boxes.'
'The big museums, being invigilated, have always been a haven for dreamy, slightly lonely children running away from their difficult families. I wouldn't have been the only solitary child haunting the galleries of the British Museum. Now I look back and see all the things I didn't notice in the museum. I didn't see the layers of time. I only saw two moments -- then; when the object was created, and now; which was the time I lived in. I didn't perceive all the times in between -- the long journeys that objects make, the times when they were loved, given, borrowed, looted, stolen. I didn't;t wonder where all this stuff had come from, who had collected it and why. I didn't hear the din of war -- the violence that is woven through the stories of many objects, particularly the frequent coercion of their last lives before they arrived in the museum.'
'The first trustees spent hours debating just how this access was to be achieved. So much democracy made them nervous, and in the end they made entrance free but not easy. [...] What really bothered the trustees was not the number of visitors but who they were. Fear of what they called "the Lower Classes" was endemic.'
'It was a hot September and the air was yellow and as dense as honey. The cafes were shuddering with music. When night fell in Sarajevo, the balloon sellers came out and the parks came alive with couples whispering in the darkness.'
'When we make museums [...] we try not to strip an object back to a single meaning but somehow to evoke the clouds of meaning that hang around each one of them.'
November 6, 2020
In this brilliant, poetic, tender, and infused with melancholic nostalgia part family memoir and part history book, Rachel Morris delves in the history of her family through memorabilia -- the objects her Gran, her mum, her Nona, and her dad have left behind, including letters, knitting needles, a ring, and a battered copy of a novel. Rummaging through the boxes stored under her bed, boxes left untouched for many years, Morris encounters the ghosts of the past, excavates painful memories and dark family secrets, and she curates her life, her private 'Museum of Me' the same way she has set up exhibitions for a number of museums.
At the same time, a museum maker herself, she reflects on the history of museums (both bigger and smaller ones), and museum-making, reaching at the very core of the practice. Travelling back through time (to my fellow Victorian era lovers, you'll adore this book!), she narrates the stories of pioneers of museum-making, of collectors and curators, of people working at the 'back house' of a museum, and she creates a compelling, captivating, and utterly unique narrative.
The way Morris combines and connects the personal and private with the universal and public is magnificent. Her narration transported me to another world, a world compiled of things and memories -- a world made of stories. Stories are an integral part of this book. Family stories told by a Gran to her granddaughter, stories evoked by touching an object, stories written by the ghosts of the past (or the present), stories that makes us who we are.
I can't recommend this book highly enough. I took my time with it, but I want to re-read it soon. Morris's prose is impeccable, and it will stay in my heart forever.
Thank you so much to September Publishing for my review copy.
At the same time, a museum maker herself, she reflects on the history of museums (both bigger and smaller ones), and museum-making, reaching at the very core of the practice. Travelling back through time (to my fellow Victorian era lovers, you'll adore this book!), she narrates the stories of pioneers of museum-making, of collectors and curators, of people working at the 'back house' of a museum, and she creates a compelling, captivating, and utterly unique narrative.
The way Morris combines and connects the personal and private with the universal and public is magnificent. Her narration transported me to another world, a world compiled of things and memories -- a world made of stories. Stories are an integral part of this book. Family stories told by a Gran to her granddaughter, stories evoked by touching an object, stories written by the ghosts of the past (or the present), stories that makes us who we are.
I can't recommend this book highly enough. I took my time with it, but I want to re-read it soon. Morris's prose is impeccable, and it will stay in my heart forever.
Thank you so much to September Publishing for my review copy.
June 3, 2025
I was lucky enough to receive an uncorrected proof of this book before its release and I read this during lockdown. I really enjoyed 'The Museum Makers' and the personal style in which Rachel Morris writes. Although very much a novel about finding herself and understanding her ancestry, the way she interweves museums and collections around this idea is very well done. I certainly think it's a book that all museum professionals should read. I also think it should be compulsory reading for museum, heritage and culture studies courses because it is also a heavily researched piece on the history of museums.
It's clear that Morris's childhood was far from ideal but, there are some incredibly interesting stories and connections throughout history. Morris doesn't gloss over anything, especially the history and beginning of museums, which is especially relevant today, and allows us to question museums. Although Morris acknowledges the colonial start of museums from the early 18th and 19th centuries, (a topic we are all too familiar with today) something that stuck with me is, she says museums are born from a crisis as a way of response. Given the current events, I think it's important now, more than ever, to recognise the good that museums can offer. A way of reflecting and documenting important events that affect history.
I really enjoyed this book and, it's clear that Rachel is a reader and lover of books. 'The Museum Makers' appealed to my own love of reading, a need for order amongst chaos and, journeying through another's life. Morris had a fascinating yet heartbreaking childhood which is dominated by the stories that tumble out with the artefacts strewn (quite literally) throughout the book.
A beautifully written, lyrical read, I've enjoyed every part of this journey and am so pleased she decided to share it with the world
It's clear that Morris's childhood was far from ideal but, there are some incredibly interesting stories and connections throughout history. Morris doesn't gloss over anything, especially the history and beginning of museums, which is especially relevant today, and allows us to question museums. Although Morris acknowledges the colonial start of museums from the early 18th and 19th centuries, (a topic we are all too familiar with today) something that stuck with me is, she says museums are born from a crisis as a way of response. Given the current events, I think it's important now, more than ever, to recognise the good that museums can offer. A way of reflecting and documenting important events that affect history.
I really enjoyed this book and, it's clear that Rachel is a reader and lover of books. 'The Museum Makers' appealed to my own love of reading, a need for order amongst chaos and, journeying through another's life. Morris had a fascinating yet heartbreaking childhood which is dominated by the stories that tumble out with the artefacts strewn (quite literally) throughout the book.
A beautifully written, lyrical read, I've enjoyed every part of this journey and am so pleased she decided to share it with the world
April 8, 2023
Collect. What are the stories each item tells? Catalogue the items and the stories? What is the story the collection tells?
Rachel Morris makes a collection of museums. She tells us their stories and the meta narrative as she sees it, interpersed it with tales from the real life collection of her family memories. Built from years worth of inherited boxes of letters, photos and keepsakes; chests filled with both treasure and trash. How do you make the Museum of Me? (I am strongly tempted to take out my own box from under the bed, stuffed with theatre tickets and programmes accumulated from age thirteen, to create an index - what did I see, where, when, who came with me, what do I remember?)
I enjoyed both streams. The museums were much more hopeful though some were lost and some misguided. Loved the descriptions of the original British Museum, the fenland spoken memories and the catalogue of the indigenous South American cultures. The family history was deeply tragic with recurring motifs; the women in her family could really pick 'em but they were also vivid and often inspiring. As so much of the story is so local, it seems odd in some ways to hear of the epic journeys and earthquake stories in multiple continents. The writers and artists. In the end Rachel herself breaks the pattern and the museum philosophy lets her see the pattern and the difference "sometimes an archive is the only place to find the answers". The truth will set you free, I guess.
Rachel Morris makes a collection of museums. She tells us their stories and the meta narrative as she sees it, interpersed it with tales from the real life collection of her family memories. Built from years worth of inherited boxes of letters, photos and keepsakes; chests filled with both treasure and trash. How do you make the Museum of Me? (I am strongly tempted to take out my own box from under the bed, stuffed with theatre tickets and programmes accumulated from age thirteen, to create an index - what did I see, where, when, who came with me, what do I remember?)
I enjoyed both streams. The museums were much more hopeful though some were lost and some misguided. Loved the descriptions of the original British Museum, the fenland spoken memories and the catalogue of the indigenous South American cultures. The family history was deeply tragic with recurring motifs; the women in her family could really pick 'em but they were also vivid and often inspiring. As so much of the story is so local, it seems odd in some ways to hear of the epic journeys and earthquake stories in multiple continents. The writers and artists. In the end Rachel herself breaks the pattern and the museum philosophy lets her see the pattern and the difference "sometimes an archive is the only place to find the answers". The truth will set you free, I guess.
February 1, 2023
Rachel Morris and her husband travel the world and design museums. In this book she makes a nearly museum by cataloguing the stories within stories of museums. There are many insights and I have a much greater appreciation of the role of museums in society and of their contributions to society as a whole. Rachel adeptly describes the feeling of entering museums which tell stories pieced together via an interplay of transient objects and memory. She uses this analogy to explore her own family history and therefore her own identity or the museum of me. There has been a lot of trauma in her past and a lot of tragic stories that hurt. Yet she strives for meaning, of memory and memorial "all while beyond the walls the winds of the universe keep roaring". Within the boxes of sentimental and valuable treasures stored beneath her bed, lies her peace and happiness.
January 9, 2021
This is such a beautiful book.
The premise really is the value of stories, stories that passed from one generation to another. The author works in a museum and is used to pulling together lots of exhibits to tell an overall story of a period of time.
When sorting out some family papers she decided to do the same thing, her history was comprised of letters and keepsakes all kept under her bed. She collated them all to tell a story, her story. Things that mainly the women in families keep hold of.
She also discusses the importance of museums, both large and small. How their collections hold such great importance. The book is beautifully written and endlessly fascinating.
The premise really is the value of stories, stories that passed from one generation to another. The author works in a museum and is used to pulling together lots of exhibits to tell an overall story of a period of time.
When sorting out some family papers she decided to do the same thing, her history was comprised of letters and keepsakes all kept under her bed. She collated them all to tell a story, her story. Things that mainly the women in families keep hold of.
She also discusses the importance of museums, both large and small. How their collections hold such great importance. The book is beautifully written and endlessly fascinating.
August 31, 2021
A mix of memoir and history, 'The Museum Makers' is the story behind the boxes under author Rachel Morris's bed and her journey to finding her father. The revelations from the boxes lead her to understand her family history, the objects discovered within triggering memories that allow her to piece together the patterns of loss and eccentricity that follow her family through the generations . 'The Museum Makers' is also a meditation on museums, and their place in society and through history - who does the collecting and why? Absolutely fascinating and beautifully written - a delight to read.
January 26, 2021
I picked this book up as the cover is lovely and the title grabbed me but personally I didn't really enjoy the content. Probably my fault as I didn't read the description on the back.
The book is more about the authors family history interspersed with stories of Museum history, for me the balance was not enough about the museums.
I'm sure many will enjoy the author looking back at her family history from the Museum of family mementos under her bed, unfortunately I did not.
The book is more about the authors family history interspersed with stories of Museum history, for me the balance was not enough about the museums.
I'm sure many will enjoy the author looking back at her family history from the Museum of family mementos under her bed, unfortunately I did not.
May 11, 2022
An interesting book but I didn’t really find that for me the personal history and the history of museums meshed together very comfortably. I got a bit confused in the family history of gran and nona, was never really secure as to who fell into which generation and had to keep referring back to the family tree at the beginning every time a name was mentioned. On the positive side, I have come away with a list of museums to visit and some aspects of museums to appreciate when I get there.
January 1, 2023
A very readable twinned account of the author's family history and the history of museums. I found the family history quite gripping, with the Free Lover, the perfectionist craftsman printer, and the generations of resourceful women. Some of the musing on museums was familiar to me, but she brings out their importance (personal and collective memory and stories), specially in the face of threatened cuts. That resonated with me right now because a favourite museum (Derby) is under pressure.
July 2, 2021
This is a fantastic book and extremely readable. The fusing of personal story with history of museums was perfectly done. The only reason I gave it 4 instead of 5 is because I think it was 100 page too short. For a book of this type, especially considering there aren't many like this out there, the author could have written a bit more. But nonetheless a fascinating read!!
March 11, 2023
DNF. I love books about family history and the characters involved. This was the most interesting aspect of this book, hence two big fat stars. However, I found the bits about the history of museums and their curators really dull 🥱 and so didn’t finish.
June 25, 2023
Part family history (which reads like a novel) and part history (and potential future) of museums. Morris weaves stories of generations of women struggling with the actions of men (who I can only describe as knaves), with the founding of modern museums.
April 5, 2021
Such a lovely book which explores the history and meaning behind museums :) Would definitely recommend!
Want to read
July 9, 2021I learned of this book here: https://whatcathyreadnext.wordpress.c...
July 12, 2021
I loved this beautifully written book, full of family sadness and delightful nuggets of museum history (more of these please!).
June 11, 2023
To me, this book read like a textbook and sometimes a memoir. I only thought it was ok. Some parts were interesting/good and a lot of parts were dull.
August 26, 2023
Museums are one of my favourite things, I love the stories they share and the insights they give us into social history and this book is like reading a museum, the words conjure up corridors stuffed with incredible curiosities and hidden backstories held within a maze of archives. As I child I would create museums at home, filling them with findings and treasures then show them to friends and family and my work today still connects to that childhood hobby, so this book for me is a real treasure, like discovering a new friend with a shared passion.
October 4, 2021
The Museum Makers by Rachel Morris is another non-fiction book I’ve had the pleasure of reading this year.
Author Rachel Morris is the founding director of a museum-making company, so her work involves collaboration with a range of fantastic museums and other heritage institutions worldwide. This experience has evidently fed directly into the book.
This volume is part memoir and part history. The memoir element is the base of the book, and Morris’ personal touch. She finally turns to the boxes of family objects collecting dust under bed bed, and pieces together her family history from what remains intact. This leads her into a journey searching for her absent father in archives around the country, and is carefully documented within the book.
As well as the personal discovery shown within this book, Morris recounts her memories of childhood, particularly of the museums she experienced mostly on her own. She discusses a range of museums passionately, and delivers a huge amount of knowledge on their origins and founders, as well as what has taken place in them since. Many of the actions and mistakes of the early museum makers are paralleled in her own family, and this is what unites the personal and historical sides of the book.
Ultimately this is a unique tale weaved into a history of museums and object displays in general. It is well-written and highly absorbing, making it a delight to read.
Thanks to the publisher, September Publishing, for the review copy of this book.
Author Rachel Morris is the founding director of a museum-making company, so her work involves collaboration with a range of fantastic museums and other heritage institutions worldwide. This experience has evidently fed directly into the book.
This volume is part memoir and part history. The memoir element is the base of the book, and Morris’ personal touch. She finally turns to the boxes of family objects collecting dust under bed bed, and pieces together her family history from what remains intact. This leads her into a journey searching for her absent father in archives around the country, and is carefully documented within the book.
As well as the personal discovery shown within this book, Morris recounts her memories of childhood, particularly of the museums she experienced mostly on her own. She discusses a range of museums passionately, and delivers a huge amount of knowledge on their origins and founders, as well as what has taken place in them since. Many of the actions and mistakes of the early museum makers are paralleled in her own family, and this is what unites the personal and historical sides of the book.
Ultimately this is a unique tale weaved into a history of museums and object displays in general. It is well-written and highly absorbing, making it a delight to read.
Thanks to the publisher, September Publishing, for the review copy of this book.
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