Museums and ideology: Augustus Pitt-Rivers, anthropological museums, and social change in later Victorian Britain

This article explores the evolving role of museums in later Victorian Britain through the lens of Augustus Pitt-Rivers’ anthropological collections. It investigates how Pitt-Rivers’ typological approach to exhibiting objects influenced the understanding of human evolution and societal progress. The study also delves into the ideological underpinnings of anthropological museums during this period, examining their contribution to broader discourses of social change and the construction of national identity within a colonial context. It sheds light on how such institutions both reflected and shaped contemporary views on race and culture.