Exploring the construction of Arctic imaginaries within the spaces of the museum

Abstract

Museums have long been central to the construction, circulation and (re)production of Eurocentric imaginaries. The University of Cambridge’s Scott Polar Research Institute which serves as both a museum and a site of contemporary polar research is no different. Turning to the Institute’s ‘Exploration and Encounter’ museum display, this paper explores how museums continue to operate as bastions of colonialism which consolidate celebratory narratives of British empire. I conclude by reflecting on the potential avenues for further research.