Natural History (and other mostly true stories)

Abstract

In this thesis statement I will examine and explore these issues through a critical discussion of the natural history museum, its systems of display and its relationship to other forms of cultural production that also utilize the bodies of animals. This essay is divided into two primary sections, each with subsections. The first section investigates the position of the natural history diorama and its relationship to the traditions, conventions and limitations of picture making. In the course of this discussion, I will briefly locate the identity and beliefs of the natural history museum through the notion that surfaces, such as animal hides and painted backdrops contain meanings that assist in the maintenance and reproduction of the museum's political and ideological positioning.