About the Project
From Local to Global is a project that has been developed by Scarborough Museums and Galleries to look at a collection of objects that belonged to Colonel James Jonathan Harrison (1857-1923).
The Collection
Harrison was a wealthy landowner and big game hunter and lived at Brandesburton Hall in the East Riding of Yorkshire. He spent his extensive leisure time travelling the British Empire and beyond, hunting and killing animals for pleasure and to fund his lifestyle. He frequently visited East and Central Africa, particularly the Ituri Forest, in what was the Congo Free State and under the direct authority of King Leopold II of Belgium. In 1905, he brought back six indigenous Bambuti people from the Ituri who he toured as a human ‘zoo’.
Detail of Congolese shield, circa 1900 © Scarborough Museums and Galleries
After his death, his widow gave his collection of taxidermied animals, diaries, photographs, gramophone recordings and objects obtained on his travels to Scarborough Corporation, where it was displayed in a room named after him (now the Concert Room at Scarborough Library). In the 1950s, the collection moved to the Wood End Natural History Museum and was absorbed within the museum’s collection.
Uncomfortable histories
Museums have collections of objects that come with historical contexts that aren’t always necessarily apparent. We think it is very important to look at objects from multiple perspectives, particularly when exploring objects that are associated with our colonial past and its impact on today's society, here in Britain. This will mean addressing histories that are uncomfortable. At Scarborough Museums and Galleries we believe it is important that this work is done and this project is a starting point for that.
Read our organisational Position Statement on this work. (opens on a new page)
Scarborough Museums and Galleries, like other organisations in this country, has benefited from colonialism. The donation of the Harrison collection is one example of this. We want to understand where our power and privilege has come from and take actions to redistribute some of it to those who have been historically excluded, marginalised or misrepresented, such as the people who were colonised in what is now the Democratic Republic of Congo.
By starting this process, we, being Scarborough Museums and Galleries, were fully aware that mistakes would be made, but believed it was important for the organisation to start somewhere and learn from past challenges, so that the project could move forward. This way of working also made way for change in some of our own practices to be more inclusive and fairer.
Scarborough Museums is a white organisation and doesn't have racial diversity in our team. It was quickly recognised that this project and associated work would not be successful if we worked on our own. So we approached allies – experts working in this area, both people of colour and white people – to advise us and to make sure we kept asking the right questions of ourselves.
British School, Brig Frances of Scarborough, c. 1828. Watercolour on paper.
Exhibition
The From Local to Global exhibition (15 October 2022 - 19 February 2023 at Scarborough Art Gallery) does not follow the conventions of a traditional museum display that tells the ‘story’ of Harrison or focuses on themes. Instead, it recognises that this archive is an unfinished project, with multiple strands and layers, that raise many questions. It was made possible through funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund with the aim of re-appraising the Collection to enable other histories to be shared.
Find out more about From Local to Global in this short film.
Citizen Researchers
The Citizen Researcher programme has involved a range of individuals from Scarborough and beyond, members of the Congolese community in the UK, indigenous Bambuti people from the Ituri Forest in the Congo, academics, students, artists and activists to add to the developing knowledge of the Harrison collection and its associated themes. Without the support of this enthusiastic and dedicated group of volunteers, the project and activities would not have progressed in the way that it has done.
With regular meetings, both online and in person, the Citizen Researchers are invited to access the Scarborough Museums collection and with the support of the project team, create written articles, review existing collection information and project ambassadors. This strand of the project has demonstrated how a group of objects, like the Harrison collection, can act as a springboard to explore multiple perspectives, some that have always existed, but have been marginalised by British colonial thinking.
You can read their work here: From Local to Global Articles page. (opens on a new page)
Get in touch
This has, and continues to be, a journey of mutual discovery as we ask questions such as
What other stories are there to tell?
Where are the gaps?
What can we learn from our shared histories?
How can we work together to find solutions to some of the environmental problems we are now facing?
You can get in touch via global@scarboroughmuseumsandgalleries.org.uk
If you’ve visited the From Local to Global exhibition and would like to share any feedback from your visit, you are invited to complete this short survey: From Local to Global exhibition visitor survey. (opens on a new page)
If you would like to share any feedback on your experience of using this website today, you are invited to complete this short survey: From Local to Global website survey. (opens on a new page)
