Abstract
The historical context surrounding the acquisition of human remains, particularly those of Indigenous, colonised, and socially marginalised peoples, has significantly influenced contemporary museum professionals’ perspectives on the display of all human remains. Museums are now considered guardians, rather than owners, of these remains which necessitates careful consideration and consultation regarding their treatment and display. Surveys conducted among audiences in the United Kingdom, North America, and Turkey show general support for displaying human remains in museums, provided such displays are approached with respect. However, what constitutes “respect” can vary by context and the specific communities involved. Furthermore, while the display of human remains has been identified as a critical component of visitors’ experiences to anatomy museums in particular, the underlying reasons for this preference and the value visitors place on anatomy museums is largely underexplored.
In Aotearoa New Zealand, Indigenous remains are not displayed in museums out of respect for Indigenous beliefs regarding death and the human body. However, little is known about museum visitor perspectives on the display of non-Indigenous human remains. This study seeks to address this gap by examining the experiences and perspectives of visitors to the W. D. Trotter Anatomy Museum—a university museum that displays hundreds of examples of human anatomy and pathology. The study aims to gain insights into the benefits and challenges of public access to such museums. It does this to consider the ethical treatment and display of human remains in an anatomy museum in an Aotearoa New Zealand context and to explore the value of anatomy museums for the visiting public.
The study employed a mixed-methods design with two phases: a questionnaire distributed to 365 members of the general public who visited the Museum, followed by 26 interviews. The questionnaire investigated visitors’ experiences at the Museum, paying particular attention to the emotions elicited by the collection and the reasons behind respondents’ feelings of engagement or discomfort. Semi-structured interviews provided deeper insights into the questionnaire results, and directly addressed the value that visitors place on having access to the Museum, the significance of genuine human remains being displayed, and visitors’ considerations regarding display practices.
Of the 365 questionnaire participants, 227 visited a photo-realistic digital replica of the W. D. Trotter Anatomy Museum—a virtual museum that was created during the COVID-19 pandemic. These participants were asked the same questions as those who visited the Museum in person (n = 138), allowing comparisons to be made between their experiences. The comparison showed that while in-person visitors reported slightly more intense emotional experiences, virtual visitors experienced the same range of emotions and were engaged by the same exhibits. This suggests that virtual museums can effectively and affectively engage audiences with museum collections.
Overall, participants valued anatomy museums for their role in fostering interest and understanding of the human body, changing awareness and attitudes to illness and disease, and providing an emotional connection with the human condition. Moreover, anatomy museums offer a space to encounter and contemplate the concept of death. Interviewees argued that the inclusion of genuine human remains was central to the value they ascribed to the anatomy museum experience as they could better connect with the real remains than synthetic models. This sense of connection enhanced the emotional experience and prompted self-reflection regarding what they were seeing and how it related to their own body and health-related behaviours. However, the acceptability of displaying human remains was contingent upon respect being shown for both the humanity of the remains and the potential sensitivities of visitors. Interviewees recommended full transparency regarding how remains were and are acquired and for what purposes, and that potential visitors should be fully informed regarding the types of remains displayed in museums. Furthermore, to prevent the objectification of remains, museums should provide appropriate interpretation that acknowledges and reflects the humanity of the individuals represented. This approach helps remind visitors that these remains belong to real people who were likely, in many ways, similar to ourselves. Respect is their due.