Collecting Covid-19 part 2: Exploring the methodological approaches and practices to collecting objects and how they changed in 2020

Abstract

• The Covid-19 pandemic continues, but it wasn’t the only event of 2020 that has impacted and shaped our view of the world as movements like Black Lives Matter gained traction and statues of slave owners were toppled. Over two seminars we will look at the ways museums have been recording and collecting this moment in our history. This second seminar will look more closely at physical objects, with guest speakers from National Museums Scotland and the London Transport Museum. We’ll look at how and why objects were collected during a time of infection and physical distance. We’ll also consider how the act of collecting and contemporary collecting practices can reflect values of institutions and ask if they can be anti-racist