Power, Perception, and Cultural Exchange in 19th-Century Exhibitions, BATS

Throughout the 19^th century various forms of exhibition proliferated. In the seminar we will look at the famous World’s Fair, natural history museums, circuses, freakshows, zoos, and others to explore how these exhibitions have shaped perceptions of the things, animals, plants, and humans on display. We will critically discuss the power hierarchies between the observer and the observed that are implicit in the visual characteristics and structures of exhibitions as well as the international networks of exchange through which exhibited objects were dislocated from their place of origin to feature in exhibitions.