Pitt Rivers Museum

The Museum displays archaeological and ethnographic objects from all parts of the world. It was founded in 1884 when General Pitt Rivers, an influential figure in the development of archaeology and evolutionary anthropology, gave his collection to the University. The General's founding gift contained more than 18,000 objects but there are now over half a million. Many were donated by early anthropologists and explorers. The collection includes extensive photographic and sound archives which contain early records of great importance. The Museum continues to collect through donations, bequests, special purchases and through its staff and students, in the course of their fieldwork.

Pitt Rivers Museum

All episodes

Title	Description	People	Date
Reflections: How do we move forward with the Collections Development Policy?	Bessie, Megan, and Jip conclude this series by reflecting on the process of examining the Collections Development Policy. What can we take forward? Are changes too idealistic? Is there any hope for the future of museum policy?	Bessie Woodhouse, Jip Borm, Megan Mahon	6 January, 2022
Pathways Forward with Dr. Laura van Broekhoven	Jip and Bessie are joined again by the Director of the Pitt Rivers Museum, Dr. Laura van Broekhoven. This time we discuss looking forward to the future of the museum and its collections policy.	Jip Borm, Bessie Woodhouse, Laura van Broekhoven	6 January, 2022
Museums and Living Objects with Carey Newman	Megan and Alexis are joined by master carver Carey Newman to discuss the social and cultural lives of museum objects, and the ways museums can better engage with them.	Carey Newman, Megan Mahon, Alexis Forer	6 January, 2022
Funding, Possibilities and The Arts Council with Liam Wiseman	Megan and Bessie are joined by Liam Wiseman, then Museums Relationship Manager for the South East, to discuss funding and the possibilities of de-colonial practice.	Megan Mahon, Bessie Woodhouse, Liam Wiseman	6 January, 2022
Accessibility and The Public with Beth McDougall	Jip is joined by Beth McDougall, Families and Communities Officer for the Pitt Rivers Museum, to discuss the idea of the public and the museum's Access Policy.	Jip Borm, Beth McDougall	6 January, 2022
Comparing Decolonial Practices with Dr. Gina Borromeo and Jan Howard	Jip and Megan are joined by Dr. Gina Borromeo and Jan Howard, curators at the Rhode Island School of Design, to discuss comparisons between how institutions approach decolonial practice, the barriers they face and how policy can reflect practice.	Gina Borromeo, Jip Borm, Megan Mahon	6 January, 2022
Art and Indigenous Voices with Eiko Soga	Alexis and Jip are joined by Eiko Soga, a Japanese artist and researcher, to learn how art can play a role in making collections accessible and how it can help museums connect with the voices of peoples behind museum collections.	Eiko Soga, Jip Borm, Alexis Forer	6 January, 2022
Indigenous Futures and Museums with Solomon Enos	Alexis and Megan are joined by Solomon Enos, an Indigenous artist from Hawai’i, to discuss the ways that museum policies can better engage with contemporary Indigenous artists and depict Indigenous futures.	Solomon Enos, Megan Mahon, Alexis Forer	6 January, 2022
The Museum and Communities with Jaalen Edenshaw	Alexis and Bessie are joined by Jaalen Edenshaw, a Haida artist, to discuss the relationship between the museum, the origins of its collections and communities today.	Bessie Woodhouse, Jaalen Edenshaw, Alexis Forer	6 January, 2022
Dr. Laura van Broekhoven on Accreditation and the Impacts of Policy	Jip and Bessie are joined by the Director of the Pitt Rivers Museum, Dr. Laura van Broekhoven. In this episode, we discuss the impacts of the policy, museum accreditation, and Laura's work at the museum and beyond.	Laura van Broekhoven	4 January, 2022
Mission Statements and Decolonial Practice with Dr. Cara Krmpotich	Bessie and Megan are joined by Dr. Cara Krmpotich, museum anthropologist and Associate Professor of Museum Studies at the University of Toronto to delve into the role of mission statements and how to approach applying decolonial practice in museums.	Bessie Woodhouse, Megan Mahon	4 January, 2022
Policy and Practice with Faye Belsey	‘The future of collection doesn’t have to be the past.’ Jip and Alexis are joined by Faye Belsey, Deputy Head of Object Collections at the Pitt Rivers Museum, to discuss the relationship between collections policy and everyday practice in the museum.	Jip Borm, Faye Belsey, Alexis Forer	4 January, 2022
Introduction: What is this Policy anyway?	Bessie, Alexis, Jip and Megan explore the themes presented in the museum’s Collections Development Policy. Why does it say so little about repatriation? Who is the widest possible public? And what even is preservation?	Bessie Woodhouse, Jip Borm, Megan Mahon, Alexis Forer	4 January, 2022
Beyond the Binary: Gender, Sexuality, Power - Introduction	Introduction to Beyond the Binary: Gender, Sexuality, Power podcast series.	Jozie Kettle	6 January, 2020
Beyond the Binary: Gender, Sexuality, Power Episode 4: Queering Christianity and gender transition.	Olivia Sharrard (PRM) talks to Lance about changing representation in the Pitt Rivers museum, navigating life in Oxford and how they’ve ‘queered’ objects within the collections related to Christianity.	Lance Millar, Olivia Sharrard	6 January, 2020
Beyond the Binary: Gender, Sexuality, Power Episode 3: Bacchus – queer party god of contradictions?	Jozie Kettle (Pitt Rivers Museum), talks to Harriet Haugvik and Cameron Wallis about their involvement in the 2020 exhibition Beyond the Binary: Gender, Sexuality, Power. Harriet and Cam explore Bacchus’ complex and intriguing connections to queerness.	Harriet Haugvik, Cameron Wallis, Jozie Kettle	6 January, 2020
Beyond the Binary: Gender, Sexuality, Power Episode 2: Uncovering queerness within the collections	Jozie Kettle (Pitt Rivers Museum), talks to Mara Gold about her involvement in the 2020 exhibition Beyond the Binary: Gender, Sexuality, Power.	Mara Gold, Jozie Kettle	6 January, 2020
Beyond the Binary: Gender, Sexuality, Power Episode 1: Museums, beadwork and Indigenous agency	Jozie Kettle (Pitt Rivers Museum), talks to Dan Laurin about his involvement in the 2020 exhibition Beyond the Binary: Gender, Sexuality, Power.	Dan Laurin, Jozie Kettle	6 January, 2020
See-touch-think-wonder	Stories, objects and pictures as methods of engagement in research in assistive living technologies.	Gemma Hughes, Joe Wherton, Beth McDougall	12 November, 2019
Technology, aging and progression: from amulets to robots	Discussions about the protective powers of amulets, alarms and jewellery are interrupted by the arrival of a cuddly robot.	Gemma Hughes, Caitlin Pilbeam, Jozie Kettle, George Leeson, Beth McDougall, Sheila, Jean	12 November, 2019
Living objects - ageing bodies	Researchers and community members go behind the scenes at the Pitt Rivers Museum to learn more about the care and ethics involved in conservation.	Caitlin Pilbeam, Jozie Kettle, Jem Uden, Andrew Hughes, Gemma Hughes	12 November, 2019
Technologies: love or hate them?	The context of the Pitt Rivers Museum stimulates discussion about human-technology relations.	Gemma Hughes, Joe Wherton, Laura van Broekhoven, Sara Shaw	12 November, 2019
The magic of everyday technologies	Exploring how everyday objects support health and wellbeing: medicines containers and mobility aids.	Gemma Hughes, Caitlin Pilbeam, Beth McDougall, Jozie Kettle, Phil, Isla	12 November, 2019
Introducing Messy Realities: the Secret Life of Technology	Professor Trisha Greenhalgh and colleagues discuss what assistive living technologies are and how they engaged the public in exploring assistive living technologies at the Pitt Rivers Museum.	Gemma Hughes, Trisha Greenhalgh, Jozie Kettle, Beth McDougall	12 November, 2019
Mobile in Museums	Theodore Koterwas, Mobile Development Team Lead, IT Services, gives a short talk for Oxford University Museums Staff Conference	Theodore Koterwas	31 October, 2016
Celebrating Diversity: An LGBTQ+ Tour of Oxford University’s Museums and Collections	Beth Asbury, Assistant to the Director and Administration Team, Pitt Rivers Museum, gives a short talk for Oxford University Museums Staff Conference.	Beth Asbury	31 October, 2016
Quantifying and Mitigating Human Generated Vibration in Museum Exhibits	Daniel Bone, Deputy Head of Conservation, Ashmolean Museum, gives a short talk for Oxford University Museums Staff Conference.	Daniel Bone	31 October, 2016
Interacting with Artefacts, Oxfordshire Collections Project	Stephen Barker, Oxfordshire County Council Museums Service, gives a short talk for Oxford University Museums Staff Conference.	Stephen Barker	31 October, 2016
A year in the Zoology Collection	Mark Carnall, Collections Manager (Life Collections), Museum of Natural History gives a short talk for the Oxford University Museums Staff Conference.	Mark Carnall	21 October, 2016
Memories under the microscope: collaborations between Oxford University Partnership Museums and University of Oxford research departments	Helen Fountain, Reminiscence Officer, Oxford University Museums and Kate Hamblin, Senior Research Fellow, University of Oxford Institute for Population Ageing give a short talk for the Oxford University Museums Staff Conference.	Kate Hamblin, Helen Fountain	21 October, 2016
VERVE: Connecting the public with displays at the Pitt Rivers Museum	Beth McDougall and Madeleine Ding, VERVE Team, Pitt Rivers Museum give a short talk for the Oxford University Museums Staff Conference.	Beth McDougall, Madeleine Ding	21 October, 2016
Joint Museums Youth Forum Project	Sarah Lloyd and Carly Smith-Huggins, Education Officers, Museum of Natural History give a short talk for the Oxford University Museums Staff Conference.	Sarah Lloyd, Carly Smith-Huggins	21 October, 2016
Cabinet: Integrating Text and Object in Oxford Teaching	Giovanna Vitelli, Director, University Engagement Programme, Ashmolean Museum gives a short talk for Oxford University Museums Staff Conference.	Giovanna Vitelli	21 October, 2016
Why community groups work with museums	Nicola Bird, Community Engagement Officer, Oxford University Museums gives a short talk for the Oxford University Museums Staff Conference.	Nicola Bird	21 October, 2016
Discussing Penicillin	Marie-Louise Kerr, Penicillin Exhibition Curator, Museum of the History of Science gives a short talk for the Oxford University Museums Staff Conference.	Marie-Louise Kerr	21 October, 2016
Transportation Transformation	Andrew Hughes, Move Project Team Leader, Pitt Rivers Museum, gives a short talk for the Oxford University Museums Staff Conference.	Andrew Hughes	21 October, 2016
Dodo Roadshow	Scott Billings, Digital Engagement Officer, Museum of Natural History gives a short talk for Oxford University Museums Staff Conference.	Scott Billings	21 October, 2016
Body Arts: The Panará People	Dr Elizabeth Ewart of the University's Institute of Anthropology and Jaanika Vider, a former student, discuss body adornment and identity in Amazonia,.	Elizabeth Ewart, Jaanika Vider	22 August, 2011
Body Arts: Feathers, Beads and Paint	Professor Peter Rivière and Director of the Pitt Rivers Museum, Dr Mike O'Hanlon, discuss decorative applications of feathers, beads and paint to the body,.	Peter Rivière, Mike O'Hanlon	22 August, 2011
Body Arts: Scent, Pain and Exchange	Professor Jeremy MacClancy of Oxford Brookes University talks to Helen Hales of the Pitt Rivers Museum about themes including scent and perfume,.	Jeremy MacClancy, Helen Hales	22 August, 2011
Body Arts: The Naga People	Dr Vibha Joshi, a specialist in the Naga culture of northeast India, and Julia Nicholson from the Pitt Rivers Museum look at the unique traditions of hair and body ornaments,.	Vibha Joshi, Julia Nicholson	22 August, 2011
Body Arts: The Experience of Decoration	Professor Howard Morphy of the Australian National University talks to Helen Hales of the Pitt Rivers Museum about the body as a canvas and the internal experience of external decoration, notably in the context of Aboriginal Australia.	Howard Morphy	22 August, 2011
Body Arts: The Flexible Body	The Museum's Director, Dr Mike O'Hanlon, and Professor Stanley Ulijaszek from the University's Institute of Anthropology discuss how the body can be shaped both physically and metaphorically and the idea of bodily norms.	Mike O'Hanlon, Stanley Ulijaszek	22 August, 2011
Body Arts: Henna - The Plant that Binds	Anthropologist and filmmaker Udi Mandel Butler and Alan Mandel explore the art of Henna in Birmingham.	Udi Mandel Butler, Alan Mandel	15 August, 2011
Body Arts: Travelling Ink	Through conversations with leading tattooists from around the world, this film explores the artistry, philosophy, meaning and history of tattooing at the site of the 2010 London Tattoo Convention.	Udi Mandel Butler, Alan Mandel	15 August, 2011
Body Arts: Kakau and Batok Talk: Tattoos from Hawaii and the Philippines	At the conclusion of her fieldwork in the mountains of northern Luzon in the Philippines, anthropologist Analyn Salvador-Amore filmed an encounter with Hawaiian tattoo practitioner Keone Nunes and a Butbut tattoo practitioner Whang-ud.	Analyn Salvador-Amore	15 August, 2011
Body Arts: Bodies Beautiful	Four women from Oxford take a course in film-making with local film-maker Sharon Woodward from Oxford Film and Video Makers. They explore the changing cultural meaning of body decoration in British society.	Rosalind Miles, Sara Parsons, Cait Sweeney, Louise Webster	15 August, 2011
Body Arts: What is Body Art?	Sixth-form artists from Cheney School search out the decorated and opinionated residents of Oxford to get their views on Body Art.	Pitt Rivers Museum	15 August, 2011
Body Arts: Tatau and Ta Moko	Maori artist George Nuku and Samoan artist Rosanna Raymond talk about the significance of traditional Polynesian tattoo designs and some of the stories behind them.	George Nuku, Rosanna Raymond	15 August, 2011
Shrunken Heads at the Pitt Rivers Museum	The display of shrunken heads at the Pitt Rivers Museum fascinates many visitors. In this podcast, Dr Laura Peers, curator, explains where they come from, why they were made, and the curatorial issues involved in displaying them.	Laura Peers	24 June, 2011
Introduction (4) to the Pitt Rivers Museum	Writing cabinet and boats.	Andrew McLellan, Kate White	21 June, 2011
Introduction (3) to the Pitt Rivers Museum	Lights and folk.	Andrew McLellan, Kate White	21 June, 2011
Introduction (2) to the Pitt Rivers Museum	A sense of discovery.	Andrew McLellan, Kate White	21 June, 2011
Introduction (1) to the Pitt Rivers Museum	A guide to the unique displays of this intimate museum.	Andrew McLellan, Kate White	21 June, 2011

Pitt Rivers Museum

Related

Series in this collection

Matters of Policy Podcast

Beyond the Binary: Queering and Questioning Collections and Displays at the Pitt Rivers Museum

Messy Realities - the Secret Life of Technology

Behind the Scenes at the Oxford University Museums

Pitt Rivers Museum

All episodes