“Specimens Distributed”: The Circulation of Objects from Kew’s Economic Botany Collection

Working Paper 2 considers the flow of objects outwards, drawing on the
remarkably rich sources held at Kew and linking to sources elsewhere (see
Bibliography). A number of themes emerge from our analysis. Firstly, there are
the various modes in which objects circulated, including partage of those
collections acquired on scientific expeditions; large-scale clearances undertaken
at Kew on the closure of temporary exhibitions and of other museums, as was
the case with the India Museum distribution of 1879–81; periodic disbursements
of excess museum stocks following cycles of accumulation, as occurred in 1876;
or as part of an ongoing commitment to British regional museums and schools.
Secondly we focus on the role of negotiated exchanges in the circulation of
objects.