The Ure Museum’s archives are important sources for evidence of issues of identity, especially, gender and diversity, as well as representations thereof. The University of Reading admitted women from its foundation in 1892 as University College Reading. As a part of the University community since 1919, therefore, the Museum holds evidence of women’s pineering contributions to archaeology, the university sector and museums. It also reflects to some extent the diverse student body of Reading during this period.
Recent events and exhibitions relevant to this theme have been organised in the past year, including a workshop, “Collectors, Curators and Cataloguers: Hidden Women in 19th and 20th century Archaeology“. The exhibition that accompanied the workshop is now available online here. Research continues in the Ure Museum archive to uncover and make accessible these histories. For more information, please visit the Museum’s research blog “Ure Routes“.
Both the archive and the artefacts in the Museum can be used to understand the construction of identity(ies) in the ancient and modern worlds.