Paper long abstract:

In this paper I will discuss the role of museums and representation of culture in Zanzibar in the twentieth century through the examination of the now-closed Peace Memorial Museum. The colonial museum in British Africa has yet to be studied in depth and as one of the most successful museums in the interwar period, Zanzibar’s first museum is an enlightening example, both for its architecture and its collection and activities.

The Peace Memorial Museum, built after the Great War, is a masterpiece of colonial architecture in East Africa, with its fusion of styles from the Middle East and local sources, which articulated a vision of the East, created by the colonial regime and embodied in the Museum building. The Museum was a visual projection of indirect rule, alongside the frequent ceremonies which celebrated the shared administration of the Sultanate and the British Empire.

Famed beyond the local context for its lively activity programme, it became an important centre for education run by devoted curators, who developing new displays and programmes to respond to local and international circumstances.

Looted after the Zanzibar Revolution and stripped of many parts of its collection, it has fallen into disrepair, while other historic sites have taken its place and been reconfigured as museums for Zanzibar’s burgeoning tourist trade. I will highlight the legacy of this museum, both architecturally and culturally, and locate it within wider discussions of colonialism, the meaning of the museum and cultural representation.