Paper short abstract:

Particular cases will show how Europeans absorbed elements of Indigenous knowledge as well as how Amerindians absorbed European elements, attempting to see the collected objects as part of the ethnological encounters Everard im Thurn (1852-1932) experienced when he was in British Guiana (now Guyana)

Paper long abstract:

This paper turns to specific objects, in particular to the ones held by Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, setting them in historical and contemporary context, using both archival sources and information gathered at a trip to Guyana (former British Guiana) in 2010, discussing aspects of Everard im Thurn's collecting practices, and seeking to restore the 'cross-cultural histories'. The objects discussed were collected not only by Everard im Thurn but also by G.S. Jenman (1845-1902), his colleague in British Guiana. I will expose some examples in which it is possible to see the histories beneath the objects. By knowing more about the objects' histories changes the way they are perceived and hopefully will also contribute to a better understanding of the collections. Here, particular cases will show how Europeans absorbed elements of Indigenous knowledge as well as how Amerindians absorbed European elements. Through the objects, this paper aims to understand im Thurn's interest in certain items and comprehend why and how they were obtained. It also attempts to see these same objects as part of the ethnological encounters im Thurn experienced when he was in British Guiana. These cross-cultural encounters also revealed how the Europeans influenced the Amerindians in the way their objects were produced. Through im Thurn's descriptions of his Amerindian encounters it is possible to trace a portrait of this Victorian character which will be also discussed.