ABSTRACT
Museums are not neutral places, nor do they exist in a state of political independence somehow suspended above the wash of dominant ideology. They embody, directly or indirectly, the distinctive views of those who hold control, those who claim a moral or intellectual right, and those who can afford to make museums happen. Moreover they fit into the socio-political structures of their day. However enabling, democratic and intellectually rigorous museums may aim to be, they cannot be divorced from their own times and circumstances. Sometimes, these processes are easier to detect than others.
