Memory politics and material culture: Display in the memorial museum

Abstract

When private grief is brought into the memorial museum, this transfer is a deliberate act that is seeking public acknowledgement and action. By considering the life history of a collection of objects now in the Museum of Free Derry (Northern Ireland), the use of objects in private mourning and as agents in the collective processes of public remembering is demonstrated. The story is one of loss and mourning that is intensified by the political context of the deaths. As cherished possessions, these objects are active in the private processes of grieving and recovery. In the memorial museum, they are agents in an evolving justice campaign, embedded in the political negotiations of the region.