Fatburg!

 Museum of London 'Fatburg' samples and wall text

As its name suggests, The Museum of London is dedicated to the telling of London's history, with a large number of permanent displays charting the city's story from ancient through to modern times. As Museums go, this one is more modest than others, with numerous displays and hangs unchanged for many years. It is a place to escape crowds for those who want to learn more about the fascinating life of the city across a long timeline. 

Today, all museums face the challenge of remaining relevant, and attracting new audiences, and the Museum of London's current display of a sample from the so-called 'Whitechapel Fatburg' is designed to do both these things. Once upon a time,  museums were places to experience the glories of empire, the thrill of discovery, the lure of the unknown, and seek transcendence experiences. In this exhibition, the museum asks us to confront our own role in a monumental problem facing cities around the globe. This display presents challenges for audiences, conservators and curators, and is one in which the role of the museum to lead conversations which aim to change behaviours is highlighted. The display is meant to disgust us, and by knowing our present, inform our future.

You can watch this short clip on the Fatburg here, and learn about the conservation and safety challenges faced by the Museum in preparing this abjectly fascinating display.

What do you think? Is this the kind of thing you want to or expect to see in a Museum?

 "..museum goers can look on this unnatural wonder and perhaps reflect that a culture is most clearly understood from the things it makes and the traces that it leaves behind."

- Tim Adams Fatburg!, 04/02/18, The Observer, p 12