The time period investigated is 1855 to 2016.
The thesis examines with the ways in which the museum has transformed since its inception in the colonial period up to the present day. It looks at the ways Iziko, as a national museum, has guarded and promoted ideas of the nation as decided by the state. It is a study of the history of museums as well as the ways in which history has been used in museums. It is concerned with the absence of a narrative of slavery at Iziko museums before the demise of Apartheid and looks the historical and socio-political changes that lead to its emergence in South African historical consciousness. It looks specifically at the Iziko Museums of South Africa’s social history sites that deal with the subject of slavery. This thesis is concerned with the ways in which museums have been used as vehicles to convey notions of the nation.
