State and Cultural Infrastructure: Contradictions, Challenges and Management in the Creation of a Country Identity through the National Museum of Natural History (19th Century)

Abstract

Although much is known about the role of the state in museums which promoted national identities during the 19th century, this process was not free of challenges and paradoxes in terms of the neglect to the infrastructure and development of these institutions. Conflicts over budget, the lack of space, and multiple problems regarding maintenance, made the accomplishment of the daily tasks of the National Museum of Natural History difficult, during its initial decades. Rodulfo Philippi, the director of the museum since 1853 to 1897, often appealed to national pride when dealing with the authorities, establishing an instrumental relationship that enabled him to carry out the scientific work of the institution. Thus, it is argued that the creation of national cultural imaginaries is often a result created by a set of interests and collective ac­tion of individuals, who unintentionally contributed to the production of the identity of the state-nation.