The History of Human Zoos, from the Early 19th Century to the Interbellum

Descendants of the Kali’na, an Indigenous people from French Guiana and Suriname who were displayed as "savages" in Paris in 1892, are demanding the restitution of their ancestors' remains, which are preserved at the Musée de l’Homme. Like them, tens of thousands of people were exhibited in human zoos around the world from the early 19th century to the interbellum. For the INA (French National Audiovisual Institute), historian and specialist in colonial studies Pascal Blanchard deciphers this phenomenon. (*Source: L’histoire des zoos humains, du début du XIXe à l’entre-deux-guerres by Léa Beaudufe-Hamelin, L’Institut National de l’Audiovisuel (INA), 22.10.2024*)