Always Something New

Always Something New marks the bicentenary of the South African Museum and traces its transformation into the Iziko South African Museum within the Iziko Museums of South Africa. Founded in 1825 as a colonial institution focused on collecting and classifying the natural world, the museum has evolved over two centuries alongside changing scientific paradigms, political contexts, and public expectations. This book takes a critical, biographical approach to explore its shifting roles in research, exhibitions, and public engagement, while interrogating its colonial legacies and examining its ongoing commitment to decolonial and inclusive practice. Drawing on archival sources, institutional records, and interviews, it reflects on the museum’s contribution to South African heritage, science, and identity, and asks what role such an institution can, and should, play in the 21st century.