Suffering on Display

Abstract

British prison museums often over-simplify complex social and cultural issues relating to historical crimes in favour of exhibitions heavily focused on penal reform. This omission of historical facts can affect the interpretation of prisoner experiences. Most studies conducted on prison museums have focused more generally on this issue but have not yet examined specific narratives of the historical prisoners that are presented through costumed interpretation. This article seeks to remedy this via an analysis of problematic interpretations of female prisoners, prison staff, and anachronistic interactions between historic individuals at two museums; The National Justice Museum in Nottingham and York Castle Museum. The article examines how certain characters are portrayed at the sites and how their characterisations depart from the historical record. It argues that the neglect of central historical facts at these sites may severely misrepresent historical individuals and their cases.