| Four distinct phases marked the progression of public exhibitions of Chinese material culture in America from the late eighteenth to the early twentieth century. These phases were represented by cabinets of curiosities, Dunn's and Peters's Chinese Museums, world's fair exhibitions, and museums of anthropology and of art. Despite the apparent simplicity of this schema, the different phases often overlapped. Furthermore, although the progression of Chinese exhibitions usually corresponded to the development of museums in general, it diverged in some instances. Basically, changes in the nature and content of Chinese exhibitions occurred in accordance with the evolution of Sino-American relations and of Chinese scholarship in America, and reflected shifting emphases in the generally ambivalent American attitudes towards the people and culture of China. |
