Museums of History and Ethnography
The Museums of the Institute of Jamaica are repositories of historical and ethnographic
collections that depict the history of the people of Jamaica. The Museums of History
and Ethnography comprise at present six museums across the island, all of which
cater to various aspects of a country filled with artefacts that signifies Jamaican’s
creativity and productivity.
We are committed to educating the public through effective and far reaching programmes
that seek to promote an understanding of their role and value as stewards of the
material culture of the nation and to honour the history and heritage through the
collections of the national museums.
Museums of History and Ethnography is the national agent for the collection, preservation
and documentation of Jamaica’s material culture and aims to stimulate serious research
and reflection on Jamaica’s history and contemporary life.
As the repository of the National Collection of more than 15, 000 historic, ethnographic
and archaeological artifacts germane to Jamaica’s history from the prehistoric to
the contemporary era, the work of the museums is focused in three areas: Preservation,
Research and Communication through education programming.
Included in our mandate is the establishment and maintenance of museums for the
collection, preservation and presentation of artefacts. Inkeeping with this, the
Institute administers six historical and ethnographic museums across the island;
Taino Museum of the First Jamaican, The Peoples’ Museum of Craft and Technology,
Museum of St. James, Hanover Museum, Fort Charles Museum and the Military Museum,
all of which examine various aspects of Jamaica’s history. At least two major temporary
exhibitions are mounted annually, accompanied by public programmes. In addition,
there is a vibrant offering of public programmes geared to primary, secondary, tertiary,
adult and community participants based on issues in Jamaica’s history and contemporary
condition.