The development and construction of the Shanghai Museum of the Royal Asiatic Society during the Period of Republic of China: a study centred on Arthur de Carle Sowerby (1923–1946)

In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, natural history gained popularity among the Western public, and museums became one of the central institutions in people’s cultural lives. Within this context, the British naturalist Arthur de Carle Sowerby (1885–1954) was committed to building a cultural centre in Shanghai for facilitating the dissemination and popularization of natural history. Under his advocacy, preparation and management, the Shanghai Museum of the Royal Asiatic Society (RAS) was rebuilt in 1933 and subsequently prospered, becoming one of the most important cultural institutions in Shanghai at the time. This article investigates the original reasons for Sowerby’s participation in the rebuilding of the Shanghai Museum, as well as his management and administration of the museum. It reveals his important role in the restoration and successful development of the Shanghai Museum, analysing the development and spread of Western natural history in Shanghai in the modern era and its impact on the city’s culture.