This roundtable will explore the use of material culture in the study of the history of philanthropy, broadly conceived, with a focus on American and British giving and social activism. It will include scholars who are well-versed in material culture, as well as those who are looking to incorporate this methodology into their research, writing, and teaching. Short presentations will include both examples of how material culture methodology has driven the work of historians and will also offer an opportunity for those who aspire to become more familiar with this methodology to present works-in-progress for conversation and feedback.

The roundtable is designed to address some of the greatest challenges of studying philanthropy through material culture: What counts as a "philanthropy object"? How does approaching the history of philanthropy from the perspective of material culture change or enliven that history? Few museum objects are labeled with the terms "philanthropy" or "charity.” Indeed, few philanthropy-related objects are easily discoverable in museum collections because they were collected for different reasons. The goal of the roundtable is to generate conversation about on-the-ground troubleshooting focused on the challenges and opportunities presented by material culture sources and methodology in teaching and researching the history of philanthropy.