This collection of essays had its origins as a panel at the 2018 annual meeting of the American Historical Association. It takes a critical look at the formation, organization, and presentation of materials in the national museums of Mexico, focusing principally on the National Museum of Anthropology, but also considering the National Museum of World Cultures and the Museum of Natural History. It also considers the formation of these collections from early efforts in the colonial period that came to a peak in the nineteenth century.

Each essay has its unique focus, but there are several themes. Each object and the museums were to tell a national story. As such, the museums were political statements. The selections, presentation, and descriptions all focused on issues of Mexicaness (mexicanidad). Some items in the collections were discovered to be forgeries. Decisions had to be made over how to present the material. Buildings were constructed to house the material and also tell to the story the organizers created. In short, this is a fascinating look at how the creation of national collections entered into a dialogue about the defining essence of the nation.