Manchester Museum seeks help to uncover hidden histories of African collection

New Africa Hub confronts colonial-era silences by asking visitors to share insights on 40,000 objects

It's a rare thing for a museum to talk about what it doesn't know. But unanswered questions and archival silences are at the heart of the new Africa Hub at Manchester Museum, north-west England, which is inviting people around the world to help fill the gaps.

The museum holds more than 40,000 items from across Africa, many of which were traded, collected, looted or preserved during the era of the British empire.