Through my research, you’ll see how a select group of cultural institutions—museums, archives, galleries, and libraries—view, represent, and prioritize the profoundly personal and political issue of abortion. This work confirms what we already know: archives are not neutral. By deciding what is preserved, how it is presented, and to whom it is accessible, these institutions influence our collective memory and understanding of personal and collective history. As such, they are not just archives of the past—they are active participants in the ongoing process of creating meaning in the present and future.

While cultural stories are not inherently problematic, a meta-narrative “takes a story that’s true for some and makes it the only story we can tell, the only story we’re able to hear, the only story that counts” (Watson, 2018, p. 40). 

Here’s an example of a meta-narrative about abortion:

Having an abortion deviates from traditional cultural and gender expectations about reproduction. It is not assumed to be a normative experience—and yet, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, over 600,000 legally induced abortions were reported in 2022, making the abortion rate “11.2 abortions per 1,000 women aged 15–44 years old” (2024). This data underscores the tension between cultural prescriptions and actual lived experience, revealing a meta-narrative hidden in plain sight: abortions are uncommon. 

“The current abortion stories available to us are inadequate, and in some cases, they’re inaccurate. Stigma has suppressed many stories of ordinary abortion. Once they’re told, collectively they have the power to create the more accurate, inclusive abortion masterplot we so desperately need” (Watson, 2018, p. 41).

Examples of Abortion-Related Meta-Narratives

• Abortion is always a difficult decision (Watkins, 2018)
• Abortion is a women’s issue (Watkins, 2018)
• Abortion is about sex (Watkins, 2018)
• Abortion is uncommon
• Abortion is an act of convenience
• A woman’s primary role is mothering and caretaking

New Narratives

• Abortion is healthcare
• Abortion is medically necessary
• Abortion has an extensive (and mostly undocumented)  history
• It’s dangerous to be pregnant in America
• _________________________ (fill in the blank)
• _________________________ (fill in the blank)
• _________________________ (fill in the blank)

American Museum of Natural History | United States

“Our mission: To discover, interpret, and disseminate—through scientific research and education—knowledge about human cultures, the natural world, and the universe”  (American Museum of Natural History, 2024).

British Museum | United Kingdom

“The British Museum is unique in bringing together under one roof the cultures of the world, spanning continents and oceans. No other museum is responsible for collections of the same depth and breadth, beauty and significance. Its eight million objects allow us to explore the extraordinary diversity of human cultures, from small communities to vast empires, to discover the many forms and expressions human beings have given to every aspect of life, and to realise how closely they are interconnected” (British Museum, 2025).

Google Arts & Culture

“Google Arts & Culture is a non-commercial initiative. We work with cultural institutions and artists around the world. Together, our mission is to preserve and bring the world’s art and culture online so it’s accessible to anyone, anywhere” (Google Arts and Culture, 2025).

Many relevant results from Google Arts & Culture are not copyright-free.

Search term: abortion
Psycho Slut
(Emin, 1999)

Search term: abortion
Brick, A Zine About Abortion
(@jbistheinitial, 21st Century)

Search term: abortion
TIME cover 10-09-2000
(TimeLife, 2000)

Search term: abortion
Choices
(Pred, 2017)

Search term: abortion
SAVE YOUR CHILD (STOP ABORTION AND
CHILD TRAFFICKING
(Meimban, 2017)

Library of Congress | United States

“The Library of Congress’s mission is to engage, inspire, and inform
Congress and the American people with a universal and enduring
source of knowledge and creativity. Our vision is that all Americans are
connected to the Library of Congress. Our websites offer public access
to a wide range of information, including historical materials that are
products of their particular times, and may contain offensive language or
negative stereotypes” (Library of Congress, 2020).

Museum of Metropolitan Art | United States

“The Metropolitan Museum of Art collects, studies, conserves, and presents significant works of art across time and cultures in order to connect all people to creativity, knowledge, ideas, and one another” (Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2024).

Search results returned no copyright-free images about abortion. Instead, this page depicts results from the term birth.

Museum of Modern Art | United States

“The Museum of Modern Art connects people from around the world to the art of our time. We aspire to be a catalyst for experimentation, learning, and creativity, a gathering place for all, and a home for artists and their ideas” (Museum of Modern Art, 2024).

Search term: abortion
Untitled 8 from Untitled (The Abortion Series)
(Rego, 2000)

Search term: abortion
Keep Abortion Legal
(Mir, 2005)

“It’s vital we consider the notion that museum objects are not by default safe (palatable, secure, contained, cosy narratives divorced from contemporary society)—rather, museums can increase how unsafe the object is. “
(Sleigh, p. 8)

Search term: abortion
History Flow
(Viégas and Wattenberg, 2003)

National Gallery | United Kingdom

Since no images about abortion were returned, this page depicts results from the term birth.

National Portrait Gallery | United Kingdom

“We are a gallery of people, for people.We tell the story of Britain through portraits, using art to bring history to life and explore living today. From global icons to unsung heroes, our Collection is filled with the stories that have shaped, and continue to shape a nation” (National Portrait Gallery, 2025).

Since no images about abortion were returned, this page depicts results from the term birth.

Smithsonian Institution | United States

“Through our unparalleled collections and research capabilities, and the insight and creativity we foster through art, history, and culture, the Smithsonian strives to provide Americans and the world with the tools and information they need to forge Our Shared Future” (Smithsonian Institution, 2022).

Victoria and Albert Museum | United Kingdom

“Our mission is to champion design and creativity in all its forms, advance cultural knowledge, and inspire makers, creators and innovators everywhere. We share a 5,000 year old story of creativity through exhibitions, events, educational programmes, digital experiences, conservation, research and an ever-evolving national collection of over 2.8 million objects spanning every creative discipline” (Victoria and Albert Museum, 2025).

Many relevant results from the V&A collection are not copyright-free.

Search term: abortion
Hairpiece
(Hairpiece, 1920s)

Search term: abortion
Mulier Taceat In Ecclesia
(Abril, 2019)

Wellcome Collection | United Kingdom

“Wellcome Collection is a free museum and library. We believe everyone’s experience of health matters. Through our collections, exhibitions and events, in books and online, we explore the past, present and future of health” (Wellcome Collection, 2025).

Whitney Museum of American Art | United States

“The Whitney Museum of American Art seeks to be the defining museum of twentieth- and twenty-first-century American art. The Museum collects, exhibits, preserves, researches, and interprets art of the United States in the broadest global, historical, and interdisciplinary contexts” (Whitney Museum of American Art, 2025).

The Whitney Museum of American Art doesn’t have any copyright free images related to the search terms abortion and birth.

Miscarriage/Ms. Carnage, 1973
(Leonard, 1973)

Untitled (horse tramples baby), 1973
(Leonard, 1973)

“Analyzing individual stories can be instructive, but new insights arise when stories are considered collectively.”
(WATSON, 2018, P. 40)

Cactus Rape, 1973
(Leonard, 1973)

Algorithmic Oddities

Unexpected results emerged from searching the archives. These images appear to be algorithmic oddities because:

• Keywords or descriptions explaining the art or object didn’t match the search term 
• Returned results matched part of the search term, for example, abort instead of abortion
• Algorithms produced irrelevant results,
• Using advanced search techniques, in this case, a Boolean operator didn’t act as expected.

Next Steps

This project is still in its early stages, and the questions it raises far outnumber any definitive conclusions. My intention is to use this publication to invite further reflection, dialogue, and questioning.

Some of my own lingering questions include: 

• Do reproductive experiences belong in museums and libraries? And who gets to decide? 
• Is the experience of abortion—and the cultural dialogue surrounding it—archived anywhere?
• Are there other aspects of reproductive experiences included in archives? What is the inclusion criteria?
• What about similar terms, but those that don’t carry as much social stigma, for example, miscarriage? 
• What about other stigmatised health topics?

Reference List: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1IBpTfq8oRlgvVnGVAeuOKtROn9ajbZzAZj71P-niTEI/edit?usp=sharing