
The Museum of Debt is currently a repository of artifacts and responses to the issues raised by David Graeber’s monumental historical and anthropological analysis of debt (Debt. The First 5000 years). Started in 2021 by three friends who shared an interest in the book, the site has been added to over the years. The aim is that the resources of the site will one day form the basis of a physical museum.
The Museum of Debt aims to take a satirical, even absurdist view of the problem of Debt inorder to set it apart from more traditional resources, which typically focus soley on money or coinage (for example the Bank of England Museum and the Money Gallery at the National Museum). While valuable, these museums provide a distorted and out-of-date view about the problem of money (debt) in modern society.
Current items contained in the Museum of Debt include a series of films, books, games and artifacts, including:
The Balti Bailout Receipt (2025) A ‘copy’ of the infamous balti bailout receipt which contains an accurate account of the costs of the bailout based on the Office for Budget Resposibility’s latest (2024) figures
Debtopoly (2023) The classic game brought into the 21st Century. It’s money, not land, that’s being traded and monopolised to make the few rich and the majority excluded.
Heist (2022) – the subversion of a series of high street bank publicity cartoons where the role of Bank Robber and Bank Manager/Employee is reversed.
Debt on the Cards (2022) – a set of game playing cards containing thought provoking questions about debt also available in video format.
Haircuts for Capitalists (2022) and short presentation and countdown clock which aims to track the financial ‘haircut’ expected to be taken by taxpayers when the 2008 ‘Balti Bail Out’ investment in failed banks is repaid.
SmartDebt (2022) – an satirical interactive loan app which allows users to tailor loan repayment conditions to suit their personal circumstances by providing a range of financial, material, physical and social penalties.
Circulating Treasure of the New Beginning (2022) – Acquisition of Kaiyan Tongbao Tang Dynasty coin from 621-907 AD known as Circulating Treasure of the New Beginning as the Museum’s first artifact.
Specimen of Hubris (2022) – A replica of a £50 RBS Bank note commemorating the building of the Gogarburn HQ as an act of unbridled hubris in the UK finance sector.
A Bank’s Progress (2022) – A picture book using Hogarth’s Rakes progress to tell the story of the 2008 Bank Bail Out.
Museum of Debt Series (2022) – A series of publications from the Museum of Debt starting with Rabelais In Praise of Debt and of Debt Wise – a collection of proverbs and aphorisms about debt.
In addition an Open Call for Artists was established asking artists to submit ideas and work on the topic of Debt, The First 5,000 Years: How We Took Thank You and Turned It Into Screw You.
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