Milk Exhibition at Wellcome Collection Examines Dairy Politics

An exhibition at the Wellcome Collection in London explores the cultural and political dimensions of milk, from its colonial imposition to contemporary debates. The show argues that dairy farming was commercialized in Europe and North America in the early 20th century and then imposed globally, despite two-thirds of humanity being lactose-intolerant. It features 19th- and 20th-century advertisements promoting milk's 'purity' and 'cleanliness,' which the curators interpret as racially coded. A 1950s American poster showing a white family with the slogan 'Every member of our family drinks milk' is critiqued for its exclusionary tone. The exhibition also targets British welfare policy, displaying a 1971 photograph of children protesting Margaret Thatcher's cuts to free school milk, with a caption noting many children resented being forced to drink it. Later sections address human milk, presenting a nuanced debate over breastfeeding versus formula: a 1990s poster condemning Nestlé's baby formula marketing in developing countries is juxtaposed with Jen Conway and Jessy Young's 2019 Milk Report, a booklet documenting 720 hours of breastfeeding, for which Young was compensated at minimum wage after selling 720 copies. The exhibition runs through 10 September.