Emma and the Messy Museum

Inside the Palais de Rumine in Lausanne, just steps away from the Aula in which the Treaty of Lausanne was signed, is the Cantonal Museum of Zoology – now part of Naturéum. Skeletons and stuffed specimens of all kinds stalk its halls. Or rather, appear to be on the point of doing so. Among other things, the display is intended to teach taxonomy, the ranked system of classification invented by Linnaeus in the eighteenth century. In taxonomy all creatures, however remarkable they may be, have an assigned place, somewhere they “just belong”.

The Lausanne population exchange was a taxonomical exercise in itself, seeking to “unmix” homo sapiens, classifying former neighbours into populations that were to be kept apart. The Palais de Rumine’s juxtaposition of taxonomy and peace-making sowed the seed for Emma and the Messy Museum, a children’s book set one hundred years ago. In TLP’s graphic novel Out of Shadows we followed the antics of Karagöz/Karagiosis and Hacivat/Hacivad, using the comic duo familiar from Ottoman shadow theatre to introduce readers to the Lausanne Conference and the dilemmas it raised. The star of Emma and the Messy Museum is a girl from Lausanne. A regular visitor to the Museum, Emma has spotted what her elders have not: the specimens are indeed stalking the halls, at night, rearranging themselves as they see fit. When the museum’s director tries to “unmix” his specimens in time to show them off to dignitaries arriving in Lausanne for the peace conference, the animals fight back. Who decides where us animals “belong”? What criteria do we use? Emma and the Messy Museum explains how taxonomy works, and how it sometimes doesn’t. The debates of the Lausanne Conference provide a counterpoint to the beastly arguments taking place on the upper floors of the Palais de Rumine. Can Emma find a solution to the crisis, one that works better than the solution imposed on the homo sapiens of the former Ottoman Empire?

TLP convenors Julia Secklehner and Jonathan Conlin co-wrote the text, and are collaborating with partners in Lausanne and with the artist Pia Valär to develop it into an illustrated book. Based in Zurich, Pia’s previous picture books include Löwe gesucht (SJW, 2021) and Par mont et autres merveilles (La P’tite Maison, 2025). You can see more of her work here. Watch this page and TLP’s social media channels for updates on this exciting project – the next phase of TLP’s mission to bring its research to young audiences.