In 1927, poet William Carlos Williams summarized the poetic task as “no ideas but in things.” One might take his proclamation as insight into recent decades of humanities scholarship, in which material culture has become an important organizing analytic, including for history, generally, and especially in history of science and technology. In the latter, this turn has conjoined research perspectives, primarily, from STS studies and anthropology to understand knowledge production and cultural change in highly local contexts as well as at the level of the nation and the transnational. The core of this turn is the notion that “stuff” has agency (in some fashion) and participates fundamentally in shaping historical orders. Most important for this session, though, is that such perspectives have broadened the conversation between museums and academia on the status of “stuff” in historical narrative and explanation, elevating the perceived value of collecting and exhibition in intellectual life. This paper will explore the contours and opportunities of these developments.