Compton Verney

Wenrui Li, Wolfson College, MSc Visual, Material and Museum Anthropology, Masters-level student, Remote working

Work Projects

I worked for a gallery which has a large collection of Chinese bronzes. I was asked to research and write object reports on individual objects with the resources provided by the gallery (e.g. auction catalogues) regarding the objects' provenance, conservation, inscriptions, iconography for future exhibitions, research and education programmes. Since the internship lasted only for one month, I could not do very detailed research reports on all the objects, I did 23 object reports in total, and each is around 1,000 words. I also made a list of categories of Chinese bronzes with illustrations for future research and a blog post and collected useful information such as digital resources and came up with a few education programme ideas during the internship.

My supervisor was really nice, and we met weekly to make sure everything was in progress. She fixed the problems I had during the internship and gave me useful guidance. Since it was a remote internship, I did encounter difficulties in accessing the remote desktop, however, my supervisor responded to all my request timely and efficiently. I would send all the tasks I had done during the week at the end of each week, and she would read it and give me feedback on the following Monday. I also had the opportunity to attend the core staff meeting and gain an understanding of how a gallery operates behind the scenes. People were really nice, and I got the chance to introduce and share my work with people working in other departments such as education, and finance.

Daily Life

I was in China during the internship so I had a time difference with my supervisor who was working in the UK, but this was not a problem since we always managed to find a common time to work together and the communication between us was highly efficient.

Since it was a remote internship, my daily schedule was flexible. I divided my daily working plan into three sections and each last for two to three hours. Every Monday, I would meet my supervisor at 5 pm (10 am UK time). The staff meeting was on Wednesdays at 8 pm (1 pm UK time). I started my internship after I finished my quarantine, so it was nice to go back home, to stay with my parents, and work from there.

Lasting Impressions

I really enjoyed working for Compton Verney as a research intern. I could access first-hand resources such as catalogues and condition reports, which was an unforgettable experience for me. This was very different from the research I did during my studies which was mostly based on papers written by other scholars. Also, I had the opportunity to meet other colleagues working in the gallery and had a sight of the operation of a gallery.

I had worked in a few museums before, but this was my first-time attending staff meetings and sharing my work with other colleagues. They were really nice, and I felt my work valued. Also, my supervisor was super supportive and encouraged me a lot. I am not a native speaker and she was always patient. Having finished a micro internship and a summer internship both in the heritage sector, I am more determined to work in the sector. It's good to combine the interests and the work together, and work with colleagues with similar interests and passion for the sector.

What advice would you give to future interns?

First, take any applications seriously, no matter if this is an internship of one week or an official job. Read the requirements and the applicant profiles carefully and consider the following questions: Do I match with the opportunity? What do I want to gain from this internship? How do my previous experiences fit with the requirements?

Second, research before writing your application. Go to the employer's website to have a general understanding of the organisation. If the internship post describes specific tasks,

you need to look into the required task carefully. For example, I know that I am going to research one collection at the gallery, so I went to the gallery website and looked through all the digital resources provided online about the collection and researched on a few objects as a trial.

Third, be positive and keep trying. I failed twice before I was offered this opportunity. Sometimes it is not because you are not good enough but because you do not match with the post.

Eleanor Townsend, Wadham College, Fourth Year DPhil, Part-time DPhil History of Art, Remote Working

Work Projects

The internship related to the Naples collection at Compton Verney. I familiarised myself with the collection by working through all 50 virtual object files and producing an object information sheet for each object. This involved rationalising the files, and collating their content, which was of variable clarity/accuracy. This was consolidated by a visit to Compton Verney in person to consult the more complete physical files. I was then asked to present ideas for future projects to promote the collection and communicate it to the public.

Given the coronavirus difficulties (and current staff restructure), I decided to present a range of options from the easily achievable to more ambitious, long-term ideas. Collaboration with other institutions would maximise results with relatively little commitment from Compton Verney. The University of York Neapolitan research network was identified as a potential partner for collaboration, and I have made initial contact with the convenor, Professor Helen Hills. Collaborative ideas include a study day focused on the use of coral as a material, and the suggestion of possible thesis topics for MA students on Compton Verney objects, including the iconography of mother-of-pearl/ivory cabinet or the Immaculate Conception as promoted in Naples, seen through two pendants.

A photography/video project for the website, to 'open up' some of the decorative arts objects, would also be relatively straightforward. These have been very much overshadowed by the impressive collection of paintings and I will be producing a short blog for Compton Verney on this subject. Longer term ideas included exhibitions on Grand Tour life in Naples, or on different versions of the same views of Naples from different UK

collections, including later photographic versions, tracing the history of the Grand Tour and in particular the fascination with Vesuvius and the classical history of Naples that made it such a popular destination.

Daily Life

Because of the C-19 situation, the internship was offered both remotely and flexibly. This worked well both for me and my main contact, as we both had school age children at home over the summer. I did quite a lot of work in the evenings, as well as being able to concentrate days around periods when I had childcare. We arranged regular Zoom catch ups, which worked well, and I was included in a weekly Zoom staff meeting which enabled me to meet some of the other staff members, and to get an idea of the structure of the organisation.

On a mundane note, I dd not have to pay for physical commuting, which meant that the pay award went further. In terms of disadvantages to remote working, there were some technology issues with the remote interface, but Compton Verney always tried to sort these out quickly.

Lasting Impressions

I enjoyed the internship, and particularly the opportunity to work with a world class collection which is not within my main area of expertise. I have worked previously in museums, but not for a few years, so it was a great opportunity to update my experience, particularly in terms of how a successful organisation is coping in these very challenging times. I really appreciated the trust that Compton Verney put in me, in terms of choosing my own areas of interest to work on and look forward to seeing if my ideas for future projects can be carried forward.