9 minute read
Pitt Rivers Museum
spent some time learning new techniques and technologies to achieve the aims of the
internship. The experience has confirmed an interest in working in the sciences, and also
computer programming, that I will try and continue and build upon in future internships.
Devaki Vadakepat Menon, Magdalen College, MPhil in Visual, Material and
Museum Anthropology, in-person working
Work Projects
I interned at the Pitt Rivers Museum's Photograph and
Manuscript Collection placement, during which I was
able to research relevant material for my degree
dissertation and personal research. As my guide and
supervisor in the placement, Philip Grover was
incredibly kind and helpful in allowing me to cater the
experience to explore my own interests. His unwavering support, enthusiasm, and interest in
the material I wanted to see made this placement all the more rewarding. He and the various
staff at the museum provided an in-depth understanding of the various roles within the
institution, departments, their tasks such as design and restoration, and I was provided with
opportunities to witness and be involved in events and research-visits.
These opportunities gave me exposure to a wider set of materials (both geographical and
typological) that I would otherwise not have access to, or be knowledgeable about. My main
task focused on under-examined and undigitised south Indian material–the unearthing and
extensive research of which allowed me to contribute material to a detailed blog post. My
other task and achievement include the digitisation of over 150 photographs from collections,
some of which I will research after my placement and write to the museum about–so that I may
contribute another blog post. Overall, this experience has provided me with so much more
information than I had expected to receive–and these have significantly shaped my plans for
my own academic research and fieldwork travels in the short and long-term.
Daily Life
I arrived at the museum between 9 and 10 a.m on four days of the week. Philip allowed me to
work remotely on Fridays so that I may also have sufficient time to focus on my academic
responsibilities outside while working on material from the museum. The days began with a
task of my choosing, which was most often spending a few hours digitising material, spending
some time going through physical books, records, and accession logs belonging to the founder
of the museum (to find information relevant to my research). During break times at the
museum, I got to walk around and explore the various departments myself, along with getting
to know the various staff members and enjoying lunch and coffee with them. The day ended at
5 pm and I often left the building along with other staff members. Outside of my work, I
primarily focused on the completion of my dissertation.
Lasting Impressions
The internship at the Pitt Rivers Photograph and
Manuscript Collection department is likely the most
memorable experience and most dynamic Summer
that I have had yet. It has left a lasting impression on
me because of how much of it I did not expect while
starting. The breadth of knowledge, opportunities to
part-take in other research, information about event planning, interactions with staff and
visitors, and internal-workings of a general museum space that I was given was an
overwhelmingly positive experience. I have always wanted to delve into museum research, and
working here for the summer has only further strengthened my determination to continue my
research in the field. I have also had opportunities to talk to experts in the fields of archaeology
and anthropology to consult career advice, which was already opened up scopes for my
prospective career in anthropology.
working
Work Projects
As an 'Object Collections' intern, I worked closely with the museum's immense collection of
objects at many different levels. At the tactile level, I would help to remove objects from display
cases for visiting academics and photography. On one occasion I helped a 3D photographer
document a series of objects by handling them for him with gloves. I also labelled a collection of
musical instruments and visited the museum's stores to retrieve objects for display and
research. The conservation department trained me in doing this safely by showing me what to
look out for in terms of dangerous substances.
I also received training to use the museum's online database,
MuseumPlus, in order to work with the records of these objects. My
main task was to catalogue a donation to the museum, a collection
of tenugui (Japanese washcloths), which required a combination of
these skills, as I photographed, sewed labels on and created records
for the cloths. I was also involved in outreach, which ranged from
hosting an educational session for disadvantaged children using the
museum's objects to welcoming visitors from significant academic
and religious institutions who wanted to help imagine a new future for some of the museum's
more sensitive objects. My supervisors were very supportive and were always there to help if I
needed them.
Daily Life
My internship was mostly in-person, from 9.30-4pm, though I worked a couple of days from
home when my task was to research an object or when the museum staff had an all-day
meeting planned. It was very easy to settle in because everyone was friendly and there was a
communal space for staff to which we were allowed access. As such, I was able to socialise with
members of staff working in all of the museum's departments rather than just my supervisors,
and my internship experience was enriched as a consequence. The staff would also welcome
visitors to this communal space, which meant that I had many valuable conversations with
experts in various fields. We had a daily coffee break during which we would go to the hot
drinks stand and my supervisor would very kindly buy me a drink. I also enjoyed several pub
trips (again, paid for by my supervisor!) as well as an ice-cream picnic in the park.
Overall, I felt very welcomed and comfortable in the museum space. I had to walk to the
museum every day, which took about 20-25 minutes because there were no direct or reliable
bus routes close to where I was staying, but I quickly got used to this and would not count it as
a disadvantage.
Lasting Impressions
Throughout the 5 weeks of my internship, I learned much
in ways that I had not imagined I would. An experience that
stood out for me was a session hosted for a delegation of
Tibetan academics, religious leaders and community
figureheads who lived in exile from Tibet. We discussed the
museum's Tibetan objects with a scope that went far beyond the abstract debates over
repatriation to which I was accustomed and in a way that has transformed my understanding of
a museum's duty to and relationship with the public.
To my surprise, I found that I enjoyed working with the objects at the outreach level, which has
had an impact on my career ambitions as I had previously envisioned a career in academia. I
received advice that I am sure will guide me in the years to come and made connections that
will be very useful in the future. The internship was exactly what it promised - an insight into
life working in a museum - and I felt empowered by the level of trust afforded to me by my
supervisors, who gave me impactful tasks throughout so that I felt that my presence, though
relatively fleeting, was making a difference.
working
Work Projects
I researched a group of Jewish amulets in the
Museum's collection which had not previously
received a huge amount of scholarly attention. I was
also lucky enough to enjoy tours of other departments
of the Museum, including the Conservation Studios for
example. I loved working on my own project, hearing from the other interns about their
interests, and equipped with the tools I needed to produce my best research.
Daily Life
My internship was spread over the summer, meaning that there was no regular rhythm or
pattern to my work. I really enjoyed the ad-hoc opportunities for meeting other museum staff
and getting to learn more about the operations of the Pitt Rivers as a whole, beyond the
department I was working with.
Lasting Impressions
I loved every moment of my internship. I was made to feel a valued and appreciated member of
the team, and felt that my voice was heard and my input appreciated. Mel, my line manager,
played a huge part in this and made sure to continually offer me different training opportunities
to further my skills and learn more about.
MPhil Visual, Material, Museum Anthropology, in-person working
Work Projects
I completed the objects collections internship at the Pitt Rivers Museum this summer. I had
many different tasks assigned to me which made every day special and exciting. One of my
main tasks was working with the museums new online database to organize files. I also
participated in research sessions where students, researchers, or community members would
come to the museum to examine objects they were interested in. I would assist in handling
objects, answering questions.
On many days, before visitors arrived at the museum, I
would assist in object retrievals or put-backs, where
objects necessary for research would be taken off display.
As part of the internship, I was also responsible for
researching and writing a blog post about a topic of my
choosing. I learned about object conservation, citations,
and general museum practices. I would highly
recommend applying to this internship if you are interested in history, arts, culture, museums,
and heritage. Based on my interests, my supervisors were really great about providing me
opportunities that would best suit them.
Daily Life
Because I had so many different tasks, every day was different and made coming into the
museum really exciting. I lived close to the museum, so I was able to walk to and from. On my
first day, I was given a tour of the museum and the offices and was introduced to all of the
friendly people who work there. My supervisors made it really easy for me to socialise and get
to know everybody through our daily tea breaks. These breaks were a nice way to break up the
morning and get to chat to everybody about what they were working on.
I was also able to become close friends with the other interns. We spent a lot of our lunches at
the museum cafe getting to know one another and talk about what we were working on. There
were also many opportunities to socialise outside of work, for example meeting up at the pub! I
was really thankful that the internship occurred in person as it was easy to meet people and
enriched the experience.
