National Museums Liverpool Blog - Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Here's our Curator of Botany, Geraldine Reid, to tell us about a curious new arrival at the botany department...

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Today started like any other and then suddenly a new acquisition arrived in the botany department. It was a costume from the performance piece 'Grains of Paradise' created by Adela Jones back in 2008. She used the botanical collections as inspiration for her costumes and piece, which was hosted by the Bluecoat and was part of 'Fragrant', which explored Liverpool’s Botanical Collection.

As you can see, after I unwrapped the costume I seemed to end up totally engulfed in it and almost turned into part of a living plant exhibit! I’m not quite sure what species I am meant to resemble, but as we’re celebrating the International Year of Biodiversity in 2010, maybe I’m morphing into a new species down in the basement of world museum...

Here's an update from Clare Wolfarth's third week of her sabattical in Haiti, where she has been helping Oxfam's earthquake relief operation:

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"Today represents the half way point of my six weeks here in Haiti. As someone here has observed, the days seem long but the weeks fly by.

This last week has been one of contrasts. On Sunday I took the day off and a few of us went to a beach that is a couple of hours drive from the capital, Port au Prince, where I’m based. It was my first time getting out of the city and it felt really good to be in the fresh air and have a change of scene. The beach was beautiful – white sand, palm trees and Caribbean turquoise sea - and I had fresh grilled lobster for lunch followed by a coconut cut off the tree above my head for dessert.

It was a strange day as we had to drive through some really poor parts of the city to get to the beach and I saw some of the worst shanty town living conditions I have ever seen. There was mile after mile of extremely poor shelter (I don’t think it could be accurately classed as ‘housing’) – basically just corrugated iron and plastic sheeting. The shanty areas have no clean water or sanitation and rubbish and rubble piled is high everywhere with goats and pigs - and occasionally people - picking through it.

By and large you would not be able to gauge by their appearance that the people you see on the streets here are living in such extreme poverty. Religion is very important to most Haitian people and we saw lots of people on their way to or from church in their Sunday best and looking immaculate. I don’t know how people manage to do it.

Even before the earthquake, 80% of the population of Haiti was living on less than $2 per day and nearly 60% of the population was deemed under-nourished with one in four children stunted as a result. It seems so unfair that in a country where life is already so hard and the poverty is already so overwhelming, there should be a natural disaster as huge as the recent earthquake. I know life isn’t fair and disasters are indiscriminate but it does make me appreciate all that we have at home and the relative wealth and safety that we live in.

So the day was a little strange because of the juxtaposition between the luxurious beach resort where we relaxed and recuperated and the ordinary life for so many people here but it was good to get some time off and to get away from the city.

In general, there is a curious mix of hope and despair here. For every good news story we hear that demonstrates the courage and resilience of the Haitian people there seems to be an equally depressing one of violence or corruption. The colonial history and the legacy of the slave trade continue to be felt here in very real ways and make it both an extraordinarily interesting and an extremely challenging context to work in.

One of the good news stories recently was that on May 24 the Ministry of Culture and Communication signed a memorandum of understanding with the Smithsonian Museum to restore Haitian cultural property damaged by the earthquake and to train local people in restoration techniques. Countless works of precious art have been buried here and lost forever but it is comforting to know that there is some concrete international support to help the country salvage and restore what it can. We have also just sent a suggestion to the Oxfam Head Office that the Oxfam Unwrapped catalogue also includes the opportunity for people to pledge direct support to the musicians and artists who create such a vibrant cultural scene here.

The other good news to report from Haiti this week is that the chickens who live in the yard where we work have had babies so there are 3 little fluffy chicklets running around during our meetings now. Definitely not like meetings in National Museums Liverpool!"

We would spread out in the huge cinema with acres of empty seats and settle down with six-penny packets of popcorn for the double feature.

It may have been the Regent or the Regal, the Carlton or the Curzon but I always thought the programmes were great value – two films, a newsreel, trailers and Pearl & Dean’s glossy adverts.

Often the support (or B) picture was a naval war film or period sea drama. Key scenes often resounded to the clanging of the ship’s telegraph – its bells heightening the drama.

The ship’s telegraph – usually housed in a brass pedestal on the bridge - transformed communications on vessels as they grew in size.

Chadburns of Liverpool pioneered the system of pulleys and levers after taking out a patent in 1870.

In the days of sail it was relatively easy for the captain to pass on commands to crew members. Sailing ships were relatively small and simple to operate, whether under canvas or entering and leaving port.

The arrival of steamships in the 1840s initially did not cause problems because these powered ships were also small. Many of these ships used a trip-gong in the engine room to transmit coded messages.

One gong meant Stop, two Slow Ahead, three Full Ahead and so on. However, this system was prone to human error. For example, if the engineer miscounted the gongs the ship could easily go in the wrong direction. Engine room staff also had to remember and verbally pass on the speed orders that had been issued.

The Chadburn pulley system telegraph enabled instructions from the bridge to the engine room to be relayed mechanically. There were also steering and docking telegraphs to control the rudder.

A ship’s telegraph in the Battle of the Atlantic gallery (pictured) was salvaged from the wreck of the American cargo steamer Steel Worker sunk by a German mine in Kola Bay North Russia in 1942.

As ships grew larger, telegraph systems grew more sophisticated. By the 1890s the successful brass pedestal telegraph had become well established.

The Titanic had three vital areas linked by telegraphs. The captain’s bridge was the navigation centre of the ship and focal point of the telegraph installation.

This was connected to the starting platform, housing the controls for the ship’s engines, and the after docking bridge.

Electric telegraphs were later introduced although the pulley system remained in use on merchant ships until the 1950s.

A new Maritime Tale by Stephen Guy appears every Saturday in the Liverpool Echo. A paperback – Mersey Maritime Tales (£3.99) – is available from the museum, newsagents, bookshops or from the Mersey Shop website (£1 p&p UK).
 

Ever wondered what might happen if one of the animals in the museum escaped? To continue our celebration of the World Museum's 150th anniversary, we have asked Senior Education Manager of sciences, Mike Graham to tell us about one of his memories from working in the Aquarium in the 1970s...

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I started in 1972 at the museum in Liverpool when it was the city museum. We had 26 four-foot, cube shaped, aquaria displaying temperate and tropical marine fish, invertebrates and temperate and tropical freshwater fish. We also had a number of displays of snakes lizards, spiders and other invertebrates. It was a brilliant place to work and in those days it was at the cutting edge of aquarium technology. Every day was different with something new to see and experience. We accepted numerous donations from the general public with surprising results.

We were once offered a large green Iguana which had out grown its owner’s home. It's owner told us that it was about 4.5 foot long - which we assumed was an exaggeration - and when she appeared with a tiny zipped shopping bag, we thought our assumptions were correct. I made the big mistake of opening it in the public gallery to have a quick look and this 4.5 foot monster poked its head and shoulders out of the bag. How she got it in there in the first place was beyond me! It scanned the area in a nonchalant sort of way and then leapt out and scuttled off down the gallery. We had a marble floor and it wasn't really able to run on this surface, so it made loads of noise which alerted the visitors and of course lead to absolute pandemonium. I rugby tackled it at the end of the corridors and managed to get back into the lab area.

In that job, no two days were the same and you had to expect the unexpected at all times!

Here's an update from Clare Wolfarth's second week of her sabbatical helping out Oxfam in Haiti on how she found settling into the new role:

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"There is always a lot to get used to in a new job and it’s not too surprising to find that there are significant challenges in working in a developing country whose fragile infrastructure has recently been all but destroyed.

The HR team here has spent the past four months responding to the enormous demands that an emergency scale up generates. In a country where the official unemployment rate is between 70 to 80 %, the chance to work for an international NGO (non governmental organisation) such as Oxfam represents a potentially life changing opportunity for many Haitians. In the immediate aftermath of the earthquake, the office was inundated with people dropping off their CVs for consideration to a point where full crowd control measures needed to be taken to ensure public safety. The team received over 3,000 CVs in the first few days after the office reopened and stopped counting at 20,000 at the end of the first week, although the total received is estimated to be double to triple that.

We now have about 400 local staff and many more employed on a daily basis to support the programme in positions such as community mobilisers. Oxfam’s main programmes here are water and sanitation, public health, emergency food security and livelihoods, and shelter. The priority is to support the earthquake survivors to stay well and healthy and to rebuild their lives after the disaster, and particularly to assist the most vulnerable such as the elderly, those with disabilities or orphans. Many people who lost their homes have congregated in makeshift camps where conditions can quickly deteriorate into squalor without proper sanitation and clean water supplies; particularly now it is the rainy season. So far, Oxfam has already helped over 300,000 people and has plans to reach more than 600,000 over the next three to five years of its recovery programme here.

From a HR perspective, ensuring that all the systems are set up, trying to recruit staff into the remaining positions when skilled workers are in short supply and in great demand and ensuring Oxfam remains fully compliant with local employment law is challenging. Although I do my written work in English, I still have to speak French with the local staff and even then I sometimes need a translator as some of them only speak Creole. All the contracts and legal documents are in French so I have the pocket dictionary my Gran bought me before I came out on my desk at all times!

We are currently working in a building that used to be a school (see photo below) but there isn’t enough space so lots of people sit at desks outside with laptops in what used to be the playground. Even the climbing frame is used as storage place for some of the HR files. The internet connection is slow and unreliable and can go down for up to an hour at a time which can be really frustrating.

There’s no air conditioning but we do have electric fans and a generator to keep them going when the power supply fails. My day at the office starts at 7am and finishes around 5.30pm and we’re currently still working six days a week so it’s tiring work but immensely rewarding on so many levels. I love working with the local staff and the expatriate staff here are from all over the world so I’m part of a rich and diverse team.

I feel a long way from National Museums Liverpool but am very grateful for all the support from friends, family and colleagues back home - and am still very glad to be here."

Here's a quick update from Finola Kelly, our Communities Creative Apprentice, on a fun weekend she had recently at the Hub festival - all in the name of important research for work, of course:

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"On Saturday 29 and Sunday 30 May 2010 I went along to the HUB festival with members of the Communities team where we had our own National Museums Liverpool stall. The HUB Festival is a free festival that was held in Otterspool, Aigburth. The festival is for anyone to attend, with 10 bands each day playing on the main stage, break dancing, amazing BMX, skateboarding, graffiti boards with lots of artists to join in with and many more.

Our stall was to promote and gain information for the Museum Of Liverpool's Creative City gallery. One activity was a 'vote your fave scouser' board. Everyone had a chance to stick a star in the column of their favourite scouser. These scousers were Kim Cattrall, Steven Gerrard, Paul McCartney, Jennifer Ellison, Colleen Rooney and John Bishop. We also had another board where people could write down why they think Liverpool was creative or special to them. Everyone’s comments were appreciated thank you!

Once everyone had voted for their fave scouser the stars were counted and here are the results;

1. Paul McCartney
2. Steven Gerrard
3. John Bishop
4. Kim Cattrall
5. Jennifer Ellison
6. Colleen Rooney

Despite the rain on Saturday we all enjoyed ourselves and had a great time and reached out to over 1000 young people over the two days!"

Stage two of judging for the John Moores Contemporary Painting Prize starts this week. Four of the five judges took a quick look around the John Moores Prizewinners gallery this afternoon and posed for pictures. Goshka Macuga, the judge missing from the picture, will be joining the rest of the team this evening, when they start making their selection.

Our thoughts have been with the people of Haiti since the earthquake earlier this year shattered so many lives there. As you will know from Richard Benjamin's previous blog posts, the International Slavery Museum in particular has close links with the country.

Wanting to do her part to help, Clare Wolfarth, our Human Resources and Organisational Development Manager, has taken a six week sabbatical to go to Haiti and provide on the ground support for Oxfam, her former employers. Here's her first report back giving her first impressions on arrival back in May:

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"On arrival in Haiti I went to see some of the work that Oxfam is doing here and to meet some of the beneficiaries of the livelihoods and food security programme. Even by comparison to some of the other disaster areas I have worked, the situation here is mind blowing. 1.5 million people lost their homes and the UN has estimated that 3 million were directly affected by the earthquake and need assistance in one form or another. Even when you're here and you can see the extent of the devastation with your own eyes it is still a humanitarian crisis on an incomprehensible scale. I met a woman today who lost her husband and all 7 of her children. Two of Oxfam's staff died in the earthquake when one of the office buildings collapsed. Everyone you meet has lost someone. It's just staggering and most of the local people are sleeping in cars or tents at night as they're too scared to sleep in their homes at night, even if they were left standing.
 
I went to some of the parts of the city that have been the most affected by the earthquake where up to two thirds of home have been destroyed and another sizeable proportion are no longer fit for habitation because of structural damage caused by the quake. There were schools, hospitals, universities, blocks of flats all reduced to nothing more than rubble.
 
But Oxfam is doing some amazing work here. I met several women who'd been given a cash grant to restart the business they lost. When I say business, it's basically a barrow by the side of the road but the idea is that it helps to regenerate the local market again and therefore makes the recovery more sustainable than just doling out food. I also saw canteens (areas under sheets of tarpaulin) where local women have been employed by Oxfam to cook food for the most vulnerable in the community. One meal costs 20p to make and thousands are being fed every week in this way.

I was absolutely blown away by the resilience of the people here after what they've been through. They get on with their lives because they have to but with so much strength and dignity, it's so humbling. I feel so privileged to be here in a capacity where I can do somethingin a very small way to contribute to supporting the people here.
 
Anyway, I need to sign off and go to bed now. We get collected for work at 6.45am every morning which you will all appreciate is a bit of a shock to the system for me, especially after a long journey and a day in the field today."

It's great to see our venues through fresh eyes. One of our work placement volunteers has written this great review of the International Slavery Museum, which has made me want to visit it all over again:

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"My name is Lauren Edwards and I have been volunteering for National Museums Liverpool for just over a year but have spent the half term shadowing Rebecca Watkin, curator of the International Slavery Museum. Working within the museums is something that is both diverse and challenging and the International Slavery Museum has been a great place to gain experience and see how much National Museums Liverpool has to offer. The International Slavery Museum is unique in its subject content and links to the city and is a groundbreaker and I have found it a privilege to spend time there. From dealing with enquires behind the scenes, to assisting on handling sessions on the gallery floor, I have thoroughly enjoyed my experience and the International Slavery Museum and would encourage all to pay a visit.

As you enter the International Slavery Museum the Slavery Wall begins a journey into the history of transatlantic and modern slavery, life in Africa itself and the legacy that slavery has left behind but also acts as a physical reminder of the pain and suffering, yet hope and strength that those touched by slavery showed. It iincludes quotes such as:

“I prefer liberty with danger, than peace with slavery.”

The above quote, though anonymous, shows the conflict that runs through though the history and debate of transatlantic slavery and indeed thought the gallery itself.  Perhaps it is yet more significant through its anonymity amongst the quotes from politicians and activists, as a voice of all those nameless but not forgotten enslaved people which the International Slavery Museum can help to remember.

The International Slavery Museum is a moving and poignant site and perhaps many may think that it is a serious and solemn museum to visit. Yes, there is a great deal of pain that is dealt with in the galleries and the subject is not treated lightly, but the museum is extremely successful in combining this with stories of great courage and bravery and celebrating African culture both of the past and present. The museum is very much about taking visitors on a journey. A journey that will challenge them, educate them and inspire them.

The visitor begins in the vibrant, colourful Life in West Africa gallery where the elaborate African fabrics lead into the Igbo compound, where the orange glow will excite both children and adults alike. This gallery gives a small snapshot into village life and shows visitors how diverse and rich the culture was of those taken into slavery. This joyful, bright gallery is contrasted with the Enslavement and the Middle Passage galleries and presents the visitor with a sharp contrast and a jolt from the orange and yellow light of African life into the darkness of slavery.

The Middle Passage itself tells of the terrible conditions endured by Africans and of the life that they led in the Americas. Whilst some may find the information upsetting, it is dealt with in a careful manner, and gives a real insight into how the slave trade was operated and what life the enslaved Africans led if they survived. The gallery is a dark one and stands to be a sombre and respectful area which pushes those passing through it to confront the true horror of slavery.

From this sadness the museum moves on to the Legacy gallery which deals with the effects of transatlantic slavery today. Yet again the visitor is forced to question their own perceptions of the legacy of slavery and is confronted with conflicting ideology. The Ku Klux Klan outfit, symbolising the continuing struggle of racism, is housed only a short distance from the stunning, sequinned African costumes. It is perhaps not coincidental that the feathered and multicoloured beauty of the African costumes far outshine the plain and drabness of the Ku Klux Klan outfit.

This celebration of African culture today is a strong theme in the International Slavery Museum. From the interactive music desks to the sculptures, all aspects of African culture are celebrated. Traditional African music is combined with the music of resistance and the words of Martin Luther King to form the soundtrack to the Legacy gallery. The music lifts your spirits and lights up the colours in the gallery. Perhaps the centrepiece is the Black Achievers Wall featuring those who have had a successful impact on life today. The wall stands as a testimony to the strength of character that can, and has shone through adversity. From politicians to rock stars the wall covers all walks of life and continues to grow, with the recent additions added to a new wall for International Women’s Day.

The International Slavery Museum deals with perhaps one of the most difficult and terrible aspects of Liverpool’s history but has become not a place of mourning but one of remembrance and celebration. It combines the pain and suffering of those affected by slavery and racism with the vibrancy and strength of both culture and character. Through education the International Slavery Museum aims to create a social change and is still fighting against slavery that continues today.  When leaving the International Slavery Museum I felt a sense of sadness but also one of understanding, of protest and of joy. Joy that the beauty of humanity can shine through even the darkest of times."

Last month, Mersey v’s (our Young Volunteers Steering Group) visited Manchester Museum to meet with their Youth Board. Caroline, one of our Mersey v’s has kindly shared her thoughts about the day …

‘After their visit to World Museum last year with the Mersey v’s, the Manchester Museum Youth Board wanted to repay our invitation to visit with one of their own. On the 8th May, the Mersey v team ventured into the wide world to visit one of our neighbouring youth museum volunteer teams in Manchester. After a claustrophobic train journey (both Tranmere Rovers and Wigan Warriors were playing beyond Manchester), we arrived at Manchester Oxford Road ready to go to The Manchester Museum.

On arrival we were greeted by the Manchester Museum Youth Board. Once reacquainted, we had a presentation about what the Youth Board is doing in their museum. Their enthusiasm and confidence during the presentation was amazing and we were all impressed by the members of the advisory board about changes to the Egypt and classical collections and the group project to create the Manchester trail. The Manchester trail is a highlights tour of what the Youth Board believe are a mixture of Manchester greatest sites and has been so popular that it has become one of the many leaflets to accompany visits around the museum.

After a booming buffet, the Youth Board gave the Mersey v’s a tour of the Museum.  Highlights included the community gallery, showing the work they had done to help create the Manchester trail, from photos to personal stories of objects relating to Manchester including an elephant skeleton which when alive had walked to Manchester from Edinburgh. Other highlights included the Egyptian mummies, the Tomato Frog in the live reptile section and the scary encounter with Stan, the Tyrannosaurus Rex. At the end we had a chance to look at the Darwin exhibit.

Overall, it was a fantastic day not only to see another museum, but to see how a youth group like our own makes a difference in the museum. Thank you to the Manchester Youth Board for showing us around and the Volunteer team for sorting everything out for such a great day.’

Mersey v’s help the Volunteer Team to develop and deliver ideas and volunteering projects at our museums. If you are interested in volunteering and becoming part of the steering group please contact the Volunteers Team to find out more.

You can also find out more about Youth volunteering from v, the national young volunteers’ service.