INTANGIBLE HERITAGE: PRESERVING IDEAS

Heritage Moments | Annabelle Kolomeisky  

---

As a person studying in Museum Studies, I often think in a very material sense. Thinking mostly of heritage being portrayed through physical spaces, such as protected heritage sites, and traditional objects such as the collections on display in museums, it is easy to forget the larger umbrella that covers what else heritage can be.

The overarching definition of heritage, according to Google, is: “property that is or may be inherited,” or “valued objects and qualities such as cultural traditions, unspoiled countryside, and historic buildings that have been passed down from previous generations.” Meaning, heritage in a broader sense can be understood as something, whether it be physical or not, that is inherited or passed down. It has less focus on what the piece of heritage actually might be physically and has a greater focus on the traditional and cultural impact the piece of heritage may have on society and the communities they originated from.

With this understanding of what heritage can include, it provides us an opportunity to take a look at a different type of heritage – intangible heritage. Intangible cultural heritage, according to UNESCO, are “traditions or living expressions inherited from our ancestors and passed on to our descendants,” with examples including “oral traditions, performing arts, social practices, rituals, festive events, knowledge and practices concerning nature and the universe, and knowledge and skills to produce traditional crafts.”

Under the lists of "Intangible Cultural Heritage and the Register of good safeguarding practices," one can explore the different traditions and practices that are being preserved and recorded for the future memory of these cultural valuable intangible heritage pieces. These examples range from commonly practiced and well-known traditions such as the traditional Neapolitan culinary practice of ‘Pizzaiuolo,' the four phases of preparing traditional Neapolitan pizza (as described by a MMST colleague who wrote about it recently!), to less well-known traditions such as the traditional Vallenato music of the Greater Magdalena region in Colombia.

Performance by traditional Vallenato musician | Source

While some of the traditions may continue to be passed on strongly, many traditions that are listed on the UNESCO list of Intangible Cultural Heritage face serious danger of being forgotten and are noted to be in need of urgent safeguarding. For instance, one of these endangered traditions is the Ma’di bowl lyre music and dance from Uganda. These songs and dances are based on by the community’s ancestors and are traditionally performed in various important community situations. Many rituals are also associated with the creation and use of the lyre as well. These traditional songs and dances were used to strengthen family ties and communities, as well as to educate from generation to generation. However, these traditions are now endangered, with the younger generations seeing them as old-fashioned. If these traditions are not be widely practiced, it may result in the loss of knowledge associated with them – in other words, the historical and cultural significance that is tied to these practices.

Performance featuring the Ma'di bowl lyre | Source

Looking at and preserving intangible heritage is extremely important, especially as we attempt to preserve the histories and traditions of cultures that rely on oral traditions, rather than material ones. Especially as emerging museum professionals, we must understand that different cultures present different traditions that are practiced and understood in different ways. Therefore, as we attempt to represent these cultures and work with local communities to preserve their traditions, we must look at all types of heritage – not just your average material collection in an object-based museum, but, rather, the intangible heritage as well.

If you are interested to see what intangible cultural heritage is being protected under UNESCO, you can visit their website and take a look at their list. Explore the different traditions from around the world that are being preserved and learn about international heritage from a different perspective!

LET'S TAKE A WALK: SIX OUTDOOR HERITAGE SPACES IN TORONTO

Heritage Moments | Madison Carmichael 

---

One of the greatest surprises of completing the MMST program in Toronto was the city itself. I grew up in Mississauga, which is about forty minutes – depending on the traffic – from downtown Toronto. The suburban child’s mind easily paints an urban jungle paved from tip to toe in concrete and crowned with shining skyscrapers too tall to fathom. What that little kid misses, and what I was thrilled to discover, was the amount of heritage embedded within the city, outdoors and indoors, old and new. And so I thought, what with spring (hopefully) on its way, I'd take a leaf out of a fellow editor's book and set out on a long walk across Toronto to shine a light on some of the city’s fantastic outdoor heritage spaces and sites.

Ah, the CN Tower. Our favourite example of Brutalist architecture. Photograph courtesy of Madison Carmichael. 

1. The University of Toronto

This one is perhaps a given, but there is something to be said for the St. George campus at the University of Toronto. The University, founded in 1827, contains a whole slew of architectural styles from Gothic to Brutalist (looking at you, Robarts) to Victorian. It’s easy to read the long history of the University in the Philosopher’s Walk, the Soldiers’ Tower, and the 50 heritage buildings which are scattered across the campus.

A postcard from 1903. Even then, they were keen to highlight their older buildings. (Source)

2. The Beltline Trail

The Beltline Trail is what remains of a short-lived commuter railway from the 1890s. In the 1890s, it seemed as though Toronto was on the cusp of a suburban boom, and so the businessmen who formed the Belt Line Railway sought to capitalize on these future commuters. The Railway operated with a similar ethos as it would seem the GO Transit and other such rapid transit currently do: to connect the suburbs of Toronto to the downtown core. The Belt Line only operated for two years between 1892 and 1894, but to this day, Torontonians continue to use its right-of-way, albeit very differently. The Kay Gardner Beltline Park, which is the most notable enduring stretch of the Railway, is frequently used by runners, walkers, and cyclists. You can even spot the site of one of the original Belt Line stations or follow one of Toronto’s Discovery Walks.

The "Yonge Station" of the Belt Line Railway as it currently stands. Photograph courtesy of Madison Carmichael. 

3. Mount Pleasant Cemetery

Said Discovery Walk will also bring you to Mount Pleasant Cemetery. As one of Canada’s most historic cemeteries, Mount Pleasant has operated in Toronto since 1876. The cemetery houses a unique sort of heritage, one found in epitaphs and mausoleums, as well as in the sculptures and memorials found throughout the grounds. Mount Pleasant has several running and walking routes for you to try, if you’re up for exploring; and while you do, you can enjoy the cemetery’s abundance of trees, flower gardens, and wildlife – namely birds.

The many tombstone and memorials of Mount Pleasant are also indicative of Victorian burial practices and symbols. Check out that urn - and if you look closely, you can see a small veil draped over it. Photograph courtesy of Madison Carmichael. 

4. High Park

High Park is a park that knows how to multitask. In the century and a bit since the park was handed over to the City of Toronto, it’s acquired a pool, a zoo, playgrounds, and tennis courts, in addition to the open spaces frequently utilized by Torontonians for picnics, walks, etcetera. The park also contains Colborne Lodge, which is currently closed, but was originally owned by John and Jemima Howard, who deeded High Park to the City in 1873. A walking visitor can also enjoy the gardens and waterfront along Grenadier Pond. And of course, High Park is known for its cherry blossoms, which are set to bloom in the coming months, so look forward to that.

A shot of High Park. (Source)

5. Humber River

The Humber River was designated as a Canadian Heritage River in 1999, but it has a much longer history of human settlement, going back thousands of years. Presently, you can take the City’s Discovery Walk beginning around the Old Mill Subway station to explore its rich, multifaceted heritage, beginning the with the Old Mill and Old Mill Bridge. The Old Mill, dating to 1793, was part of Toronto’s first industrial buildings and helped to build Fort York. The walk then takes you to the Toronto Carrying Place Trail, which was used by Indigenous peoples for millennia as a trade route between Lake Ontario and lakes further north. The Humber River, Valley, and Marshes are also home to a variety of wildlife such as migratory birds and butterflies.

A more historic Humber River. And a cow. (Source)

Now something a little more current. See what I did there. (Source)

6. Distillery District

While the Distillery District is more generally known for its Christmas Market, the District is also a wonderful example of Toronto’s industrial heritage. It’s also a National Historic Site. Formed of more than 40 buildings, the Distillery District functioned as the Gooderham and Worts Distillery from 1859 to 1900. Gooderham and Worts largely produced whisky, and its location on the side of the Canadian National Railway mainline ensured its commercial success. The District is considered the largest and best-preserved collection of Victorian industrial architecture in North America, and in the past few decades the District has transformed into a pedestrian-oriented area filled with shops, art galleries, theatres, coffeehouses, and restaurants. While much of that is closed at present, the Distillery District is certainly worth a walk – for the buildings, if nothing else.

The Distillery District is worth a visit any time of the year! (Source)

For those keen to explore outdoor Toronto in the upcoming warmer months, I’d advise checking out the City of Toronto’s Discovery Walks and all the fantastic walking tours listed here! They cover far more than I’ve listed here, which gives you some indication as to just how much there is in the city to discover. Best of luck out there, and stay safe! 

PLAYING (WITH) HISTORY: ACCURACY, AGENCY, & ACCESS IN HISTORICAL VIDEO GAMES

 Heritage Moments | Madison Carmichael

---

A few recent articles here at Musings got me thinking about heritage, pop culture, and video games. I’m always interested to see how the past is portrayed in pop culture, whether that be historical fiction or a period drama, but video games are a relatively new media form on this particular scene. As gaming becomes a more culturally pervasive business, heritage scholars and historians have begun to dig into how games – in any form – present the past to players. 

Historical video games can be considered a form of public history, as they communicate the past to the public outside of traditional academia. Historical games take many forms – shooters (think Call of Duty), strategy, adventure, civilization-builders, etc. Some operate similarly to historical fiction novels. They feature fictitious protagonists operating within a historical setting, and they don’t change too much vis-à-vis historical narratives. Larger franchises such as Assassin’s Creed market itself on how it interacts and presents historical settings. In recent years, they’ve hit upon Victorian London, revolutionary France, Ancient Greece, etc. The 2017 installment, Assassin’s Creed: Origins, has a “Discovery Tour”, a gameplay mode that specifically allows players to go on interactive tours curated by historians and Egyptologists.

Other games are more conceptual, and this is largely where you find your strategy games and civilization-builders. Rather than showing a player the past, they tell you how the past might’ve functioned through systems and mechanisms. For example, snatching valuable resources in Sid Meier’s Civilization can make all the difference in whether your fledgling civilization becomes a world power or not. This very result tells you something about the role that resources may have played throughout history. 

As someone who sunk far too many hours into Civilization V and grew up backseat gaming my brother through various installments of the Assassin's Creed franchise, I find it endlessly fascinating to consider how video games do history. (Source)

But are they accurate? Does accuracy matter in these games? And just what constitutes accuracy in a historical video game?

Tara Jane Copplestone conducted 156 interviews of video game players, developers, and cultural heritage practitioners on the topic of accuracy. She found that players, creators, and even heritage practitioners often considered accuracy to be how closely the visual elements of a game resembled source material. Developers specifically defined accuracy as related to physical components and their ability to render them to a known standard – “reconstructing things correctly,” or in other words, constructing them as closely as possible to how they would have looked in the past. While there is certainly value in this approach, it does resemble the authoritarian approach to history that museums have had for much of their own history. The idea that there is one story to tell in history seems antithetical to the medium of video games, which inherently present multiple experiences as a result of the player’s agency to make choices and steer the narrative.

In fact, the interactivity of historical games has been known to produce counterfactual narratives. Many seem to think that this is a strength, making games an interesting medium for exploring the past. Jeremiah McCall insists that video games present an opportunity for exploration, control, and possibility, as well as serious consideration. To his mind, they can help to move history and heritage education beyond the philosophy of straight facts.

For some indication of what kind of games tend to be developed for this genre, and their breadth, Steam has categorizes them specifically as "Historical." (Source)

The definition of accuracy being how closely one might reconstruct something “correctly” certainly creates some stunning graphics. It’s the use of “correctly” that puts me ill at-ease. What does correct mean? Who defines correct?

Copplestone found, through her interviews, that several casual gamers thought that accuracy was contingent, based on the nature of heritage and history itself. One gamer argued that it was possible, and even necessary, for a game to have inaccuracies, because “isn’t history all just from different perspectives, so will always be somewhat inaccurate?” I’m not sure if I agree entirely, but I see their point. Some perspectives are, and have been historically, privileged over others, meaning that there are entire histories obscured or else plain silenced. This is especially critical when ideas of “accuracy” are weaponized in discourse surrounding historical media to sustain racist and sexist arguments for a lack of diversity and representation.

A player’s familiarity with the video game media form, and their awareness of their own agency within that form, lends itself to exploration. So, perhaps video games could provide a space to explore the past differently and to depart from the dominant narratives of history.

I could stare at this replica for hours. (Source)

As a final note on the interplay between video games, accuracy, and heritage, let’s take it back to 2019. After the fire at Notre Dame that year, many people turned to Assassin’s Creed Unity (2014), which was set in revolutionary France and possessed a virtual replica of the cathedral. It was created from scratch by artist Caroline Miousse at Ubisoft – a process which took around 5,000 hours.

In the wake of the fire, the ability to explore Notre Dame within the game apparently brought a great deal of comfort to those upset by the destruction. Sales of the game skyrocketed, and Ubisoft even made the game free for a time. In this CBC article, Ubisoft historian Maxime Durand admits that while the in-game cathedral is a one-to-one replica, it’s not totally accurate. Liberties had to be taken in order to optimize gameplay. Regardless, it’s clear that this replica mattered to people in that moment, and beyond that, it’s also a means for those who’ve never been to Paris – and who may not be able to visit – to access Notre Dame.

Much like period dramas, which tend to reach wide audiences, historical games reach many, many people, and whether they intend to or not, they teach their players something about history. The players' perception of that history – and the game’s overall portrayal of it – and whatever “accuracy” it may put forth is worth a think. How might these portrayals of heritage shape public history?

CHALLENGING HERITAGE: HOW ARTISTS ENVISION THE TERM

Heritage Moments | Carly Wolowich

---

During my time writing for Heritage Moments I have been compelled to constantly contemplate the meaning of heritage. As museum professionals, our goal is to capture, conserve, and present heritage to the public in a demarcated manner, however, I have come to learn that values, culture, and traditions cannot be so easily delineated. I have found artists living in Canada and across Turtle Island to profoundly remind me of the intangible and ephemeral nature of heritage and the myriad of ways it can be presented. I thought I would share some of the artists whose work inspires me to challenge my own preconceived ideas of what heritage should look and feel like.

 

Shelley Niro, The Shirt, 2003. One of the nine durations transparencies. Source.

Growing up on the Six Nations of the Grand River Reserve, near Brantford, Ontario, Shelley Niro’s art challenges the expectations placed on Indigenous people by telling their stories and heritage from her own unique perspective. In her work, The Shirt, Niro poignantly critiques colonialism with witty souvenir T-shirt slogans. Progressing from one frame to the next, an Indigenous woman is shown to literally have her shirt taken from her back, serving as a metaphor for what Indigenous people were left with after colonialism.

Niro is profoundly aware of the commodification of Indigenous women’s image. As a Mohawk artist, Niro rejects the clichéd interpretations of Indigenous people in the media by putting those she knows and loves in her work. As Niro notes,

"It’s really about having those images out there in the public, and people seeing. It’s like breaking that barrier where people see images of Native women and it becomes more approachable". 

In The Shirt is an artist and friend of Niro, Hulleah J. Tsinhnahjinnie, and Veronica Passalacqua – Tsinhnahjinnie’s real-life wife. These women boldly challenge the stereotypes of Indigenous women that persist today.

Morris Lum, Chinese Freemasons Toronto, 2017. Source.

Morris Lum is a Mississauga-based, Trinidadian born artist whose work explores the hybrid nature of the Chinese-Canadian community through photography, installation, and documentary practices.

Over the last eight years, Lum has been searching for the clusters of Chinatown communities that have been built across Canada and the United States for the purpose of settlement and growth. In Tong Yan Gaai, he aims to focus and direct attention towards the functionality of Chinatown, and explore the generational context of how “Chinese” identity and heritage is expressed in these structural enclaves. These images are what Lum notes to be “visual records of historical and contemporary cultural fixtures” such as small mom and pop shops, Chinese restaurants, and community organizations.

 

Luther Konadu, Figure as Index, 2019. Source.

A writer and artist of Ghanaian descent based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Luther Konadu’s reflective tangential practice touches on themes of identity and the power of voice. I find that his work critically discusses the integral yet flawed nature of presenting heritage itself.

Like heritage, personal identity is mutable. In his powerful photographic works, Konadu shows identity as a construction of groups and of the people around us. Konadu notes, “I’m always trying to make a photograph look more like a photograph, an object, as opposed to a portal into the realities of those who appear in my images”. By making the surface of his photographs more tactile is a means to “snap viewers out of the illusion of representation” and to create a tension between the real and the fictional. In his own words, “I essentially want viewers to second-guess what they’re looking at”.

Lucy Montgomery, Woodwose Series 1, 2016. Source. 

A common household object, known for its often familial and delicate nature, Lindsay Montgomery’s  ceramic artworks are simultaneously “fierce and fiery, radical and robust, and glorious and grotesque”.

As both of her grandmothers were painters, Montgomery’s artistic ancestry led to her attendance at Sheridan College to study ceramic art. Today, Montgomery’s more recent work is what she calls “neoistoriato”. Isoriatio was a popular style of pottery decoration made in Italy during the Renaissance that later proliferated in Europe from the 16th through to the 19th century. Inheriting this ancient form of art and its focus on storytelling in her own artwork, Montgomery has reframed Istoriato from a feminist perspective to talk about current issues that are going on in her life and the world.

“At the heart of everything I do is this idea of storytelling, of mining history. I look at so many different periods of art history, and my work is a collage of all these different times and places. That’s what’s exciting for me about being an artist”. 

-Lucy Montgomery 

Anique Jordan, Sixth Company Battalion, 2016. Source. 

Anique Jordan is an artist, award-winning writer, educator, curator, and entrepreneur. Her recent work thinks about working-class aesthetics, time travel, invisibility, Caribbean carnival, and Black Canadian futurities.

Jordan’s work Sixth Company Batallion is based on the history of a particular group of Black loyalists, who became freed people of colour, in the twin islands of Trinidad and Tobago of which her family descends. According to Jordan, “I dramatize and materialize this history as a meditation on survival and an exploration on the ways in which the unacknowledged histories of the past haunt and possess present day life in incredibly complex ways”. Featuring images of her mother and two of her five aunts poised as soldiers in uniforms from the war, the images offer a “de‐colonial, gendered incursion in the archives of Canadian, Caribbean and familial history”.


To represent heritage in museum spaces can be daunting for those of us entering into the museum field. However, these artists affirm the importance of remembering the histories that have created the spaces and communities we live in today. I have come to realize that presenting heritage requires that in which museums require most; reciprocal sharing and intent listening.

What challenges your perceptions of heritage? Please feel free to comment below! 

COMMUNITY-LED PRESERVATION: THE FATE OF ONTARIO PLACE (PART 2)

Muse News | Amy Intrator

---

With the school term winding down, it’s time for my final installation of Muse News. Over the past 10 months piloting this new column, I’ve learned the importance of writing responsive content that follows stories as they develop. Although I didn’t plan to follow-up on my initial Ontario Place article, over the past month there have been important developments thanks to community advocacy and supportive government officials. Today, I’m going to investigate how Ontario Place’s fate may have shifted yet again.

The setting sun on Ontario Place, but the story is just getting started. Source.

Growing Public Concern

Recently, Ontario government officials have begun pushing for the “redevelopment” of Ontario Place. This move has caused members of the public and other government officials to push back. Ontario Place was opened in 1971 as a public park and exhibition venue, and although the park closed in 2012, the new push for “development” could see the land transformed from a space of public access into an exclusive facility. Members of the public have been especially concerned that Ontario Place, known as a family destination, could be turned into a casino since Ontario’s Premier Doug Ford has a long history advocating for a casino on the land.


Community Consultation

In light of the growing concerns about the fate of the land, City Councillor Joe Cressy advocated for the creation of the Ontario Place Subcommittee of Toronto and East York Community Council, comprised of Toronto city councillors that would hear the public’s concerns about the development of Ontario Place. The newly formed subcommittee was quick to organize their first Public Consultation meeting on March 5th, 2019, at City Hall, where members of the public were invited to voice their concerns and suggestions for the future of Ontario Place.

City Hall, where the Ontario Place Public Consultation was held on March 5th, 2019. Source.

Over 36 community members signed up to voice their recommendations at the March 5th community consultation meeting. Although not every representative attended the meeting, the consultation still stretched over three and a half hours. During the meeting, each community member had 5 minutes to voice their concerns and share their recommendations for the use of the Ontario Place land. If you’re feeling ambitious, you can watch the entire meeting on Youtube, or you can read some of the news coverage from the meeting.


The Call for Museums 

The community proposals ranged from affordable housing to a transformed pier, but the constant in all the presentations: a desire to make the land accessible to the public and keep heritage features intact. Given the dual aim of preserving heritage infrastructure while growing public engagement, it’s not surprising that several proposals called for museums to be built on the land. The proposals that called for museums, education centres, or heritage spaces, all aimed to “repurpose” the land without losing those features that make Ontario Place such an iconic provincial landmark.

The cultural heritage proposals included a call for a “World Water Centre,” that would repurpose the pod structures on the land to be used as both a resource center for sustainable water and a museum to educate the public. Dale Taylor, who presented this concept, stated “Ontario Place is all about water,” and he saw this Centre as an investment in public education and city resources. Another call for a museum was Lazzelle Gelias’ proposal for an “Indigenous historical museum site.” Gelias asked the subcommittee, “who better to give this land to than the people who own it?” and she called for a site that would allow for Indigenous education and representation. Yet another call for an education site was presented by Mary Hynes, who called for a space for “year-round outdoor education” that would be open to everyone and help reconnect people back to the lakes surrounding the land.

In addition to the dozens of proposals from community members, the Public Consultation also resulted in the Subcommittee motioning for the public to remain active in Ontario Place development, and even have the land considered for status on the Heritage Register.

Ontario Place belongs to all Ontarians. We only get one chance to revitalize it & it’s critical that we get it right. Its future must be decided in public & with the involvement of the City of Toronto. Tonight our Ontario Place sub-committee endorsed a way forward to get it right pic.twitter.com/CNpkfuZUrI

— Joe Cressy (@joe_cressy) March 6, 2019

The recent developments in the case of Ontario Place indicate the importance of mobilizing the community when making decisions about heritage. The Ontario Place Subcommittee can learn a lot from museums, as many museums have a rich history of working in partnership with local communities to create a space that is accessible and enriching for everyone. But perhaps museums can also learn from the Ontario Place Subcommittee. The various proposals for museums and education centers illuminates that beyond wanting an accessible and exciting space, community members want institutions that exist in conversation with the surrounding environment.

The case of Ontario Place makes me wonder: How many museums truly exist in dialogue with their communities and facilitate thoughtful engagement with the surrounding environment?

FINDING DIRECTION IN INDIA'S MUSEUMS

MUSINGS ABROAD

BY: KRISTEN MCLAUGHLIN

India is a nation bursting with rich history, archaeology, monuments, and intangible heritage like dance, song, costumes, and more. It is a country bustling with life and vibrancy and fast-paced change. However, many of India's museums do not match the quality of sites and collections. On the cusp of an economic shift, attention has turned to just how India is displaying this heritage and history and the possible benefits of creating more popular, engaging, and organized museums.

There is a need to identify opportunity through museum planning and management in India's museums. Currently there is much lamentation within the country regarding a lack of audience, disorganization, government control, and skilled labour. This article will look at some past discussions about India's museums and possible directions for the future. Despite current obstacles, there is growing movement within India, particularly with youth, to increase the strength and message of India's museums. It is an exciting time!

Brief History

Indian museology dates back to the late 18th and 19th centuries, when the Asiatic Society was formed in Kolkata (Calcutta) in 1784 by British colonizers creating documentation records on the cultural heritage that existed in India. Their first museum, the Imperial Museum, is now the Indian Museum and one of the largest in the country.

The Indian Museum in Kolkata. Source.

Even before this, though, the rulers of India and lesser nobles often collected stone and bronze sculpture, textiles, paintings, and other artifacts, similar to neighboring countries and ancient Southeast Asia.

Because of this history, one may expect India to have some of the most advanced museums in the world. This is not the case. There are many contributing factors to the lack of strong museum presences in the country, but it frequently comes down to a lack of physical and economic resources; museums are not the priority of most countries, particularly when there are larger, more life and death issues to deal with. There is also a perception among citizens that museums are mainly for tourists, so improving museums has not been on the social and economic development calendar. According to Barry Lord of Lord Cultural Resources, most museums in India lack basic requirements for professional operation.

The Numbers

India's government-run museums recorded less than 100,000 visitors for tickets priced at 30 cents, as compared to the Louvre's 8.6 million visitors with full-priced tickets. However, this is not a new occurrence. In 2009 India's Ministry of Culture released an impressive 14-point agenda promising reform for museums, such as more interactive displays, outreach and educational programs, and more. In 2011 however, a UNESCO report revealed that the country's major museums still suffered from a lack of maintenance and sometimes basic lighting and signage. 

"But at the core are deep-rooted issues of archaic policies, lack of autonomy, and no skilled manpower. Our excellent collections are proof of a rich socio-cultural history, but when museums act as mere closed-door guardians of treasures instead of disseminating them, attractively and intelligently, to a wide audience, they lose their purpose."  -- Madhumitha Srinivasan, The Hindu

Much of this is the result of art and culture being consistently marginalized in the country's budgeting, as all museums rely on the government for staffing, day-to-day operations, and basic supplies. However, the government is not willing to pay the fees necessary for training, staff, and preservation that would entice the experienced people needed. In India's 2017-2018 budget, less than 1% (about 0.13%) has been given to the Ministry of Culture, which manages libraries, cultural institutions, archives, as well as museums.

The Big Concerns

According to Vinod Daniel from the Australian conservation network AusHeritage, there are six major problems facing Indian museums today.

1. Director: appointing a permanent director to allow for time to transform a vision into reality.
2. Autonomy: All museums in India report to the government, which can be challenging. Implementing a system such as a board would allow for more freedom.
3. Staffing: Most staff in museums in India do not have any form of training, whether that be collections, curation, interpretation, programming, etc. A proper selection process should become the norm. Organization is a serious problem.
4. Audience Engagement: Currently, citizens of India are not particularly attached to their museums. Last year, a fire burned up 70% of the collection in a national museum in New Delhi, and most people did not know it had happened. A problem is a way to make audiences want to come and to make them feel connected, citizens as well as tourists.
5. Collections: Museums need to rethink how they manage their collections. There are no collection development strategies in Indian museums, which would help with organization, streamlining accessioning processes, and more.
6. Intangible Heritage: India is particularly unique because of its strong intangible culture in song, dance, art, textiles, etc. A way to bring these aspects into the museum fold may help with development strategies, tourism, and more.

Source.

Solutions?

• -Allow for more museum autonomy; implementing boards, trusts, and other operating structures rather than government
• Create a museum that is important and topical to gain attention from civilians: as suggested by Indian MP Shashi Tharoor, a museum on British colonialism in India and the detrimential aftershocks would be a strong starting point in gaining the attention of citizens and the importance of museums in preserving relevant history
• -Consult with museums around the world and create global ties: for example, this year the ICOM (International Council of Museums) International Committee on Museum Management conference is taking place in the Vishakhapatnam and Araku Valley in Andhra Pradesh!
• -Bring in employees and interns from across the globe for different perspectives and experiences
• -Look for unique strategies that use little money and resources (such as looking to small museums in other countries)
• -Pick the strategies that work best for your specific institution. Start small, such as writing policies.
• -Fight to get the community interested and invested in your museum in order to create social capital.

India is a country with a large and diverse history and endless possibilities for the future when it comes to promoting these aspects. When it comes to museums, though, it seems the country is stuck in a rut. India may have to break away from the traditional government-run only museum model and find the policies, practices, and goals that work for their museum's specific needs. However, at present there seems to be no positive shift in museum management in the country. With a growing interest from India's youth in working in museums and the importance of audience engagement, perhaps they will be the ones to create new solutions to old problems.

THE ECONOMUSEUM: TRANSLATING PERU'S PAST INTO A VIABLE ECONOMIC FUTURE

MUSINGS ABROAD

BY: KRISTEN MCLAUGHLIN

Hello! You may recognize my name from the Conservation Tips & Tricks column. However, I am taking the summer to explore another passion of mine: museums around the world!

Source.

So come along for the ride over the next few months as I delve into different issues, trends, successes, opportunities, and more across the globe!

This article concerns a big interest of mine, one that I've talked about in classes, in my free time, bored friends/family with, etc. That interest is the economuseum. An economuseum is a specific network of traditional craft museums throughout Europe and North America (For Canada, 2 in BC, 1 in Saskatchewan, and 33 in Quebec!). They utilize traditional crafts for tourism and local economic benefit; by sharing traditions with visitors, communities can boost their economy and feel ownership over their local heritage. It usually involves visitors walking through a space and watching traditional crafts, asking questions, buying wares, etc.

One country where I have seen the success of the economuseum (of sorts) is Peru. 

 

Source.

Now, before I delve into the current economuseum situation in Peru, I have to give a brief overview as to why they started to appear in the first place. There are two main reasons:

1) The Ministry of Culture

2) Looting problems

Ministry of Culture

The Ministry of Culture was created in 2010. It has had several different iterations in the past hundred years with different managerial and policy styles, many based on strict European values as opposed to Peruvian. The government has always used a top-down enforcement method when it comes to heritage protection. This is how it has always dealt with its cultural heritage issues, particularly the antiquities black market. There is a high level of mistrust between rural communities and the government because of this ownership issue. 

Looting

Looting of archaeological sites is a rampant problem. The exact numbers are not certain but it has been reported that over half of the country's known sites have been looted. The government rarely gets to the root of the problem, which is often poverty and job crises in rural areas leading to looting for survival. Looting is a solution to the problem of feeding and supporting your family. There needs to be different solutions from within the communities themselves to limit looting. One way to do that is to bring economic sustainability through the heritage, rather than selling the heritage.

 Bird's eye view of looter holes at the Pakatnamu site.

Source.

Movable Culture and the Economy

The Peruvian government has always had a strong focus on protecting archaeological and monumental history: Machu Picchu, Huaca del Sol, etc.: big eye-catching sites that tourists visit. However, there is also such a thing as movable culture, which is often traditional craftwork such as ceramics and textiles, and intangibles like dance and song. 

 

Photo courtesy of Kristen McLaughlin.

Why I bring this up is because movable culture is not a focus of the government, when in reality this could be an answer to the looting and economic crises that are occurring in Peru. Some groups have already thought of this idea: using traditional crafts to promote and protect regional heritage. This is done through:

Citizen Collaboration

Or the idea of working with a community to bring benefit to them. Oftentimes this is done by NGOs, heritage groups, archaeologists, researchers, and others. Some examples are local museums, community history projects, educational planning with schools, craft workshops, and more.

HOWEVER: there are some problems with this concept, such as that you cannot simply pop in and do what you want. Collaboration is a long process and even though outside groups may have ideas they think can benefit the community, they must work with community values, ideas, and goals. It is their vision that must be brought to the forefront. Otherwise, passion disappears, funding runs out, the project is not economically sustainable, and looting and economic depressions continue.

Finally... The Economuseum Concept in Peru

In the last 10 years or so, this has become a method of working with communities in Peru. The goal is to create something that is economically sustainable, practical, and positive for a community. It is becoming more and more common, at least among heritage workers in Peru, that work cannot be done without involving the community in a beneficial way. This has taken a myriad of forms such as archaeological field schools, local museums, tours, local festivals and fairs, craft workshops, youth education, and more.

Example: San Jose de Moro

To prove my point I will talk about the community of San Jose de Moro in Northern Peru. 

 

Aside from being a small town of about 5000 people, it is also an ancient Moche burial site from around 400-1000 AD, with some of the best preserved Priestess burials in the country and some of the most beautiful fine line Moche ceramic pottery.

 

Examples of Moche fine line pottery (remakes). Source.

 

The ceramics workshop and visitor centre on site. Source. 

I attended an archaeological field school here in 2012, and my aim today is to focus on an NGO that has made a huge difference in the community through the Economuseum concept: Sustainable Preservation Initiative. 

Sustainable Preservation Initiative

SPI's website states that “many of humanity's most important heritage sites co-exist with some of the world's poorest people.  Their combined futures are in danger. SPI creates economic stability by giving communities the tools to be self-reliant, leveraging their historic sites responsibly and freeing them to thrive.”

How it started was a goal to create an economically sustainable future for residents of San Jose de Moro without having to resort to looting such an important site. SPI knew it would have to include the promotion and connection to their heritage. They created a ceramics shop and visitor centre on the site; Julio creates fine line replicas and sells them as such to tourists, field school students, etc. (Having seen them in person, they are truly beautiful!) He has local students who learn the craft from him. This has led to the women in San Jose de Moro taking initiative and creating their own textile business and tourism industry, where they provide home cooked lunches for visitors, and a local blacksmith now makes archaeological tools. Looting at the site has been dramatically reduced.  

 

 Local students from the ceramics workshop show off their wares. Source. 

Visitors often come to see the site, which now conveniently allows them to stop and see the ceramics and textiles being made. They will often buy them. To date, direct revenues to the local community have reached and most likely surpassed $50,000 (USD), with the project representing a return on investment within four years! This is significant because the people of SJM make $10/on average; this return means 5000 work days. 

Because of the success of SPI projects in Peru, the Ministry of Culture recently signed an agreement with SPI in 2015 that they would use this bottom-up economic method of cultural protection in rural communities. This is a HUGE step for what has so frequently been a dominating government with central control from Lima. In this way, cultural heritage will stand a better chance of being protected in the long-term.  

If you have any questions, thoughts, or examples of other successful growing economuseums, let me know in the comments!

NEW YEAR, OLD STUFF: TIPS ON PRESERVING FAMILY PHOTOGRAPHS AND DOCUMENTS

CONSERVATION TIPS & TRICKS

BY: KRISTEN MCLAUGHLIN

Happy New Year! With every new year comes the hope to successfully organize and clean our homes. I've decided to start out 2017 with something easy but practical. It is something everyone can do and should do, if they are able: conserving family photographs and documents!

Over the holidays, I went back to my hometown to spend time with my family. Everytime I go home I go over old family photographs; not just the ones from 5 or 10 or 15 years ago but the ones from 50, 70, or 100 years ago.

Do you have any photographs like that in your home? What about letters and other documents that are just as old?

These aren't just objects to toss into a closet and forget about. These are exciting wonderful windows into our pasts and our family's history. Such things should be protected as much as possible, as you never want to lose them and the stories they have to share.

Photographs and documents can succumb to various types of damage: sun damage from improper storage, mould, water damage, tearing, fading, and more. Most damage is the result of time and improper storage, especially because old materials often used in photography are actually not good for the items themselves.

Conserving your family photographs and documents is actually pretty easy!

DIGITAL PRESERVATION

1) Scanning

Scanning is the ideal way to protect your photographs long-term even though it is time consuming. If it's negatives or slides you will need a specific scanning machine for these. It is a good idea to have an external hard drive to protect the digital photographs, otherwise one bad day for your computer, it breaks, and they're all gone. The resolution that is best for future printing is 300 dpi, save it as TIFF or JPEG, and 24 bit RGB color. The other standard settings on a scanner are usually good for image downloading.

2) Re-photographing

Take new digital photographs of your old film ones and store them as above in an external hard drive. However, I find there are often problems with light shining on the old photograph and it can become quite a hassle unless you set up an intricate lighting system.

Example of re-photographing. My sister snapped this shot of a photo of some of our Czech ancestors. Source: Shannon McLaughlin. 

STORAGE

Storage is probably the most crucial element for preserving family photos/documents yet it is also easily misunderstood. The best environment for photographs is a dark room-temperature room with 40% humidity; attics and basements are generally a no-no, as you don't want to store them in a damp location or somewhere that is prone to flooding/pest invasion (note: silverfish loove paper products!). Also remove any old materials that are harmful for photographs (glassine sleeves, often used to store old negatives, are bad for photographs).

Generally shoeboxes are fine for photographs, but for older more sensitive photos (hint: the century-old ones), archival standard storage materials is best. What is this? Archival quality storage material is more commonly known as acid-free/lignin-free or storage materials that don't create harmful off-gassing or leaching, usually because they have been buffered to maintain a more stable pH. If possible, it is best to store photographs/documents flat with acid-free tissue between them. Carr McLean is a professional Canadian archival product company, however local craft stores will usually sell archival products and if not may know alternate locations.

Albums are a fine way to store photographs but you have to be aware of what kind of album it is! Self-adhesive albums, which we may remember as the ones with the plastic-y sheets that lay overtop the photographs, are one such example of a bad set-up; as the years pass, it becomes more and more impossible to peel the plastic back without ripping the photograph (this is happening to me these days). Some tips:

-use photo corners instead (even though they can be frustrating)
-use acid-free paper photo albums
-separate pages with acid-free tissue

Note: store on a shelf so they aren't sitting on the floor and store away from food/water.

Examples of different types of archival boxes for your storage needs! Source.

Another Note: Make sure to use containers that are the proper size, not only big enough but tight enough so the items don't shift too much. Don't overstuff it and again, acid or lignin free is your friend!

ALREADY DAMAGED?

What if you stumble upon a photograph or document that is already moldy, stuck together, torn, has damaged binding, etc? (hint, if there are pests, isolate it in a quarantined room and then try to decide if it is worth keeping!).

Contact a conservator or your local archives society for advice and aide! Normally, if proper storage doesn't do it you will need some extra help.



There are many methods out there on caring for your family photographs and documents. With the advent of the digital age we should all try our best to preserve our family's older physical objects, if not for ourselves then surely for future family generations to look back on. Start your 2017 off with safe storage of precious family memories!




Resources:

http://www.theconservationcenter.com/article/2716227-the-importance-of-heirloom-conservation
http://startstudioarts.si.edu/2012/01/archival-storage-what-does-it-mean.html
http://library.ryerson.ca/asc/2015/07/caring-for-your-family-photograph-collection/
https://www.archives.gov/preservation/family-archives