Author: Tehmina Goskar

English Heritage are in the Dark Ages at Tintagel

Tintogel, more famous for his antiquity than rewardable for his present estate, abutteth likewise on the sea; yet the ruins argue it to have been once no unworthy dwelling for the Cornish princes. Richard Carew’s Survey of Cornwall, 1602 Not long before Shakespeare released Hamlet, Richard Carew had already published his Survey of Cornwall–a masterpiece of Elizabethan-era… Continue reading English Heritage are in the Dark Ages at Tintagel

Diversity in the Nation

The phrase “increasing diversity” occurs regularly in discussions about culture but what do we mean? What does diversity look like?  Is diversity in the context of equality the same as diversity in the context of inclusion? Diversity is on every major cultural agenda. I have been taking a keen interest in how diversity is represented and expressed by museums and other heritage… Continue reading Diversity in the Nation

New Code of Ethics and what is a museum?

Museums enable people to explore collections for inspiration, learning and enjoyment. They are institutions that collect, safeguard and make accessible artefacts and specimens, which they hold in trust for society. Museums Association definition of a museum. Update: The Museums Association has just issued Additional Guidance for the new Code of Ethics. At the last AGM of… Continue reading New Code of Ethics and what is a museum?

Debate: Should museums charge for entry? #museumhour

Update: This debate has now happened. You can explore it on Storify. Essential info: Q: Should Museums Charge for Entry? Meet: 20:00 UK time, Monday 11 April 2016, on Twitter. Follow: @museumhour and @AIMuseums. Hashtags:  #museumhour #museumcharge. On 11 April at 20:00 BST (UK time) Museum Hour is debating the thorny and loaded question of entry… Continue reading Debate: Should museums charge for entry? #museumhour

The Tintagel Controversy

“Disneyfication, Myth, Britain, Vandalism and Medieval Civilisation have been made uncomfortable bed-fellows.” In recent weeks the ancient site of Tintagel in North Cornwall has been the subject of controversy. The conflict is between the re-interpretation of the site by English Heritage and Cornish groups and individuals who say that the Cornish history of this major… Continue reading The Tintagel Controversy

Boaty McBoatface, Bligh and the Beagle

NERC's new flagship awaiting its name (c) NERC (modified in good humour without permission by me)

On 17 March NERC, the Natural Environment Research Council opened an online  competition and poll to name their latest, state of the art research vessel that will ply polar waters carrying 90 researchers to the Arctic and Antarctic, hashtag #nameourship. The newspapers and online media are full of risible delight that the current frontrunner is… Continue reading Boaty McBoatface, Bligh and the Beagle

#migration and #museums

A migration story at the NZ Maritime Museum in Auckland.

How do museums represent, present and interpret migrant stories? Museumhour from 25 January 2016. I was inspired to host this topic following my visit to museums in New Zealand in Auckland (National Maritime Museum of New Zealand) and Wellington (Wellington Museum and Te Papa National Museum). All these museums featured the stories of migrants heavily.… Continue reading #migration and #museums

Museums and the UK General Election 2015

  Culture and museums find themselves off the menu this election. This is a summary of excerpts from the policies and manifestos of political parties standing candidates in the UK General Election on 7 May 2015. Monday 4 May at 20:00 in the UK will see a #GE2015 election special #museumhour so please do come and join… Continue reading Museums and the UK General Election 2015

#museumhour

#Follow @museumhour Mondays 7-8pm UST (UK time). #museumhour is (yet another) new UK-based museum movement which took 24 hours to set up by Sophie Ballinger (@sospot) and me (@tehm). Sophie had a while back posed the question of whether a #museumhour existed in Twitterverse and received the sound of tumbleweed in return. I was travelling back to Cornwall… Continue reading #museumhour

Mediterranean material culture from prehistory to now

In this scene I examine a finger ring, reusing a late Roman agate seal, from southern Italy, late 7th century in the Museo Nazionale Archeologico di Napoli. In the next scene, the custodian of the stores tried it on and asked if it suited her (not pictured).

Back in March my chapter on material culture for the Wiley-Blackwell Companion to Mediterranean History came out. It was a challenging exercise to condense into 8000 words the essence of the study of material culture in a Mediterranean geo-historical context and also to represent all periods of human history at the same time. I have… Continue reading Mediterranean material culture from prehistory to now