» Day 3: Exploring More Layers through a Symposium and a Visit to the World Museum
This is the fifth blog post in a series written by Georgette Mayo, Avery Research Center’s Processing Archivist, reflecting on her trip to London and Liverpool in October 2024.
Our delegation returned to the Merseyside Maritime Museum to attend the first half of a symposium titled, “An Entangled Past and Present: British and Dutch Histories and Legacies of Slavery.” This symposium was hosted in collaboration with National Museums Liverpool, the Dutch Embassy in the United Kingdom, the National Slavery Museum of the Netherlands, the Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands, and the Transatlantic Slavery and Legacies in Museums Forum.
The sessions we listened to were dynamic and informative as they delved into the complexities of enslaved, encompassing internal trade and re-enslavement. UK and Dutch scholars grapple with these issues while striving to work towards “responsibility and acknowledgement.” After lunch with several presenters, we were off again to the World Museum.
Meghan Backhouse, the lead curator, greeted us. The museum is closed on Mondays, so we had the entire World Cultures gallery to ourselves. The Global Cultures section features collections from Africa, Asia, Oceania, and The Americas. Backhouse explained the board members desired new ways to interpret and convey the stories in the museum. The result is the visual introduction, “Are Museums a Laughing Matter?” Featuring British comedian Daliso Chaponda, the short video questions how we display and interpret museum collections and how it is relevant to the viewer.
With the revised exhibit of “Benin and Liverpool”, curators reexamine the modernization of the installation from a colonized country that advocates for the return of their artifacts. The exhibit explores the recent history of colonization and the current state of Benin’s art. The brief YouTube video, “Rethinking the Benin display,” discusses the curator’s purpose and goals for this exhibit.
The day ended with a private dinner with the senior staff of the National Museums Liverpool and the Director of Culture Liverpool City Council. The evening provided additional time to ask questions about what we have experienced thus far, and of course to fellowship with outstanding cuisine.
Image Credits
- Georgette Mayo, “Miles Greenwood introducing the symposium,” personal photograph.
- Ibid., “World Cultures exhibit entrance,” personal photograph.
- Ibid., “World Cultures: Where Next? (exhibit panel),” personal photograph.
- Ibid., “Benin and Liverpool exhibit panel,” personal photograph.