Connecting the Past to the Present: African Collections at The Penn Museum
Semester: Spring 2024
Praxis Course: HART B420 Museum Studies Fieldwork Seminar
Faculty Advisor: Matthew Feliz
Field Site: The Penn Museum
Field Supervisors: Dwaune Latimer with the support of Larry McClenney, Sister Anne McCloskey, and Monique Scott
Praxis Poster:
AnnaliseAshman_Poster_FinalS24
Further Context:
Reflecting on my recent collections management internship at the Penn Museum, I immersed myself in a world of artifacts, databases, and exhibition research within the African Collections. Under the supervision of Dwaune Latimer, the keeper of the African Collections, I embarked on several research projects to delve deeper into the museum’s behind-the-scenes operations.
At the beginning of the internship, my primary goal was to gain insight into how museums process, catalog, and organize information within their databases, mainly when the collections are often used for research purposes to support academic and curatorial projects. I was eager to expand my knowledge and skillset in object handling, database management, and archival research. From day one, I learned the ins and outs of inventory, data entry, and archival research, focusing on artworks and objects from Ghana. I compiled a list of over one hundred objects, including the use of Adinkra symbols, a visual language rich in cultural significance and symbolism in West Africa. Throughout this process, I gained a deeper understanding of how these symbols communicate ideas about culture and identity through objects like gold weights, stools, knives, and curtains. Among my other projects, I also researched Moroccan jewelry-making done by the Amazigh or Berber people to provide an updated illustration of how one of the original necklaces in the collection may have looked.
Beyond the technical aspects of collections management, the internship also afforded me invaluable experience working with objects. The knowledge and skills I have gained will undoubtedly serve me well in future endeavors. As I bid farewell to the Penn Museum, I carry a new experience of dedicated research and hands-on learning.