Learning on the ITP has broadened my horizon (Beatrice Bamigbade, Nigeria, ITP 2022)

Written by Beatrice Adeola Bamigbade, Principal Conservator, National Museum of Unity (Nigeria, ITP 2022)

I am Beatrice Adeola Bamigbade, a Nigerian; Principal Conservator in the service of National Museum of Unity, Ibadan (NCMM), Nigeria, where have been working for the past twenty-two (22) months. Before now, I had worked with National Museum Lagos for 11 years. My role at the National Museum of Unity, Ibadan entails preserving museum antiquities for the future, conserving loaned objects for national and International exhibitions and conserving the museum’s environs such that it is not prone to incidence of flood, fire and vandalism.

My time at the ITP will avail me the ample opportunity of learning best practices in conservation processes from the British Museum professionals, partner museums and collaborating with my ITP colleague to know how things are done in their respective museums.

My day at the British Museum’s inorganic laboratory with Duygu Camurcuoglu washing the treasure coins of King Charles I and Queen Elizabeth I; and restoring a broken ceramic pots with due supervision was most interesting. I had a sense of fulfilment learning how to conserve objects without the use of toxic solvents.

A journey out of London to my Partner Museum (Tyne and Wear Archive and Museum) in Newcastle was the beginning of another breath-taking experience. The Discovery Museum took me down memory lane about the history of innovations and inventions in Newcastle upon Tyne. Some of these includes the Turbinia, a revolutionary experimental vessel developed by Charles Parsons in 1884 to generate electricity (once fastest vessel), invention of the aeroplane joystick and the invention of an electric light bulb using carbonised paper filaments by Joseph Swan, an English chemist, in 1860.

The second day I arrived in Newcastle upon Tyne, Bill showed us around the city, he showed us Hadrian’s Wall. I saw the seven magnificent bridges over the river Tyne, which link Newcastle to Gateshead. The bridges include Gateshead Millennium Bridge, the Tyne Bridge, Swing bridge, high Level bridge, Metro Bridge, King Edward VII railway Bridge and the Redheugh Bridge, the construction of these bridges reflects the historical engineering work in Newcastle upon Tyne.

A tour at the Discovery Museum also took me through an history of the World War II. I stood in the middle of the Great Hall where soldiers were fed by the cooperative society before heading to the front. It sent shivers down my spine, introspectively realising that some of these men never returned.

Great North Museum

I am introducing Eneida Braga Rocha, an ITP colleague. She is a Brazilian, a Museum PR with a wealth of experience spanning 20 years. Eneida is especially caring and often watches out for everyone. Eneida’s wish is to gain more knowledge on sustainability and development within the museums space on the ITP; and wish to network with other museum professionals as well.