BSHS PG Engagement Fellowship: Jamaican Natural Science collections at Bristol Museum & Art Gallery
We
are pleased to announce the opportunity for a current postgraduate
student working in the history of science, technology and medicine, or a
closely-related field, to work with the Curator of Natural Science at
Bristol Museum & Art Gallery to research the Jamaican Natural
Science collections. The Fellowship is worth £2,000 which will support
up to one month’s work (20 working days) on a part-time basis from April 2018, with further funding of up to £1,000 towards project outputs. All work is expected to be complete by the end of December 2018.
The
collections to be studied comprise 3 volumes of bound herbarium
(1786-1790s) collected from Jamaica by Bristol-born Dr Arthur Broughton;
4 volumes of illustrations of Jamaican natural history and accompanying
handwritten text including The Elegancies of Jamaica by
Reverend John Lindsay (1758-1788); and an unpublished manuscript of
Robert Long containing his theorems on the natural history of Jamaica
with drawings (1750s).
This
placement provides the opportunity to develop and extend the enormous
potential of this collection. The curators are keen to understand more
about the historical and contemporary uses of the plants in food and in
medicine and use these to build resources or activities that increase
engagement with the collections, including preparing material for talks,
digital resources, or adding to the museum’s catalogue. The museum
already has links with the Natural History Museum in Jamaica, and Ujima
Radio, Bristol, and are keen to continue to strengthen relationships
with the Jamaican communities in Bristol and Jamaica.
The
successful appointee will have a unique opportunity to work within a
multi-disciplinary museum. The Fellowship offers the option of carrying
out collections research and gaining training in the curatorship of
botanical collections in addition to developing skills in public
engagement.
Application Procedure
Please send electronically or in hard copy an expression of interest of no more than one side of A4 and a CV to Rhian Rowson (rhian.rowson@bristol.gov.uk,
Bristol Museum & Art Gallery, Queens Rd, Bristol, BS8 1RL), Natural
Sciences Curator, to whom enquires can also be directed by telephone
(0117 9223597). The deadline for receipt of applications is 9thMarch 2018. For more general enquiries about the scheme contact Dr Liz Haines at outreach@bshs.org.uk.
Please
note, shortlisted candidates who are not British citizens will be
required to provide proof of their eligibility to work in the UK.