For two weeks in August 2018, I was lucky enough to be accepted as an intern in the Department of Greece and Rome at the British Museum. I still remember donning my British Museum employee pass and trying to match the curator aesthetic. It was a fantastic experience, that gave me unparalleled access to what working in a national museum was like including spending some time in their secure vault (but more on that later!).
After excavating at Pompeii, I returned to England for a brief rest before starting the daily commute to Bloomsbury to work full time 9:00 -16:30 at the British Museum. It was a phenomenal, and slightly eerie, feeling to leisurely stroll through the empty galleries before the onslaught of tourists. I'd been accepted as an intern on behalf of The Roman Society who also generously provided me a bursary covering my train fares - it is so important that personal wealth is not a barrier to classics or learning. As part of the internship, I was partnered with a Curator and worked closely with him on a range of tasks.
My main responsibility was helping to improve the documentation of the Roman Glass collection which made up around 10% of the entire Department of Greece and Rome's stores. There were thousands of items that had no clear identification nor had been uploaded on the museum's database. My job was to change that. For the first week my time was spent scanning line drawings of the glass collection - which include magnificent bowls, flutes, glasses and perfume bottles - and editing them on photoshop to make the illustrations research ready and then uploading to the museum's database. Although the activity was repetitive, I felt privileged to be sitting in the Department's library surrounded by years of academia and expertise in ancient history.
My second week was much more interactive, I worked closely with my host curator to identify the Roman glass stores. This involved handling the objects and working off archaeological typographies to situate the artefacts and update the database accordingly. In this week my host curator, although incredibly busy, made a real effort to connect with me and ensure this experience was as rewarding and enjoyable as possible. Post the identification, I was set a research task into how these glass items were made - there is no consensus on how Roman glass was constructed and a multitude of theories of how these bowls received their ribs (see the example below). This involved lifting books from the department's impressive library and scouring the museum's floor for answers.
At the end of that week I presented my project to the curator, it excited me about a future of academia and research - one which I would ultimately decide against. I felt a sense of accomplishment knowing that because of my work, some of these glass objects would be able to be used by researchers and academics - instead of just sitting locked away in the museum's stores.
Currently on display and an item (middle) I worked closely with - a glass ribbed bowl (author's own image)
When I was not working, I was given the privilege to tour the museum's basement storage facilities which still have a lasting impression on me. I found it incredible the quantity and quality of items not on current display - including a full size corinthian column! I viewed lines of Bronze Corinthian Helmets and rusted weaponry but perhaps the most amazing sight was the British Museum's vault.
A space so protected that we had to receive clearance, I saw the museum's greatest treasures - precious ancient coinage, gems, gold jewellery but, for me the most amazing artefact, a genuine gold victor wreath. The fragility of the piece contrasted with its wealth and shine still impresses me and the fact that these objects are so valuable and rare makes me feel lucky that I was able to see it.
The internship was a great experience, to be based in the same building as the main site meant I always had a great morning walk through the galleries. The experience gave me a real insight into what working in the heritage sector would look like - the lack of funding, the outdated work spaces but an incredible set of expertise and artefacts that really tell humanity's story. A treasured experienced.
The empty galleries/ A sunny August morning / Quick tea break (all author's own photos).