HEI: University of Glasgow & University of Strathclyde
Host organisation: Te Papa Tongarewa (Museum of New Zealand)
Duration of the internship: 11 weeks Full Time
My research is focused on issues surrounding representations of the Troubles and, more broadly, the challenges surrounding contested heritages. The research has evolved and expanded from its original beginnings as a simple image analysis of photographs in archival and museum collections. It now seeks to look broadly at institutions, examining the curated spaces but also seeking to understand how these institutions see themselves.
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Why did you decide to undertake an internship?
With my research closely tied to the museum sector, it seemed very natural to also pursue an internship within the sector. In my first-year induction, it was made clear that SGSAH would consider internships anywhere in the world, and that’s something I took very seriously. As mentioned, Te Papa is world-renowned, and their mission statement aligns very closely with my own professional interests and beliefs, particularly their commitment to bicultural practice and critical approaches to contested histories. It seemed like the perfect place to begin my professional career.
On a personal note, I am a New Zealander. However, I hadn’t been back to New Zealand in over 18 years. I have grown up in the UK and have had little opportunity to return to New Zealand for any significant amount of time. This internship seemed like the perfect way of combining my professional development alongside an important personal journey. The people at Te Papa seemed acutely aware of this as well, as when it came time for me to give my final presentation, I was encouraged to focus on this aspect of my time in New Zealand.
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What was your internship and what did you do?Â
Historical Photography Collections Intern
My role was primarily focused on investigating and addressing the cultural legacy of early photographs in the Te Papa collection. For example, examining possible links between slavery and some of the collection’s early photographers (Edward P. Sealy, Nelson K. Cherrill, and the Burton Brothers), producing three comprehensive research reports. I also worked on maintaining and upgrading the existing photographic collections by transcribing negatives, registering new material and digitisation preparation.
The project also entailed assisting the curator with public enquiries, particularly with data collection and cleaning tasks within the collection management system, as well as with outreach work including community engagement, audience engagement, and educational roles. I also contributed to long-term exhibition planning and wrote an article for Tuhinga (Te Papa’s peer-reviewed museum journal).
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What aspects of the internship did you find most rewarding?
Engaging with Te Papa’s historical collections was not only an essential task but also particularly rewarding. Several early New Zealand photographers were investigated for potential links with slavery, with the majority having no links at all. Despite this, delving into their personal stories and what brought them to New Zealand was equally rewarding, as doing so demonstrates that these individuals were important not only in the context of New Zealand photographic history but also in a wider international context. For example, Nelson Cherrill is regarded as one of New Zealand’s finest early photographers. Less well known were his wider contributions to photography in England and France, as well as his pioneering work in electrical engineering.
The research into Edward Sealy was particularly moving, uncovering the story of an orphaned young man who, alongside his inseparable brother Henry, built a new life in New Zealand through surveying work. This humanized the photographs I later handled during the album registration process, transforming them from mere landscapes into documents of homemaking and resilience.
The day-to-day assistance in clearing the significant number of public enquiries coming into the museum was also highly rewarding. Although it felt like quite a mountain to climb at the beginning of the internship, it is probably the task that has left the most lasting impression on me as well as on the museum collection itself. Processing over 900 KEmu entries taught me the importance of meticulous data management and how seemingly invisible work forms the foundation of accessible collections. Being able to leave the museum with an empty inbox was a particularly satisfying moment.
Contributing academic writing to Tuhinga was another highlight, as it allowed me to engage with scholarly discourse on museum collecting practices and photography theory.
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Has the internship influenced your future plans at all?
Yes, to some degree. I have always planned on working within the museum sector, but I wasn’t sure what type of collections I wanted to work with.
I have always had an affinity towards art history, particularly Asian art and ceramics. However, this has always been something I have explored as a hobby rather than professionally. At Te Papa, I was able to work alongside curators working with these collections, applying my existing knowledge as well as picking up significant professional insight. The experience has made it clear to me that it is worth considering pursuing this interest professionally.
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What are some of the skills you have picked up or improved through the internship?
Developing practical museum experience is the simplest and broadest answer but easily the most important.
At the top of that list would be gaining deep familiarity working with collection management systems, in this case KEmu. I have worked with CMSs previously but never to the extent I did at Te Papa, where I processed over 900 entries. Having done so has given me significant confidence in talking about my CMS skills and their applicability for future positions, almost all of which emphasise a required proficiency with a CMS.
I also developed strong skills in archival research methodology, navigating multiple international databases including slavery records, newspaper archives, census data, and genealogical records across different countries and time periods.
Registration and digitisation preparation skills were another key development, teaching me to handle fragile photographic materials, assess conservation needs, and create metadata that meets international museum standards.
Secondly, being part of the art team also allowed me to be involved in numerous meetings—whether acquisitions, donors, or long-term planning meetings. Although my contribution to these meetings was naturally limited, they allowed for insight into how museum practitioners talk about their work and the way in which they frame it, particularly around strategic collecting decisions and exhibition development.
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Do you have any tips for researchers looking to do an internship?
- Think big.
- Don’t think of it as an exclusively professional journey. If there is somewhere you want to return to, a place you want to explore, or a field you want to get to know, then that is as good a reason as any.
- Emphasise your ability to work independently. The thing that Te Papa was most tentative about was having the supervision required to take on an intern. However, in the end I needed little supervision, as conducting research is the one thing all PhD students excel at.
Where can people find out more?
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Both of my managers have also recently released books:
Athol McCredie: New Zealand Photography Collected: 175 Years of Photography in Aotearoa
Lissa Mitchell: Through Shaded Glass: Women and photography in Aotearoa New Zealand 1860 1960