As regular visitors to our blog may have noticed, over the last few years staff from Bradford Museums and Galleries have been involved with the international #Askacurator day on Twitter.
It’s an event that encourages conversations between museums, art galleries and members of the public (and each other). This year had even more participants than ever – 1344 organisations were signed up by the start of the day, in 53 countries.
There were even celebrities getting in on the act!
@Tony_Robinson We appreciate that so much, we will look out an antique turnip for you asap!
— Bradford M&G (@BradfordMuseums) September 14, 2016
And as ever, a wide range of questions were asked – serious, silly and thought-provoking.
Visit Bradford started getting into the spirit of things with us the day before:
This will be fun! @BradfordMuseums will be waiting to hear your questions. Use the hashtag #Askacurator pic.twitter.com/1bRIXNf2gD
— Visit Bradford (@visitBradford) September 12, 2016
@visitBradford We’re looking forward to your questions!
— Bradford M&G (@BradfordMuseums) September 13, 2016
Essential supplies were laid in:
Essential supplies for #AskACurator cupped made we’re all ready for questions pic.twitter.com/svmu6GC7pC
— Bradford M&G (@BradfordMuseums) September 14, 2016
Prompting our first direct question of the day
It’s not essential, but it helps. (and that’s homemade marshmellow too) @Katy_Heritage #AskACurator
— Bradford M&G (@BradfordMuseums) September 14, 2016
This was a thought-provoking question
@alicevrose @GrantMuseum @LeedsMuseums @YorkshireMuseum Maybe Blue phone Box @ #BradfordIndustrialMuseum – a very early public phone -LM
— Bradford M&G (@BradfordMuseums) September 14, 2016
It prompted a nice response from the person who asked the original question too:
@BradfordMuseums people in Hull would be fascinated – over here our phone boxes are all white! #Phonebox #history #telephone #Hull
— Alice Rose (@alicevrose) September 14, 2016
And of course, we got a few questions from Visit Bradford!
Oooh, good Question @visitBradford ! There’s the tiepin with shrapnel removed from an eye on display @ #CliffeCastle ! #AskACurator
— Bradford M&G (@BradfordMuseums) September 14, 2016
Some questions were asked to the museum community at large:
This mini bottle of White lighting in a dolls house is a strong contender! LL
@MarDixon @ATS_Spencer pic.twitter.com/fuWYfTSZBz— Bradford M&G (@BradfordMuseums) September 14, 2016
For those of you who visited Sneaky Peeks at City Hall this summer, you might have spotted it in the dolls house we displayed there.
This question allowed to express what it is that we love about curating and working with our collections
What is your favourite part of working in a museum/gallery? #AskACurator
— The Awesome Rebecca (@blue_bec) September 14, 2016
@blue_bec And seemingly mundane objects are often the most moving. Carved knitting sheathes, or a single shoe, or a piece of jewellery
— Bradford M&G (@BradfordMuseums) September 14, 2016
We confirmed that there are still things we’d love to track down
Our perrenial holy grail is still Rossini’s deathbed @AskACurator #AskACurator One year someones going to tell us where it is -HM #hopeful
— Bradford M&G (@BradfordMuseums) September 14, 2016
(If you’re currently sleeping on it, do let us know!)
Connections were made with other museums with similar items. It may have got a little competitive…
Frank Wild’s Elephant Island boots – unassuming but facinating @AskACurator #AskACurator @scottpolar pic.twitter.com/oa9Lxy1Sko
— Bradford M&G (@BradfordMuseums) September 14, 2016
@Hull_Museums @BradfordMuseums @AskACurator And one donated by James Mann Wordie https://t.co/86KAwW8Ljf pic.twitter.com/PYbRakjhF1
— The Scott Polar (@scottpolar) September 14, 2016
@scottpolar @Hull_Museums @AskACurator Are we having a Great British Boot Off ? HM #AskACurator
— Bradford M&G (@BradfordMuseums) September 14, 2016
You probably win on sheer numbers… HM @scottpolar @Hull_Museums @AskACurator
— Bradford M&G (@BradfordMuseums) September 14, 2016
Pictures of lovely objects were shared (there’s a typo in our tweet – the Artist is Biard, not Board!)
@AskACurator Pauline Viadot. Painted by Board #AskACurator pic.twitter.com/cNyNtlXRly
— Bradford M&G (@BradfordMuseums) September 14, 2016
@BradfordMuseums That is stunning! #AskACurator
— Ask A Curator (@AskACurator) September 14, 2016
And discussions for the future.
@visitBradford one of the most exciting things we’re working on is a new Hockney gallery @CartwrightHall, watch this space! #AskACurator
— Bradford M&G (@BradfordMuseums) September 14, 2016
And looking to the future, make a note in the diary for next years #Askacurator day, which will be on the 13th September, and start getting some good questions ready!
However, as we said in one of our final tweets of the day:
Although we have day of it every year on twitter, really, everyday can be #AskACurator – we love to talking to people about what we do!
— Bradford M&G (@BradfordMuseums) September 14, 2016