Using Black voices to re-interpret collections

In July 2024 Salisbury Museum opened its new Devenish Bradshaw Salisbury Gallery – telling the story of Salisbury and south Wiltshire from 1220 to the present day. The museum wanted to tell the story of early Black presence in the area, as well as its connections with slavery and the anti-slavery movement – but recognised that this story would be more powerful and have more resonance if Black people shaped and influenced it.

This work began with a research project to explore the early Black presence in Salisbury and south Wiltshire and to research Salisbury’s slavery (and anti-slavery) links. This work was carried out by Charles Michael, an MA student from Leicester University; Ruth Newman, a local historian; and staff at Salisbury Museum.

Salisbury Museum then set up a Black History Interpretation Group to support the museum in exploring stories of Black history and slavery in the new Salisbury Gallery.

The group consisted of 5 individuals from a Black or mixed heritage with an interest and knowledge of Black history, the transatlantic slave trade and decolonisation. Participants came from a variety of backgrounds including lecturers from Winchester University, the Wiltshire Race Equality Council, and Wiltshire Council.

The group came together online over 3 sessions, led by museum staff, with each session focussing on a different theme. The sessions were based around the objects in the museum collection.

Transcriptions of each session were then produced and direct quotes (and ideas) became part of the new Salisbury Gallery – and will also become part of an online exhibition via the Salisbury Museum website.

Funding from Wessex Museums allowed for participants to be paid for their time in taking part in the online sessions, and for the graphics to be sensitivity checked by one of the participants before being displayed.

• For the new Salisbury Gallery to tell the story of Salisbury and south Wiltshire’s slavery links, in a sensitive and accurate way.
• For the new Salisbury Gallery to tell the story of early Black presence – as a separate story to that of slavery.
• For Black voices to be included in the narrative, and for Black people to have shaped and influenced the story.
• For Black people and audiences from other protected characteristics to see their history represented in the new Salisbury Gallery, and to feel that Salisbury Museum is relevant to their lives.
• For Salisbury Museum staff to learn from this work and have the confidence and aspiration to carry out further decolonial work.

The initial research that underpinned this project utilised wider resources:

• The research carried out on the local slavery and anti-slavery story utilized the UCL Legacies of British Slavery database The Database | Legacies of British Slavery, to look up local landowners and wealthy family names. Local newspaper reports were also accessed through The British Newspaper Archive Home | Search the archive | British Newspaper Archive.
• The research carried out on early Black presence in Salisbury and south Wiltshire built on the work carried out by Wiltshire and Swindon History Centre Wiltshire Black History – Wiltshire and Swindon History Centre

Museum staff then used their collections database to search for collections that were relevant to the narrative. Which included:

• Objects that were bi-products of slavery (linked to sugar, coffee, tobacco, snuff and cotton).

Objects linked to the Beckfords of Fonthill estate – a Wiltshire family that benefitted financially from the transatlantic slave trade.

Two mayoral chairs of 1585 and 1622 – with depictions of Black women carved onto them.

These objects became the basis for the 3 sessions with the Black History Interpretation Group.

Black History Interpretation Group participants were recruited via a variety of routes. Museum staff approached lecturers from the nearest university (Winchester University) who taught courses covering decolonial perspectives and members of the Wiltshire Race Equality Council. Museum staff also presented about the project at a Wiltshire Council staff BAME group meeting.

Individual participants were then recruited following one to one conversations – to ensure that participants had an interest and knowledge of Black history, the transatlantic slave trade and decolonisation, and that they understood the parameters of the project.

The original intention was for the Black History Interpretation Group to meet in person as a group – which would have made it easier to investigate the actual museum objects. However, as the participants all worked, it was easier to find a time to meet online.

Sessions were 1.5 hours long and participants were paid £75 per session for their expertise and time. All sessions were recorded and transcribed.

Participants were sent their quotes that were to be included in the museum graphics and asked if they were happy to have their full name alongside their words, or whether they would prefer to be anonymous.

All text and graphics were sensitivity checked by a participant before being finalised – and they were paid for their time to do this.

The museum recognised that it was going to be a challenge to include much of the Black History Interpretation Group’s words into the final graphics due to limitations on word counts. This was discussed with the group from the start in order to manage expectations.

The project however will become an online exhibition on Salisbury Museum’s website – where there will not be the same text length limitations and more of the participants discussions can be recorded.

The Black History Interpretation Group’s online sessions were very lively, with a lot of discussion and debate. At times it was hard to keep participants focussed on the theme in question – and to make sure that everyone got to talk, as some were more vocal than others. A chair (or museum representative) was needed to aid these issues.

The museum underestimated the level of emotion that some of the topics and objects would provoke. Time was needed for participants to talk through the issues and reflect on them. This however further hammered home the importance of this work – a white curator could never fully understand the pain and trauma that transatlantic slavery can still have on Black people today, or relate to lived experience of racism and prejudice.

The participants sometimes had diverging opinions. With one of the objects – a tobacco box, where the knob on the lid is an African head – 2 of the participants felt that the museum should display it (for educational reasons) and 2 participants felt the museum should not (due to it being a negative objectified portrayal of a Black person). The museum decided not to display the object in the new Salisbury Gallery due to this debate but aims to find a way to include the debate in the online exhibition.

Overall it was an incredibly positive project. The Black History Interpretation Group were very enthusiastic that the museum were undertaking this work and will include their voices in the new gallery. The group helped the museum to create more nuanced, emotive and sensitive interpretation.

Bridget Telfer

Community Curator, Salisbury Museum

01722 332151

bridgettelfer@salisburymuseum.org.uk