ALSA’s Archivist, Ria Olivier is currently in Norway to attend the 1st Polar Museums Network Conference. The conference will be held at the Fram Museum in Oslo from the 21st to the 23rd of October 2016.
The Polar Museums Network (PMN) is a new initiative that strives to “spread the knowledge of polar history, science and exploration”. It provides brief descriptions of museums, libraries and organisations involved in the polar regions that are listed by country in the SPRI Polar Directory hosted by the Scott Polar Research Institute in Cambridge, UK. Membership of the PMN is also open to all persons and institutions evidencing an abiding interest in the collection, preservation, research and interpretation of polar artefacts.
Even though South Africa does not as yet have a polar museum that could form part of this network, Ria came up with a fantastic idea – a virtual museum. This will enable the public (especially children) all over the country who are interested in the history of South Africa’s involvement in the Antarctic and sub-Antarctic and also in the science conducted by South Africans in these regions, to ‘visit’ this museum online.
Ria will introduce a prototype of the virtual museum at the Oslo conference, with the hope of gaining future collaboration opportunities.
ALSA would like to thank the National Research Foundation for giving ALSA the opportunity to attend the 1st Polar Museums Network Conference.
Featured Image L-R: ALSA Curator Office, as presented in the ALSA Virtual Museum; The Fram Museum, Oslo, Norway (Image Credit: www.polarmuseumsnetwork.org/conference)
Anché Louw, Antarctic Legacy of South Africa, Department of Botany and Zoology, Stellenbosch University, 18 October 2016