Traditional versus Contemporary Conservation Methods in West Cameroon’s Community Museums

Abstract

Community-museum storage spaces in west Cameroon are generally characterised by neglected collections, dust, and woodworm infestations. This situation is the result of abandoning indigenous conservation methods in favour of so-called conventional Western conservation techniques, which professionals consider to be superior, but whose implementation has been a failure in west Cameroon’s community museums. The consequence is a paradoxical situation in which collections in west Cameroon no longer benefit from traditional care, but, because of a lack of resources, do not benefit from contemporary conservation standards either. Based on qualitative research, this study provides an overview of the situation and argues for the reappropriation of indigenous conservation techniques in order to improve the physical well-being of collection storage.

Keywords:

• museum collection storage
• community museums
• west Cameroon
• traditional conservation
• case study

Notes

1 Hereafter, I use the term collection to refer to the sets stored in these museums, even though they have not always been perceived and defined as such. This is another central point in my reflection on collection storage, which aims to question the meaning and uses made of these Western museology concepts in the context of community museums.

2 The term community museum is used here in a broad sense, and does not fully reflect the diversity and development of museums in Cameroon, even if it is based on a common feature: the relationship between territory, traditional powers and local inhabitants.

3 Some of the Cameroonian community museums, presented as ‘heritage huts’, were created after 2000, within the framework of La Route des Chefferies, or by the Italian NGO Centro Orientation Educativo of Barzio, created in 2003.

4 This programme, financially supported by the French Development Agency, is a cultural and tourism development project based on the preservation and enhancement of cultural heritage. See more information at: https://routedeschefferies.com/index.php/programme-route-chefferies/

5 In anthropology, lineage societies are those in which activities, social classes and roles are passed down from one family or clan member to the next. In the context of culture and craftsmanship, this includes, for example, blacksmiths, woodcarvers, artisans, circumcisers and priests (Muller 2011).

6 The Musée des Arts et Traditions Bamoum was founded in 1930 by the artist and private collector Mose Yepap.

7 This involves dividing tasks within museums in order to facilitate collections management.

8 These are the conventional Western standards of good museum management, as defined in the ICOM Code of Ethics.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Gamaliel Njoya Ntieche

Gamaliel Njoya Ntieche is Director and Curator at the Musée Royal de Batoufam. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Moral and Political Philosophy and a Postgraduate degree in heritage and Museology from the Institute of Fine Arts, University of Douala, Nkongsamba. He is also a researcher at the Laboratory of History and Cultural Heritage Sciences, University of Douala, a member of the coordinating committee, and Communications Director for the African region of the International Social Tourism Organisation.