Future of the Science Museum Group

Written evidence submitted by Peter Turvey [SMG 007]

Re Science Museum Group – recent statement by Director highlight funding difficulties.

Until May 2012 I was Senior Curator, at the Science Museum Group's Large Object Store at Wroughton Wiltshire.

It is my view that under Mr Blatchford’s direction the Science Museum group has become increasingly London-centric and intellectually elitist.

There is shameful opposition to providing wider public access to the hidden collections in the Museum’s stores, particularly those at the large object store at Wroughton in Wiltshire. On many occasions I found management unwilling to support my efforts to improve public access to the stored collections at Wroughton (at minimal cost to the institution). Proposals for Reconstituted Volunteer groups and participation in the excellent Heritage Open Day scheme all fell on deaf ears.

Mr Blatchford asserts that such collections can be made accessible through display at South Kensington; however for key items in the Wroughton collection this is a physical impossibility.

I also question the effectiveness of the 2011 staffing cuts, which resulted in a loss of collections based curatorial experience.

June 2013