The future of the veterinary past

UMU (Utrecht ľ¹Ï¸£ÀûÓ°ÊÓ Museum) and the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine are reshaping their long-standing collaboration. Recently, Merlijn Barkema started as junior curator of Veterinary Medicine at UMU and Floor Haalboom was appointed associate professor of veterinary history at the faculty. Together with other colleagues, they are developing innovative plans to integrate veterinary heritage into education, research and museum programming.

Merlijn shows students around UMU's depot

Making contemporary use of heritage
UMU has managed a veterinary collection since 1954. With the recent appointments of Merlijn and Floor, the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and UMU are strengthening their collaboration to preserve and use this heritage in a contemporary way. In doing so, the faculty is actively investing in public engagement. As curator, Merlijn contributes knowledge of the collection and its historical context, while Floor adds her scientific-historical perspective on veterinary medicine.

Stories of objects
One example of the close collaboration is an assignment for the elective course ‘Animals and Humans in the Anthropocene’ on animal and environmental history. This subject teaches third-year students to think critically about the relationship between humans, animals and the environment. They write an exhibition sign for specially selected objects from UMU's collection, focusing on themes such as animal protection, animals as food and environmental issues. The students visit the depot and are challenged to think about the stories the objects can tell and the choices you make when showing this to museum visitors.

Floor talking to students in the depot

Enriching content
The combination of knowledge, expertise and network of UMU and the faculty ensures that the veterinary medicine collection is substantively enriched and remains of value to students and staff. The collaboration is useful for university education and provides opportunities for programmes at UMU and new research, which Floor and Merlijn are shaping.

Merlijn Barkema is junior curator of Veterinary Medicine at the ľ¹Ï¸£ÀûÓ°ÊÓ Museum Utrecht.
Dr Floor Haalboom is associate professor of Veterinary History and, together with Fenne Verheijen and chair Claudia Wolschrijn, forms the Museum Committee at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine.

Text: Merlijn Barkema 
Photo's: Lize Kraan

Close-up

This article also appears in the fifth edition of Close-up magazine, full of inspiring columns, background stories and experiences of researchers and support staff. 

Go to Close-up #5