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.

摘要

喀麦隆西部的社区博物馆存储空间通常以被忽视的收藏品、灰尘和木虫侵扰为特征。这种情况是放弃本土保护方法而转而采用所谓的传统西方保护技术的结果，专业人士认为这种技术更胜一筹，但其实施在喀麦隆西部的社区博物馆中却失败了。结果是一种矛盾的情况，即喀麦隆西部的收藏品不再受益于传统护理，但由于缺乏资源，也无法受益于当代保护标准。在定性研究的基础上，本研究对现状进行了概述，并主张重新利用本土保护技术，以改善收藏品存储的物理状况。