Written by We are delighted that Discover Bucks Museum has recently appointed Nina Glencross as Head of Collections and Keeper of Social History. Nina will be responsible for assisting with the care and interpretation of the Guild Collection.
We asked to tell us a little about about herself:
Hello! My name is Nina and thank you for letting me introduce myself to you all.
Nina Glencross
Head of Collections and Keeper of Social History for Discover Bucks Museum
For the past 16 years, I have had the privilege of working in various capacities within the museum sector. Most recently as Public Engagement Manager and Casual Duty Manager at two separate museums, Dacorum Heritage and St Albans Museum + Gallery.
My journey within the museum field has been one of constant learning and a deepening appreciation for the critical role museums play in not only preserving our collective history, but also how we display and share our heritage.
Throughout my career, I have been involved in numerous projects ranging from collections care and exhibit design to education and community outreach programs. Each role has offered me a unique perspective on how museums serve as gateways to exploring narratives, sparking curiosity, and fostering a sense of community.
My passion for museums began at a young age, spurred by family visits to various historical buildings during the school holidays. This early exposure ignited a lifelong interest in how stories and the people of the past once lived and used these building and how they can be told through artifacts and exhibits. I remember visiting old historic houses and imagine the people walking through the rooms, wearing big dresses. Now, I am here at Discover Bucks and I have over 8000 historic costumes under my care, designs that I first imagined as a child.
After completing my undergraduate degree in Architectural technology, which included a dissertation in the reuse of Historic Architecture, I started at Dacorum Heritage as an Assistant Curator.
Dacorum Heritage has been a challenging setting as it is not a museum in the traditional sense. It does not, for example, have a traditional museum setting with public galleries, instead its success in retaining support and public engagement depends on a series of museum outreach projects utilising the resources of a museum store. Consequently, it has been necessary for me to think and work very creatively, with many opportunities for individual initiatives that I may not have had at a traditional museum. During this early time in my career, I carried out my master’s degree in museum studies through distance learning at Leicester University. The benefit of this was that the course provided me with the theory and structure behind what I was already doing at the museum.
I later progressed to Collections Manager and then undertook a career development programme through the Museum Association, titled an AMA (Associateship of the Museums Association). During which I completed work-based project, that saw me write an award-winning toolkit for museums, to help increase accessibility for visitors with dyslexia.
What I’m really looking forward to in my role at Discover Bucks is the fact I would be combining two areas of museum work which I love and do well, which are collections care and interpretation. I am a very creative person and naturally I enjoy lots of creative hobbies. I have been crocheting for about 5 years now and have written my own patterns, some of which have been commissions through Hobbycraft. I love to paint and have experience in making my own embroidery projects in the past. Therefore, I’m excited about learning more about the Embroidery Guild’s collection and how I can support your plans and ambitions for the future.