Over 500 online signatures gathered to save historical gallery

Relocation of Walter Roth Museum

Government seems to be clueless about where it will be relocating the Walter Roth Museum, and as the days progress, Guyanese from all walks of life are expressing their disappointment at such a move.
People’s Progressive Party Chief Whip Gail Teixeira on Friday said the more than 500 online signatures to the petition to save the museum, has also seen widespread condemnation for the move by the Ministry of the Presidency to have the museum relocated:
“The latest insult of Government to the Amerindian citizen is the move by the President to remove the Walter Roth Museum and the way it was done by having GDF soldiers moving in to inform staff that they had to move was even scarier.”

She said the museum is a “living tribute to the Amerindian Peoples of Guyana from prehistoric times to now.” Ironically, she said, like the decision to relocate the Stabroek Market vendors or close the Wales Sugar Estate, “they have no clue where they are relocating this museum” as a mandate given by Junior Minister of Public Infrastructure Annette Ferguson has been unsuccessful.
Last week, the Ministry of the Presidency said it was removing the Walter Roth Museum and its employees to the National Museum by the end of the year. This announcement came one day after Guyana Times broke the story about government’s plan to move the museum.
The museum was founded with the collections of Guyanese Archaeologist, Dr Denis Williams and in 1980, the ethnographic collections of Dr Walter Roth, Mr JJ Quelch and Sir Everardim Thurn were transferred to the museum from the National Museum. The Walter Roth collections also include excavated artefacts from all 10 Administrative Regions.
Former Culture, Youth and Sport Minister, Dr Frank Anthony, had stated that the museum is an institution and instead of dismantling it, “we have to be preserving it and growing it because it has a very important role to play in Guyana.”
Dr Anthony said he does not think the President is aware of the space the National Museum has, since it has been overcrowded with its artefacts: “They cannot display their current holdings because there is a lack of space and to move an entire museum and somehow cram it into the space of the National Museum, I don’t think that is possible.”
Dr Anthony added that if it is true the President wanted all the museums in one place then the Government would have to construct another building and he does not believe that they are rebuilding the current museum, and “if they are doing that, where are they getting the budget from because there was no budget voted in 2016 for it.”
The Walter Roth Museum was established in 1974 but did not open to the public until 1982. It is located on Main Street, Georgetown and is famous for its journals in some of the leading universities of the world.