Overview
The Chichiri Museum (), also known as the Museum of Malawi, is a historical and cultural museum located in Blantyre, Malawi. Strictly Museum of Malawi refers to a group of five museums but Chichiri Museum (which is one of them) uses the name due to the breadth of its exhibits.
History
The Society of Malawi started to campaign for a museum in the early 1950s. The cost of construction was 21,000 Malawian pounds. The museum was formally opened by Kamuzu Banda on 29 June 1966. Under the presidency of Kamuzu Banda collecting was in some cases limited to avoid any risk of upsetting the government with the result that little collecting was done from groups associated with rebels. Attempts to compensate for this have been made in post Banda collecting practices. In 2009 the Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi supplied a hydroelectic exhibit that sits in the outdoor section of the museum.
Collection
The museum has a transport collection displayed outdoors that includes a steam engine, a fire engine and a Europeans only bus. In 1990 a reanalysis classified it as a L6d.
Gallery
File:Trains, Blantyre Chichiri Museum.jpg Early trains of Malawi File:Fire brigade, Blantyre Chichiri Museum.jpg Old fire brigade truck File:Currency, Blantyre Chichiri Museum.jpg Early currency used in Malawi File:Malawi kwacha notes, Blantyre Chichiri Museum.jpg Malawi kwacha notes File:Military exhibit, Blantyre Chichiri Museum.jpg Military exhibit File:Early human exhibit, Blantyre Chichiri Museum.jpg Early humans in Malawi File:Human evolution exhibit, Blantyre Chichiri Museum.jpg Human evolution exhibit File:Iron Age, Blantyre Chichiri Museum.jpg Iron Age exhibit File:Fishing and hunting tools, Blantyre Chichiri Museum.jpg Fishing and hunting tools File:Farming tools, Blantyre Chichiri Museum.jpg Farming tools File:Household appliances, Blantyre Chichiri Museum.jpg Household appliances File:Domestic appliances, Blantyre Chichiri Museum.jpg Domestic appliances File:Jewelry exhibit, Blantyre Chichiri Museum.jpg Jewelry exhibit File:Magical earrings, Blantyre Chichiri Museum.jpg Magical earrings File:Bangles, Blantyre Chichiri Museum.jpg Bangles File:Ivory nose plug and earrings, Blantyre Chichiri Museum.jpg Ivory nose plug and earrings File:Traditional beads, Blantyre Chichiri Museum.jpg Traditional beads File:Amulets, Blantyre Chichiri Museum.jpg Amulets File:Ceremonial spears, Blantyre Chichiri Museum.jpg Ceremonial spears File:Chief stool, Blantyre Chichiri Museum.jpg Chief's stool File:Gule Wankulu, Blantyre Chichiri Museum.jpg Gule Wankulu exhibit File:Traditional medicine exhibit, Blantyre Chichiri Museum.jpg Traditional medicine exhibit File:Traditional medicine exhibit 2, Blantyre Chichiri Museum.jpg Traditional medicine: nyanga File:Traditional medicine exhibit 3, Blantyre Chichiri Museum.jpg Traditional medicine: chithumwa File:Traditional medicine exhibit 4, Blantyre Chichiri Museum.jpg Traditional medicine: nsupa File:Human skin, Blantyre Chichiri Museum.jpg Human skin photo File:Exhibits behind glass, Blantyre Chichiri Museum.jpg Exhibits behind glass File:Slave trade exhibit, Blantyre Chichiri Museum.jpg Slave trade exhibit File:Weapons, Blantyre Chichiri Museum.jpg Weapons File:Dancing apparel, Blantyre Chichiri Museum.jpg Dancing apparel File:Drums exhibit, Blantyre Chichiri Museum.jpg Drums exhibit File:Musical instrument exhibit, Blantyre Chichiri Museum.jpg Musical instrument exhibit File:Musical instrument chisekese, Blantyre Chichiri Museum.jpg Musical instrument chisekese File:Moir Brothers agreement, Blantyre Chichiri Museum.jpg Moir Brothers agreement File:Old clothing exhibit, Blantyre Chichiri Museum.jpg Old clothing exhibit File:Bark cloth exhibit, Blantyre Chichiri Museum.jpg Bark cloth exhibit File:Blantyre Chichiri Museum Livingstone-3.jpg In front of the entrance to the temporary David Livingstone exhibit (2014) File:Blantyre Chichiri Museum Livingstone-2.jpg Map of Livingstone's travels at temporary exhibit (2014)