Class Excercises: Object Scenario
A Year in the Life of an Object:
A group exercise to illustrate aspects of collections management
Directions:
The class divides into teams of 3-5 students and each team receives their "object scenario" — a photo of the object and four pages marked A-D. They are to look at the top page and not turn the page until instructed.
The presenter asks each team to tell the rest of the class the basic "story" of their object — what it is and how it came to be in the museum (this information is on page "A"). The presenter brings out any particular concerns or questions related to that object's collection management needs based on this preliminary information.
Each team is then instructed to turn to page "B" and discuss the circumstances presented in the scenario. After a short discussion time within the group, each group is given an opportunity to share their scenario with the class and to say what their decision is about the appropriate response. This series of new information, deliberation, and presentation with class discussion continues through the rest of the pages.
A. The object arrives:
How?
- Means of acquisition (solicit: purchase, gift, loan)
- Literally: courier, art shipping
Why? Does it belong here?
- Collections policy: does it fit? Does it serve our mission? What part will it play (educational collection, permanent collection, temporary loan for traveling exhibit?)
- Ethics: personal gain? Chain of ownership/title (looted? NAGPRA?)
- Legal status (deed of gift? Establish provenance?)
B. The object stays:
What:
- Physical condition assessment and care needs
When:
- Context/ provenance information about the object
Where
- Storage concerns and records
C. The object is used:
Role in exhibit? — research, and further documentation
On-going maintenance in storage (condition survey, annual audit of records, budget, etc)
Loans
D. The object goes away:
Deaccession:
Disaster Planning
Theft (security)
Object 1: large, private art museum
Richard Avedon, Marilyn Monroe, actress, New York City 5/6/57, 1957, gelatin silver print, 15.5 x 27.9
- purchase through museum acquisition budget, couriered from auction house
- object enters into permanent collection
- loan requested for upcoming Avedon retrospective at national museum
- fire in collections facility of national museum
Object 2: local history museum
Jean-Antoine Houdon, Benjamin Franklin, marble, 1778
- bequest by private collector
- object enters into collection which only houses paper-based materials
- object put on exhibit in main exhibit room display case
- object reported missing when curator comes to unlock building
Object 3: university anthropology museum
Chilkat Blanket, Tlingit, early-mid 19th century
- collection from late-19th century university sponsored expedition
- object stored with rest of collection in museum basement collections area
- inspection of object during routine inventory/condition survey reveals infestation of "larvae" in textile
- object requested for repatriation by Tlingit tribal council