Rebecca Johnson opening a crate
Above: Rebecca Johnson opening a crate
Objects to be processed
Above: Objects to be processed
Carts used to transport objects
Above: Carts used to transport objects
 Photography studio in storage facility
Above: Photography studio in storage facility
|
|
- Survey Crates: Before the crates could be opened and the contents inspected, surveys and pictures of the outside of the crates were completed. The goal of this step was to gather information valuable in discovering the provenance of the objects inside. The crates were also numbered 1 to 27 for identification purposes.
- Decontamination of Crates: After testing, the outside of the crates showed evidence of lead dust. In order to remove any threat of lead, the crates were washed down using water and a sponge.
- Open Crates: Using a variety of tools (e.g. drills, crowbars, screwdrivers, etc) the crates were opened one by one. Removing the lids presented a challenge because of the age and low quality of the wood, which could pose a risk of damaging the contents inside.
- Transport Contents: After a crate was open the interior was photographed and the contents were cautiously removed and placed into rolling cages. These cages would then be wheeled down the hall into the processing room. Crates were only opened if there was a cage available for their safe containment and transport.
- Clean the Objects: All the objects were covered in some sort of dust or grime. It was important to clean the objects to uncover any pertinent information that would lead to identifying the object and discovering its provenance, for example, the manufacturers mark.
- Survey the Objects: Because the crates’ contents presented daily surprises, an extensive survey sheet was created to record information from almost any type of three dimensional objects. Museum staff recorded marks, weight, measurements, condition, description, and many other details on the survey. Any tags attached to the objects were removed and attached to the survey.
Most importantly, the survey is where they object would be assigned a tri-parte temporary number, for example, an object would be assigned the number T2008.22.3. The “T” means the number is temporary, “2008” signifies the year it was found, “22” is the crate number the object was found in, and the “3” means it is the third object pulled from the crate.
Two dimensional objects, such as ledgers and magazines, have their own numbering system and Excel spreadsheet. The spreadsheet gathered information such as measurements, dates, authors, and locations. Their numbering system used the crate number as an identifier, for example, 2301 is a number that was used. The first two numbers, “23”, identifies what crate this material was found in, while the last two numbers “01” means it was the first book pulled from the crate.
- Photograph: Every object as photographed in detail to provide the maximum amount of information and to enrich the text-based records.
- Re-house: After all the hard work to remove, clean, and survey these objects, it was imperative that they be stored in a museum quality environment. Containing a wide range of objects, the crates’ contents required a plethora of re-housing supplies. After opening a crate, a quick glimpse at its contents would allow museum staff to determine what sort of boxes and materials were needed to store the objects. Many times, boxes had to be custom built either by the staff or outside vendors.
- Research: The final step of the process was to use information gathered from any of the steps above to discover provenance information. With only a last name, manufacturer’s name, or a hunch to suggest a research direction, this step is particularly tedious. So far, 30% of the objects have been linked to their provenance.
|
|
Manda Kowalczyk cleaning objects
Above: Manda Kowalczyk cleaning objects
Caitlin Badowski surveying objects
Above: Caitlin Badowski surveying objects
 Ana Gutierrez preparing a wagon model for photography Above: Ana Gutierrez preparing a wagon model for photography
 M.J. Meredith researching the objects Above: M.J. Meredith researching the objects
|
