ffiffi
OB IECT'S II\T TF{E ARCF{IVES
Ilnthony'Iked
-. in any institution, at least
.r f.ijr';.rssLrruption t]'rat,
,:rr- coilection (and probably ntore) rvill have sornc
:r',rnrbe r of nonstandarcl historical iterr-rs in an othcr-
' , \c standirrd nranuscript collection. I lorv thescr
.:rnrs-callcd objects, artwclrk, rcalia, 3-u collections,
.-.ecrnrens, samples, and many othcr things--arc
r',rte ti, catalogccl, proccsscd, ancl storcd are vital nrat'
. r: l0l' itlchivists.
I 1r.' challcng,c colnr.rs in thc irr1r.:r'sr:clion o1'prrrf'cs-
- .,rr.. ll'atlitiorral rcgistlars ;utcl curattirs itr llrc rrnlscunl
..,,l icl-rlhilc 1<nowlcclgcrrblr: of' urLlscum artilacts- -
''..r\ roi lr.rr.c thr: training or' yrrofcssional nclrvorl< 1o
. r,.,rr ho\r,bcsi to lrcat ail arcltival collccliotr in thcir
..,r,, thc ar<,irival wclrld, thc ocld ar.rcl occasiortal
Ir.r
in
';.ct a paper-basccl collecticln ntav bt' a sitnplc
' ..ir',lr1in5I lrlocl< in thc archit,al l)11)ccss to prolcssionals
. .;ri'tl jn processing,, irrrilngcnre1rl, attd clcso.il-lir.,'r.
. ,ril,l.'\ collcr tiort rilir rvitli oilji'cts tnrtr'1lun'tt.ttox
':' i'i 't11"".'11"''-
, l;, :,rlc 11t'lo.lrJizrtiiorr lctl irll jr)slirrci's js this: il-
. r L' ilnr'ul-c clf lr()rv 1o pt'oc:rccl, thcr.r t|rt ii.
..'.:r.lirr5l orr tlic scvc'r'i1r'o1"thc siltltlicln, brinli irr
r {lri'f, l-t orn lotri' irstiltrlitrlr, c()ll)('( t rr'itlr titc
. ..,'r'1, ol crllctls itt t'clut i'lclrl lo rlc:tt:rt.rtitrc lrorr'
.,. ir;ir',.'1,rorr'c<li'cl irr r;irrrilli':;itrtirtiot.rs, rtntl rcrtcl.t
. irr thc' liclri rr itlt u'lric:l'r
11 ('\P('r'ls rr'lto slti'c iitJizc'
. r(' .on(('rr(1irtg,.
Pr<lbirltlt' t)rc lircatt'si Irtlc't.tl ottrt
,ila(luir'('is to ltttotv tr'ltctr t'ott r.lorr't ii.norv cttotttllt
' t))()r trt'il. Ilris; ller.Ol)tc.s t':;IL'triirllV itn1.r0r'trtrtl rvlrc'r't
. .rlirill u'ii.1.r tttri<1rri', jrr'cl'lrt, citlric rtritti:r'irils. .\s ilitlr
. r(ir:t'r'\'irli()tt lttrl l)rf:;(')\'iltior cllirr{r.;, ('\'rrIlltirlll
,.,,i, !lrorrlcl i;c: r'r'r'r'tsilrlr'.
( i'r irrir.rlr', tlrc jdcirs ol rrtlttr:;jirililv artil rirttsLtllitttl
rtir lrloli':;:;ionrLl t.:oili:lt,,ur's ii ri' 5livr'tt:;, Ilotvt'ir:i, ltt
. ,' ii:,i, ol rrot tloirrq arrlthirrll lot lc.tr' ol trot rioilru,
.. , rrr'llrirli ric.llt, llt('r'f itt't'trti'lltorlr; lrr rrlti, lr ai \ ul'ili()t'
. ,,iilii 1-.''..'l r'orrrlixtlrlrlr'rr'rrrl,.itxq rriilriur.llLlli\',ll !ol
., ltltr ililti it)r itt'r])ili:;1 :,ltr.rttiri 1,,' ,ti',1,' Lo ltrrr\r' lrrt'
i \r: 1\ li,rt t/1,' ,', ''
r: :l:'t: ..,t,i r'l:,:: .t' / ,r' l:1/r i::
ward with non*paper-based materials. 'fhi.s chapter
will briefly explorc thc basic concepts of prese rvatior.r
and intellectual access, the two printary gr-riding prin-
ciples of any curatorial or archival work. How best to
implenrenl tlrese principles will be illustratcd in
examples, both hypothetical and rearl.
Irirst, a discirssion of thc range of nalerials nray lle
in orclcr. Clivcn tht': lnally l.)/ircs of r"nuscums) rrLlscrLrlt
archi\'(:s are a ric:h territor"l, for lookinc at objects in
archivill c<lilcctiot'rs. l3y $. ve r'1r 11;11,,t-. ol thcsc coJlec-
lions, thcrc lr'ill almost alrvavs bc a firir anrount of non-
papcr Inatcrials in nruscur-n archir,iil collectiorrs. l{orv
<lbject collccti<lns in the archives intcract u'ith tlrc cura.
iorial collcctions (oftcn clcpenclinu on hn\v tlre alclrivr:r;
stafl'nrernben; interact rvitir the cur;rtorial staff ) urill
<lcpencl cln hor,v tl'rcsc objccts arc tlrouel.lt of, a tclpic
that u,c will consicler lclr,virrd tlre cncl of tlris chaptcr'.
lndividualli,, iut rrchivisi nray li:cl thirl sincc lris is
ir llrre'- irr'1s collrr:1iorr, lirr. urirrnplc, rlisc.rrssiot'ril o1
rrrc<lici',1 "rrtrl sIcc-in-rctts" rvoltlri hirvcr rto ra'lcviln('c t()
Itis rr,ot'li. Sil.rrilarlr., it lrisl<lr'1' o1' lct lurolori\' clr"alol
rulrr, lccl liral u'rlrli rkrrrc lry tcrli]c iris{or"iirns i:; irv
nirIrlr(] otrtsidr: thcr lirnit:; ol lrcr. llrl<1. I.]orlcvc'r, ihis
clrapti:r' lalic.s its llt"oacl a r jcrv as 1.ro:,:;illl,r in tlrcst:
r.]rall('r":i; i1 rt-tirv bi: hclpful lo lravL: irr rr\ll()r.rrr.c lo (li1
Ir.'rcni irrr'a:;, irr r.ir:;c liuclr )rrir1('r'jai:; i'r'cl rrlrlic thcir
rllLl jrtto t'ottt"c-ollr.rciiotr:;. (I'trt ilrirrliirrg, ol-;r J)irciiic.
Nor tlrrvest hi gir- cc lr c()r'l)ori]1c r rr usc:ru l r/rri i. lrili:s ii ral
t
n'rtiniirjrr:; a stilrsiarr tilrl collcriiorr Ltl' ttl,jLi: t/'ot l
rlii'cn to jir, rvcll lirrou'tr lorrrrrlt'r ,lirr1 1'r't'si11t:rrt.)
Iltttcovc'r., a \\'cl] loriJr(.lc'rl llroll:;:;irirrlri l,'i,'r r'loscl,
rlo0t":,; )'ol nc\'('f Jit-rorv tvlrclrt \'()ul ri!'\t ,lr',1 ()J irll( l
r'rl 'ot r,il'L'('l ltr()\( : I llt;rV r r)l|]( ll, 't,
()lrt'lrt, Ir>t io Ir)]lsi(l('t i:t lit,r r1,,rr'r. I ,,()l)r'r)J 1l)('
collct liorr. llotv iir lrrtilrt t irr lr .r,lri,,,,, ,,rllrrr. tror is
',
ttttitlt'cl lltilv il('llr'rt(l ,,tt trlrtLlr,'r . 'ir i)rriir;jotlill
olrit'c1 ol iltl r.ulc,,\ ',r'or'1, til ,l L. .r .'r,,.1 .., ,',t tttl,ll', ir
rrl]l ol' r.t:,lr, ,i 1ri,',,' oi lirl,l, . ', r - .,irr,'ri, ,t
lrtloll, itti itttltttititlrl),,1 i,l',t:.',',1 ', r'. , ' 1"'11('t t1i',t.
ir lric'1q' rr1 jr.rtr'i'lir,,r l)t,r\('r :,i1, ... ,'.i.,r l;rir
i (r,
-tf,$fi,ffi,ifflffi
()i cr-cnrains: iur), of thcsc in an othr:nt,ise papcr-birscci
collcction u'ould be treatecl specifically. It's anothc-r
rxatter if you're dcaling with a collection where evet l'
other item has a pressed plaut specinren attached to it.
'fhese "items"-the rule rirther than tlte exccPtion-
become an aggregate: a herbarium collectictn. One
pencii sketch found in a correspondcuce collectior-r is
very different than sheaves ofpencii sketches, at which
point you're not really working with an archival collec-
tion, but an art collection. You find one autographed,
annotated booklet in a set of artist's records, it's an
artifact; boxes and boxes of booklets and you have
yourself a pamphlet collection. (lf they're auto-
graphed and annotated, then maybe you're back to
dealing with an archival collection, albeit a special
materials, or even ephemera, collection.)
Tl-re point is, an object as an oddity in an archival
collection might becone the bulk in another collec-
tion of like objects. A11 are items of intellectual capital.
The corsage that you pull from a collection of letters
must be maintained intellectually with its cohairitauts,
even when (especially when!) that itetn is removed
and stored separately fiorn its original provenance tc)
preserve the corsage and the letters that surrclund it.'
To give this topic some focus, sorne broadly defined
areas may be usefr-rl to begir-r with. Generalizatiotts
about and exampies from art rluseums, scientific col-
lections, and history collections will be usecl to hclp
illustrate what issues may arise in these types of insti-
tutiorrs. Tlrese comnrents, however, shoulcl l;e read
broadll', as an)/ of thesc issucs may arist: ;tcross gerlres
of nruseums.
Art Museums
lh'en nithiu a broacl fleld rnadc inorc lrarrorv, thc
diversity ol'art rluseutns within the larger group of
lruscLlnrs nrakcs this u,olk a challcnge. Arcltival nratc-
rials rvill varlr fv'6"-r irrstitution to inslittttion tlcpencl-
ing cln thc ruuse utls' curatccl artistic ctlllcctious: ctllt-
ter-ni)orary, anticluities, fin<: at:ts, scr-tlpturc, po1.r cttl-
ture, high-tcch, textile, installation or pcrlilrmatrcc
pieccs, arrcl beyoucl" l.rrckily, as cultural l'esolrrces pro'-
Icssionals, ortr r,v<lrl< is alreacll, iciitls;,no'atic attcl trtrttty'
I I-lrr':lronri fcseirrch p[)tci]li.rl lor rrbit'cts irt ar.cltir,tl eolltclirrtts is rtol
tliscLrssetl lrtlc, brtl is errtljttc'd thoroLrehl;'itr ir li:tr othct sottrtes,
nrost rrolirblv ]ill l{olrirr Scvcrtis crrcllcrt PitPcr llottr lltc :ro,tt :t.t.t
Lorlcrcncc "r\tlvcttttttts ir tlrc'lhjtrl j)jrttcttsiiltt: lic('lr|isirrrriil l
,\rcltircs" lScssiott Lto, l(.)l .ts rvcll as ( ilorir
\L-tc::r to
'\rtiircts irt
\lcr.rz."(.rrltrrial liVitlctrcc: ()tl lltc (rrrllilttttt (,rotttltl Ilclrrtrrr
\tlrivists irrtl \ltrscolo5lists," /)rttt1'lrlrir'\\' trgq;"il rrrtd I lLrlill
'lrrlor," l Icrilrge'l(rlisitctL: l)ttctttttctrls Js /\rfil,rats itt tlrr (lotrtcrl
ol \lrrscunts rrrd \lirtcri.tl (-Lrlttrru,",'\rc/rirrtrirr -1o r lirll r9,;;t.
[7(} N'lLiSlrLJNi A It(]til\illS: AN IN'l'11t)l)tl(l I lON
r)i r).1r.clriorts irlc alrcatly clcterrrninecl institution by
institntion. fls11,s-1,s1-;1s aht'ays-thcre a[c enough
cournronirltics that wc, rls .l comnrunity of profcssi<;n-
itls, ean rcitch ircross dilfercnces and fincl somc gencr-
alitics that rvorl<.
In anv kincl clf al:t museun, the collection and
cur.ltion of pieces (paintings, installations, outdoor
sculpture) u,ill generate records of many kinds: cata-
iog records, accession records, conservation records,
correspondence with artists and donors, curatorial
files, and exhibition records, all of which are deait
with in various places throughout this volume. For the
purposes of this chapter, any of those may contain
items pertaining to the donation, curation, conserva-
tion, restoration, and exhibition of the piece concerned.
When accessioning an object, museum staff may
decide to retain its original packaging, if those materials
are relevant to tl-re item's provenance. Identification
tags or original documentation of the object or its
installation such as photographs, models, material
samples, clr videos of a perforr-nance piece may also
have been savecl. Sinrilar nratelials n-ray be found in
conservatior.r or curation files. When conservators or
outside contractors repair or restore fine-arts ol-rjects,
textile srvatches, pair-rt chips, or documentation of tlre
rvork in various fornrirts may becomc potential inhab-
itants of correspondence, conservation, or resolrrce-
managemellt recclrds.
All of these records-rvhether held by the conscr-
vation lab, thc curatorial ciivision, thc: accluisilions
ciepartn'rcrrt, or lhe sole pcrson responsible lor all of
thcse ch-Lties-'-arr: vital to thr: collections' care. 'l'irc
nonpaper objects n,ithin tlrcse filcs arc oftc'n jr.rsl as
important as tlre corresponcience n,itli art restorcrs:
they arc uecessary to tracl< changcs to collcctions.
I-xhibrtion naterials, such trs graphics, clidactic Iabcls,
plan n ing clocuments rvith n-rod el s, eph cr-n era, audiov i-
sual nrateriirls, ar-rcl elcclronic fi1cs, all nray bc inclr.rclcd
culators' exhibition fbldcrs. 'l'lresc aucillar'f itcrrs
ir-r
shoulcl be nrainlainec'l rsilh thc sarre lg,ei o1-carc ars
the paper rccorc'ls thr:ursclves.
(lclrresirorrdcncc lllr:s u,ith clonors and, rrorc sifl-
rrificantly, tlre artists thenrselvc:;, arc of particular
intcrcst to art lrlllscunr alchivisis. r\s stlaight corrc
sporrclencc filcs, tlrc:i'c nray bc vcilurtrinor.rs papct:
rcconls that clocrrrlcnl that altist's crcativc pro(('ss
ancl ther sorrclirnr:s-tlclicate inlcractiolrs anlonll
artisls, donols, alcl rr-rrrscluns, but therc nral' llc' rrole .
lncluclecl in thosc rccot'<ls nray aJscl be: otbcr cxaniplt'.s
o1' art artist's rvoll< (snrirll s;litrtchc:;, sllcc slrects of itrr
inst;rl Jirlion, nlr (crial:i slinrpJcs, rnoclels ol- a rtrvolli.s ),
cphr'tncra, irncl ir rtcli rlv isLral rrr atclials clocunr cr rti n ri ir rr
artist's ciri ecr. Iror ntuseut.trs thtrt cclllect thc pelson.rl
papcrs cllt artists tltcr.nselrtes, tlris issue grorvs li:onr lr
challer-rgc to an outright project.
Occasionally, it nray, be that the line bctrveen
archival materiai and curatecl art object blur:s.
Sketchbooks may be utilized in a retrospective exhibi-
tion showing an artist's earliest work rigl-rt up through
current creative work. Certainly, marginalia in books,
informal doodles, or miniature models of works nel,er
carried out may all be found in archival collections,
and ali may be treated as individually cataloged, curated
objects. Deciding whether these items are treated as
supplernental items within an archival collection or as
stiind-alone art objects is a complex process incorpo-
rating provenance, context, and coliections storage.
This process-and the difficulties invoived-rvill be
treated a little later in the chapter.
Straddling the fence between curatorial files and
artists' sketchbooks, art rnuseum archives rray cclntair-r
"clocunrentary art," materials created by museum staff
rlcr.nbcrs (sometinres professional artists themsch,es)
rvhile on collecting expcclitions. Akin to tr scientist's or
archaeologist's field notes and sketches, a curator's or
lurLlseunr artist's records may contain valuatrle (intrinsic
or informational) items that resemble art pieces more
closely than archival records. As clocuments of the
Anov Wlnnot'
"What you slioutd do is get a box for ;i month, and
drop everything in it and at the end of the month locl<
it up. Then date it and send it over to Jersey. You
should try to l<eep track of it, but if you can't and you
lose it, that's fine, because it's one less tlring to thittl<
about, another toad off your mind.
"l started off rnyself with trunks and the odd piece
of furniture, but then I went around shopping for
something better and now I just drop everything intct
the same-size brown cardboard boxes that have
color patclr on the side for the month of the year. I
reatly hate nostatgia, though, so deep down I hope
tirey get lost and I never have to lool< at them again.
'l-hat's
another conflict. I want to throw things out the
winclow as tlrey're handed to me, but instead I say
thanl< you and clrop thenr into the box-of-the-montlt.
But my outtool< is that I really do want to save things
so they can be used again someday."
i \\'irlhol,'l'ltc l'ltilosoplts'ttl t\ndy \'\tithol (j:ront .t to tt tuul
'\rrrlv
)ttckrQ,lin), (t.vcl, lbrli: Ilarcotttl and ))racc, v175),41
nr':i:ii:nr st,rtf, tl-resc r'r,Orl<s ttta)' rccorcl the dccisiorr-
nr.ikinu. Lrr()ccss oltacquisitiotts, shotv a lt,oili irt sittt or
its place of creatiotr, provide infontration
c|rcr-rnrc'r.rt
on ti.rc earlicst provenance of a particular ol'rject, clr
prr.or-itlc insight iuto itow objects werc instirllecl in
thc muserinr.
Science and Technology Museums
While art museun-l professionals enjoy the challenges
of how to deal with restoration documentation or an
artist's sample, science museums and their staffs have
slightly different matters to deal with. Obviously,
scientific collections also have to deal with curatorial
files, donor records, and accession documentation.
Beyond that, however, there are potentially more
research-oriented materials, especiaily if an institu-
tion's collecting policy intersects with areas of study
by staff researchers and faculty themselves. Sarnples of
John Singer Sargent's work-charcoal sketches, pencil
studies-may be a challenge to manage i.vithin an
archival setting; samples from the work of Marie
Curie would yield a vastly different set of issues.
Academic archilcs share similar issues when they are
forced to deal rvith facultv research samnles and bio-
logical specimens.
Arupv WlnnoL's ARcnrvrsT
John Smith, archivist at the Andy Warhol Museum,
sends this list of ":ro interesting and surprising tlrings
from the archives ol'the Andv Warhol Museum":
o Undocumented artworl< from the r95os
and r96os
" Desiccated pizza dough
o Piece of Caroline Kennedy's birthday cal<e
o Dress belonging to Jean llarlow
a n Pair of Clarl< Gable's slroes given to Warhol
bv Gable's widow
u Calvin Ktein underwear autographed by
Catvin l{lein
n OriginaI musicaI manuscripts by Lou Reerd
composed for the Velvet Underground
' A nrumrrrified foot
' l[icit drugs
. $r4,ooo in cash
Obircts itr tlrc ,Archirl'-i ].Zr
 ( llcrir lr', oni lr:Ie rl o1 scierntillc coJlcctious thal
nccds cxl)lo1'ation i: thc ptissible presencc olt orqanic,
Itazarclous, or contanriuatecl llaterials. Once rruain,
t]rc best l<non4edee to cultivate is to l<rrow u'hat vctu
clon't krrow In-rportant as this is in dealing rvith ir re-
pltrccable culturai collecticlr.rs, such wisdom takes on
more immediate importirnce when facing potentially
Iife-thrcatening materials. Working with these rnaterials
safely often requires the intervention of skilled handlers
specific to the type of rnaterial. Your consen'ation staff
is trained in the sciences, wise to hazards, and weil
Conservators, curators, and carpenters not only used archival records
in researching the StenciI l]ouse before conserving the stencils and
rcinstalling the exhibit, they i:[so created arr:hival rer.ords docunenting
t lte i r wo rl<. s H E LB u Rr,r r i\4 us I u An c n r v
^4
conucctcd rvith olher spccialists: tallt to therit first.
\ou rlal'never Lre callcd upon to actually lrirndle tl"rese
rrnlr:r'iirls, br.rt if a clccision is made to pr<lccss suspi-
cious uraterials (a decision that shoulcl rrot ttc lnacle
lightly clr n'ithout cousullation), corrsiclcr thr: lilllorving
pt't:cautions:
. If you suspect that a collection rrrar. corrta.in
dangcrous chenricals or sanrplcs, fincl a rvcll-
vcntilated proccssirrg spacc that is scpirr"a tc:
from staff ancl <;ollcctior.rs.
" \Nhen hancllirrg any samples, \trcar I.rr:otcciii'c
gcar (disposablc apron, latex glrlvc:s, goligics,
a nd/or rirasl< r'r,i th re.spi rator, clcpr:rr in g r-rpon
thc rrra,tcrials). I(cc;r tlresc ilerns on hancl if
thcrc is arr1,chancc oltlrandling colk:ctiorrs ttrrr-
taining rvel sircc irrrclrs ()r' ( r)nliurrirrltt'cl r.rr haz-
itlclotts matcriair.
" ,,\ft,,:r irarrrllin;r,, clcan rll
't'7? \l(lSlitJVl r\Il(.lll\/ll.S:,\N
nlllt\ \\tth appr'opriatc ciisinfectanf or ilcrrni-
cItlt' ..,ntl dispo5s of'handling equipnrcnt safcly,.
r\s rlc u'ill discr-iss latcr, separate and spccializecl
storagc ior objects fl'rim archival collections is o{icn
a the best approach for thc sake of preservation. For
scientific samples and specimens) renoval-if not
outright disposal or destruction-may be necessary.
The inhcrently high value of a specimen and low
possibility of contamination or physical hamr might
suggest simply separate storage. An itern that is of
dubious research or artifactual va,lue and
higher threat to collections and staff would be
a likely candidate for permanent cleaccession
and appropriate disposal.3
A good pre-emptive effort before being
faced with a "process it or don't process it?"
dilemma is to confront these issucs at the
time of acquisition. Granted, some of thesc
pr"oblems are legacy or "backlog" issues (for
instance, thcise seventeeir boxes of unprocesscd
rnaterials from the curator oftropical cliseases
that have been around since before the entire
current staff), and, since they're on-site, the
Lroxes have to lre deait with sonrr:how.
l{or,r,ever--as n, i lh a ny coll ectio n--- i n cclming
acquisitions nccd to be carefully scoped out
itt situ and carcful negotiations with thc
donor undertaken before any nlaterials are
transferred tcl thc archives. I)rcservatiorr
issues anci Jrcalth-altci safety natlr:r'r; should
rs. bc cliscusscd at thc time. If I'our irrstitutiorr is
not cquippecl to hancllc raclioirctivc itr.'nri;
frclrn a nou,-defunct labrlritlory, 1'our best opliorr is lcr
re{cr the donating bocly appropliate l"cl)()\itol-jc
11y
tl-rzrt can hancJle tlrosr-: histor ic collcctiorrs. (Othcr
optiolts nta)/ include altcrinp,, lour: ir-rstitution's lrissitrl,
1'acilitir:s, and staffirrg, ltut ilra1 urav bc. r-cls1-1r; olritritir,e . )
I cyoLxl tlre t-nattcr"s cll' lifi-anc1-clcatlt, st icltif ie
r-ul.lscurn i,rrchives deal rvith rronlethal 1;ut still cont].rlg''
objects in their collections, as do otlrcl relro.sitot ic:.
l)uc to tlrc "spcciahless" ol'the associa(ccl ficlclr;, horl
ci,ct', archivisls in s<:ir:ncc rnLrsclrrls n-raY bc' charrlcd
r,r,ith docurnentinpi errrcl llresclvilg tcchnolo1r,ics thal
J l1 slroLrlcl bi notcd tlral scii rrr:t' ,rntl tcchrolorit' rtur.rtor s ,rnrl
c1
:rrchivists irrc not alonc ilr tlrtir'l:rrrdcn o1- hnz-rrtlorrs nr,rlcr irlr irr th.
collt:ctions. trlirtcrials surlr ;rs lcirtl l)aint or lL-ad rr.trrsk..t lrrrlls, rrscrri.
rtDrl tt-tcrcttrt'salt Prcscrr',r1ivcs, irrtrl s0rne cirfinollcni(t \\1)()(l Ptcsft\
,ttivcs irll c rcatc proLrlenrs lor lristorii: collc.lioll cirrelalicrs. Scc
(.lllrr:r inc llinvks rrrrl Kltltr I n \l,rIos, "]nitcrcnt ilt(l ,\r (llrifc(l
J I,iz,irrls in ,\lrrserLnr ()lrjrr(i; lrnlrlir.tlions lor (.arr:,ilri tlsr'ol
(,<rllct:lions," (.r1lrrlil lir:orrlrt, itlittrrrguttt,nt:.1, no. (:ooo) lirr
; ir
srrliirc.cs arrci instrr-r- rioLrtl srr rr et of tlrc lopir .
lN'rlt()l)t.:O l l()\
havc lon[l irgo oLrlpacecl the stattclitrcl se t of coltrscs and ltulnisirinqs therttsclvcs. (ir^ortps of icttcrs tic'tl
ol't-crecl bv cr,cn the t-nost cuttirlg-eclgc alchives tlrirrl- rl jth ribbons ancl striug tnay hat'c lteett rcrnovcd fl'orlr
agclnent gracluate progranls. Infirnnation malliige- a clcsk in tl-re pallor. Bttsiucss recot'ds tnav conre fl'ottt
m ent pro ltcssionals ( arch ivists, curAtol's, iltl <.1 librtirian s ) fllins cabinets or sortit-rg bins ir-r thc eslatc oflcc' In
are currently strr"rggling wiLh the questions o1' clcc- cascs lilie tl-ris, tl-ie cl'fbrt is rtot so lnucl') about tctnot'iltc.
tronic records, and there lvili be tto easy answell soon. arr objectii'om the archival collection (and plescrvirrgl
It is worth noting that in science-relarted collec- its proveuance), but removing the archives from thc
tions, you should probab\, be r:cacly to deal with the object (and still preserving the proterrrncc).
hardware, software, and data files that may be used or Understandabll', you'd be hard-pressed to find a
generated by museum staff and researchers whose lignin-free, acid-neutral container into which you
papers your institution collects.a Again, the museum could place a four-drawer oak filing cabinet, so the
archives of a prominent high-tech company
may be charged with maintaining tire volumi-
noLls paper records of product design and
creation, but may also be asked to retain copies
of rccord of any software product licensed by
the company, in many release (and pre-rclease)
versions.s All of these matters delve deeply into
the problems of legacy data and migration of
new s)/stcms; since these issues rise with a mer-
cilessly sharp obsolescence ctlrve, managers
of nruscutn archival collections rvith techncr-
logical components are strongly encouraged
to join the diaiogue with other technology-col-
lection prclfessionals sooner rathcr than later.

History Museums

Of thesc three broad-bruslr categories-art,
scicilcc, ancl histori' llltlscllllls--all three are
nerccssarily overgcneralizccl' \'\/itlrirl historl'
rruscllnr archives, tYpes of ltlalelt'ials atld sub-
ject-c:ontcnt cal] rallgc as lvidcli' as fhosc in the art
and llrc science nli.tscL1)l-]s. Wl-rctfrer a historic hor-nc
(rvhir-lt r)'1a1, ls3t'l more cltlscly tol'trarcl the art museunr)
or a l)lcxiglas-case-ancl-d iclact ic- Iabcl-bascd archtrcol-
clgy ancl antltroi:rolog)/ t-llllscl-lll.l (u4rich siclles up closcr
to a scictrcc tnuseuu), anvthing lalling into this calc-
gol")/ errr'\tes visitors atrcl t'escar<;hcls by pt tsc:r'vilrg,
intcrprctinpi, exl-ribiting, ancl tral<itrg, accessible lbr'
res(:t{u'ch itcnrs of historic imPtlt'tililcc of intercst. Atlct,
as rvitlt tltc previot-ts ttvo calcgot'ic.s, tllc historv illLtsclutrl
art:hivcs aiso has its otvtr spccial isstlcs rvhen dealing
rvith otrjccts irt the archivcs.
Nlanv times, at hisloric siti:s, irrchival collcctirlns
rnav conrc dircctlr' fi'on'r it.lsitlt: tlic lristoric callinetrv
'1 l)rfsor'r,lll\, I pity tll.'P()ol !il,lrJ :illl(lt'ilt l.lsli.(l tritlt pro.t"itr:l lrrt
e0llr'rti0D tt]rctt I'rc l)f,i:iail (rll.,t' I
jlltr:'rr.l Ltr .l0tl'tlt ittl't.t't ,tl0tlt1
rrrfh tlr,: lile lilltLtrs, tlli ( lri. )rl\ llr.1ll!il1r()[1]t'r s rrrill.llrr\l lr'l\r'll \ 'lllLi
nti,'ttttlic lro0k collr.:litrtr.
i \cni.r i. l'lrillips ilnfl \l.1Lrrii. 1. l'lrilliirr' (itrirli /rr t/t,'.\/r;rt;t-;,rri'l
(..i)/i(11/()/ri tl'hiltrtlclphi,l:.\..ttl.'tttv ()i \illlll.ll 5.i(11..i )9(1il..i'1
T-shirts from the Da[[as Women's Gallery Records, 198os. counre sv or
THE ARctitvts. DALLAS [4t,sEUM or AR].
rchousing of thcsc palticulat' objccls is less cl1 ilIl lsstlc.
11'a large object is ttot scrvittg as Pa.rt clf a hislolic
displar', placc it alongsidc othcr: historic objccts irr
mLrseum-quality storagc. ,\s tvill be ciisctrssecl latel', it
is important to linl< historic t'e'colcls intcllcctuitllt' t<r
tlre historic fr-rlniturc fi'tlrit ivlricli Ihci' tvct:e rclll()\'c(l.
Objects Founel in All T'ypes of Nluseurns
In lonp;-runrrinp,; irrstitr.rliotts, lhcrc nlav hc a silirrif i
cant porticll.t o1 rcctlrcls r^clltlittlt, to llrc aclrlliriisllittiotl
-l']rcse
oltthe sitc. bttsincss rctcot'cls olt tlrc iitstilrrtiol.r
lrtav sec;161i1ig qr'611vth, as trlore rr:r'tttcls at'c qett,'t'lttcrl
[>r'thc nruscutl atrd tr-artsli'rrccl to thc archivcs..\ttrtrtt!i
tlrcsc rccorcls vorr rvill pt'ttltalth lrrttl clLijccts thilt;.ltc
lristoricirllv lclalc<.1to thc i;tstituljolt' sr"tch as plii<1tt.':,
rlrodcls oi const t'Ltct itltt, cpllctr-tcril, u,ttcst rctiist t,t t i trtl
Lrook:;, ir\\'irr(ls, or alttlior.'ii;ttltl t.:corcis. 1)arlit rllirr'l r'
clrrlirrg a (.ortstrlt(li(trt lltLr.jt:cl, itit ittlt.tilct'sal'\'r'dlfl)l,l'
tjort, ot'a tiLrtrt-i:apsrtlt'ie t't'tttottt, l't'ililltlutrl: tll-t]ltl siltr

OlrlL'c/s itt tht . \ri:/tlrls t7.1

ancl fabricof the. structLlre ulay makc their \\,a)/ to tbe
archives irs clocurnentation of any o1t these cvents.
Since they relate to the history of the musellm, these
objects neecl to be intellectually linkeci rvitl-r (if not
necessarily stored near) the archival collection.
The "sets" used in gallery exhibits are another type
of material often seen in museum collectior-rs.
Backdrops, nturals, diorama settings, and the like ma1,
have been integral to the museum's interpretive
design, particularly in exhibits earlier in the twentieth
century. As these exhibits changed or were removed,
parts of the displays themselves may har.e been saved
and rnay now reside in the archives as records of the
history of the institution. Though the1, n1. similar: to
the didactic labeling and fabricated exhibition materials
discussed above, these materials may be of a slightly
different class: they were sometimes executed by
knorvn artists or by muralists of lesser general fame,
but known rvithin the museum field. Tire importance
of thcse items may also lie in their: function as full-
color recurds of times otherwise documented clnl1, $y
black-and -r,vhite photography.
What about books? Are they archival materials?
Historic objects? Research monographs? Bernadette
Callery, nrusellm librarian at the Carnegie Museum of
\irtural History, believes, as a librarian/archivist, that
AnrornrED BoCIKs
Documentary evidence can tal<e the form of annota-
tions and corrections made to an existing printed text.
In nineteenth-century naturaI science coiiections, it is
not uncommon to find private collectors using copies
of published mclnographs on their subject to serve as
checl<tists or catalogs of their own coltections. The
Carnegie Museum of NaturaI History owns the
archives and specimen coItection of B. Preston Clarl<,
a private collector of hawkmoths who gave his
34,ooo-specimen cottection, complete with its 5o7
museum cases and r5 file cabinet drawers of corre-
spondence dating from ryt6 to 1943" Lil<e Darwin, he
corresponded with everyone who might be expected
to share his interest and actively solicited cottections
from missionaries and tradesmen. His collection con-
tains an interleaved, annotated copy of the major
nineteenth-century monograph, A. G. Butler's Revision
of the Heterocerous l-epidoptera of the Fantily
Sphingidae (The Transactions of the Zootogical
Society of London, t87).Ihe copy is rnarl<ed with
numbers corresponding to the specimen collection
174 \ll. SELl\J ,\llClllIVlrS: AN INI'ltOl)Lr(.'floN
booiir tlrrrl conte as part of archival collcctir-lns--as
rr'her) on.' rcccives the cntire cclllectiorr olt a scicntist,
artist, r)l' 165rr;11^chgl'-should sta,v n'ith tltc archives,
lirthcr than qo to thc rnuseurr's lilrrary. 'I'his applies
rurosth to the odcl volunre that turns up in thc papers
of a donor, r'ather tl-ran the case of an entire personal
librarr'. One could make the argument that, regardless
of rvhether a significant collection of rnaterials is
tnaintained as a smaller, "special" collection or distrib-
uted into the museum's library and properly book-
plated as part of a donor's bequest, you would still
want to design some scheme to be able to reconstruct
the contents of the collection as received.
Processing Collections that
Contain Objects
As with any other processing or cataloging projeo,
there are twcl rnain ol-rjectives: preservation and access.
These trvo ideals beconre even more important when
clealing rvitlr oddities in a collection. \Mhen you come
across some artifact, specinren, ol'al'twork that
belongs-inteilcctually-with the collection but defi -
nitely does not fit physically with folder after foider of
tnanuscript pages, )rou'll need to make a decision
about what to do r,vith it. More often than not. the
and further amended with penciled notations of
nomenclature changes. Ctearly, C[arl< was using this
monograph as a means to record his own cotlection.
The Academy of NaturaI Sciences (Phitadetphia)
archives hotds an annotated copy of an 18/+6 letter-
press catalog of the [arge collection of birds that
'Thomas
Wilson purchased from the Duc de Rivoti. In
B.
this case, the annotations clearly retated the collec-
tion to the specimens, as "the catalogs lay for years
beside the bird specimens in the department of
ornithotogy."ii ln a less stril<ing find, the tibrary's copy
of the r94o printed catalog of the British A4useum of
NaturaI llistory's library is marl<ed with arrows to indi-
cate the museum Iibrary's hotdings, with additionat
editions penciled in.iii
--Bernadette Callerv
ii \tcnia'll Phillips ancl N4auricc li, I)hillips, (.hidc to tlu, trlnntrtripl
(.)tlleclions (I')hiladclphia: Acaclcrnr. ol'Natural Scicnccs, r963),.,t6.
iii Catnloyre o.[ tllc Jioolrs, hltlnusil ilts, L4aps nttl Drnn'itt11s iu thc Rritislt
l\{ttscrilrt (Naturul HistorT') (l,onclon: llritish lrluscum, l9o-t t94o).
itcln ilscll'rvill havc to bc rcmovecl fronr thc collcctiLin ;ri r':r r ', r:,.rir o1' thc original cotttext--the origirtal
anci storcd appropriatcly. o1i.';-oi the collcction (by docuructrting the original
l}'oaclly, the idea is to hccp all materials in a coi- Ioc.ition .rnd nanne r in nhich the object was storecl),
lection in the best storage conditior-rs possible. The .\t thrs point, a clnesiion may come up about
right' tcurpcrature, humidity, and air circulation for rthethc-r these clbjccts rernoved frotn archival collections
papels rrray not be ideal for er potsherd, a plar"rt sample, are then accessioned into the ntuseunt's collections.
a wax figurine, a crayoll clrarwing, a corsage, or a piece IlLrch rvill depend on the internal structure of alr
of wovcn metal. A small n-rodel of an artist's sculpture, institution; sonetimes the line between curatorial and
if ieft in the docunrent box with papers, may abrade archival departments is hard, fast, and impenneable.
the documents, rust, and rnight even teal'materials. If the mandate in such an organization is that all
Beyond physical conditions, there may be other objects go to the museum collections, then so be it.
security reasons to relocate an object. That
sr-rspiciclus bioiogical or radioactive sample
may need to be quarantined (or destroycd),
or a very important, valuable item may need
higher security than is afforded in the manu-
scripts storage shelves. (lt would be a shame if
that diamond Cartier brooch that came with
thc artist's papers got nrisfilcd.)
'fhc cxarnple of lhc corsage from ai:orre
can Lre lrroken down ilris way:

. l)uring proccssirrg, the corsage is

removed from the fcrlder, placed in an
archivaily souncl storage container (an
inert plastic envclope or an artifact
box, perhaps), and described as clearly
as possible on a separation sheet: "ltem
is a semipresscd gardenia and baby's
Lrreatl-r corsage, with white sill< ribbon,
The Star Spangted Banner in the West Wing of the Smithsonian
whitc nc'tting, artcl g,reen florist tape
Institution buitding before it undergoes its 1.914 restoration"
arourrcl stem. A largc stickpin retttains 5M|r.HsoNlAN lNsilTUTroN ARcHrvEs, NEc.2746)- (RU 95, Uox 3LA, FoTDER 25)
picrced through thc stem. Appcars tcr
bc frorl MJI-r r9j9 high school gra<luation." However, the pr<ivenance of that object nrust rernairr
" t)r-rplicate scparation she ets arrc created cln d<icumented (as originating fronr a specific ar"chival
acicl-fi-ce paper; or.lc copy retnaius in the original collection) and available to rcsearchers and stalf in
krcalior-r cross-rcfi:rcncing, the object's new both curatorial and archivcs clepartmcnts. If the
location, while 1he othcr copy t"ertraitrs rvith thc rnlrseum archiv<':s hirs storagc spacc for objects aviril-
object in its no,r'location (cir in a catalog folder) able, the object slrould stay as closc to thc collcctiorr as
rcfcrring tci its origitral Jocatiort. possible, rvithin the limits affordccl [r1, appropriatc
" ln the fincling aid, a t-trentiott olt unusuirl envircrr nrcn tal cond iI ions.
clbjccts r-emovcd liilrn tl-re collc<"tion is macle, in other instances, it rlay bc: tl'rc oiriniorr o1'arr
;>ossibiy in thc c:olIcctiott clescriptiott ttat lative, archivist workiug rvith a collcclicln thaf an objccl rnosI
and a foottrotc is addcci to thc b<lxifolcler: list assr.rredly belclngs r,vitlr thc ri'tr-rsilr n.r's r:riratorial c <.r1.
dcscribrng the objcct. lcctiorr. Conr,erscly, aftcr a consultation u'ith tirt: crrrir-
torial stafi you nrily cleterminc that a particular itcnr
li:;r;cn tial to thcsc l)roccsscs are, agaitt, tltc prcscr- shoulcl st;r1, 1a,j1l1 lhc archives. l)crltaPs fhc itcrn is
vrr{iorr of thc clbjerc.t (by l<t:erping t}rr: corsitgc and tlrt: clccmcd "urrwor'1hy" (espccially itt ther ca,sc ol'firrc-at'tr;
hisloric (locrrrtr:nts sclrarittc firr firar of rrrigratiorr of or "pure history" cttvironnrcttts), bccausc it is ir l,it', ,.'
rlcstr-rrclivr: nralcr-ials itttil 1rlr1'sical clarlittlc lo pape r"ri oIclctritus or an cxtrancoLls 2rp])crrcli.r; lrerlraps il's ttol
1-r'on r { lr rcc-clirrcns;iolr irl olljcct s, atttl elartt:r gc cl thrcc'
{ cvi:n integral to or associalc(l ivith thc nrusctir.rr ob.ji'ct
cJilrrcrtsional cibjects by inrpl,-ll-.cr storag;c) aud lhc a1 tcr all.,,\gai u, rlcPcnclin.' tin thc t'r:lat iortslr iP bctrvct'ir

Obiut:ls irt tltc Archit,t's 't'/S

lltr'fti'rr rlcl-,tr1ttt"t'ts, itntl [hf] piavcrs irt''olvr:il 1n
corrvci sittions, this intcracfior.r can bc r:clucational or
rancorous. 'l'he colk:ctions of l.ioth ;rrcas arer scrr,ecl
bcst l'hen collaborative' rvork provides icleal carc for
and lobr.rst acccss to collectictns.
ln an idcal rvorld, lhc inforrnirlion rrr.in
r,'arioLrs
ilger-nent professionals at an institution havc an open,
ccillegial \^/orliing rclationship; tire lincrs betiveen
rnllseunr, archives, ancl library are permeablc; and
rigid Iines are drawn less often and lcss severcly. It may
be that a particular piece from an archival coliection
dovetails nicely wit}r a collection of similar pieces
already in the museum's collections" Why not exhibit
the one alongside the others, making the intit-uate
cor-rneclion betwccn ntuseum collections and archival
holdings apparent to all (staff and visitors) and cross-
promoting both clivisiclns, perhaps even getting more
organic rcsearch across disciplines?
For accountability's sakc, it probably would ncit be
ir bad idea to catalog objccts from archival collections
ancl qivcr them accession rrumlrers, assuring their place
jn tirc institution's collcctions. In any collcction docu-
ir rcntation, thclse recorcls lnust shclrn, wherc thc itcnr r,r'as
originally lcicatccl.'I'his holcls lruc as lr'ell fbr any storage
cabincts or container frrrniture fi:om u,hich archival
holclings \\,erc ren-lovccl. Com'ersely, any archir,al docu-
nentatioir of olrjccts removecl to slorage shoulcl include
the rnuseur"n's catalog number and docr"rmentation of
t1're cibject's cnrrent u,herealrouts (although public
clocur-uen1s shoulcl onl1, give enouglr inforrnation r.vitlr-
,)u1 r'c\'calinr1 spetr,ific sccltre locations).
lrr r'1osin1:,, I'd lihc locrnpha:;iz.c i1rat, in a rr,orld
llr.ri js i,onr;rlc.r aircl rvitlr a cltrstcl of fjclds lhat are so
:irtijlar' 1o cacJr othcr, 1rs1 so :;plinfcrccl fi orl
,irroilri:r, tlrc'sc nrclrlcnts rvhcn an arcirivisl, il curatol',
.riril a librarian alJ sit annrncl a tab]er rn,itl"r a t1rin5; in thc:
!L'ntcr uright yrloviclc lhr.: intersc:ctirins rvhn:r: l'c rnahc
r)ur' ( ollcctions ltost alivc to oLtr uscrs (patr"orrs,
;.5car'.ilcrs, r,isitors, othcr"staf lt). Ir.ach of tlrosc plol'es.
t76 rrusl,t \t .\R(-nlvt.:i : .-\\ lvl ttol)t cllo\
thc-.i
.: r . , ..rctti r blings sontething to tlrat table: public:
.tii:r -,t,,iirrein.q; proper stclrage apd haldltnS; str;-
11.1r(i :i .ir il tL.rtu al izecl informatio n s).stems basecl on
h isttt l j c .l rr i r r n rr..r.r Is; irppreci ation for the rr isito t" cxpe-
ricnce ; the irbilitl to inlerprct matcrials and educate a
lav public; plcliessional reference assi$tance to deal
rvith cor-nplex resources--and so on, ancl so t'rr-r"
\\rhile that imaginary table with three attendees
and an object in the center is purely a theoretical
image, there are practical ways to bring museum,
library, and archives staff together" Developing those
relationships earl1. antl cross-training will help build
the collegial connections that make it easier for, say, a
librarian to cross the hall to the conservator's table to
asl< about repairing a spine on a nineteenth-century
book" A registrar may \ rant to know more about tiris
sap that's l;een talked about and see what sinrilar
projects may help thc aecessioning and cafaloging
r,vork done at that desh. A ncw exhibitiorr rnay be
gearcd toward the user-basc of an instilr,rtion's library,
require archival and librarl, research, ancl incorpclrate:
materials--textuaI and nontexl-ual*--fi-om the arcl-iivirl
or library collections. Curators and registrars could
heip in identifying and advising on stor-age for objects
frclm the archival collections. r\ major construction
project may--most likely will.--requirc sornc collabo-
rative efforts by curatorial, arrchives, and library divi-
sions, as wcli as mainte nancc, aclministration,
groundskeeping, securitr., ancl all clther officcs" Tlre
availabiiitl' of inforrnatiorr on thc: lnlr:rlet has
chattgecl thc \\,a), \^/e--'its ilforrnaliorr profcssio'als- --
rvorl<. ,As our fir:lcls dr;uv lcarer to urrifii:cl inlclrr-latiorr
otre rcsource shalir.r11, these conversatiot'rs arc beconrirr1;, i1'
not necessary, then extreurclt, uscl'ul. tr,luserrrir
archivists are irr a special position to bnrker tlLc rela-
tionship bctlver:n olrjcct iu.rd tcxhral resource; it's a
rarc opportunity and one \\.c should loolt foru,arcl 1o.
"tl