To Museum Registrars:

   I have a question about assigning accession numbers "ex post facto."

   The works in question came to us several years ago, their status as
gifts or loans unclear at the time.  The artist subsequently passed away,
and then this past year his widow also died.  Correspondence from the
executors of both estates indicate that neither estate placed any claim
on these works in our possession, ie:  they are ours.  I assume that they
became ours in the year that the artist died.  I am now free to assign
appropriate accession numbers to them, and to complete the accession
process.
   Our accession numbers take the form  YEAR.LOT.ITEM  eg:  95.3.7 for
the seventh item in the third lot of works accessioned this year.
   It is my impression that, in some museums, numbers assigned to works
after their initial entry into the museum include an 'x'.
   Should the accession numbers for these works be 1995? or the year that
the artist died?  While this seems more logical, it entails opening the
accession records for that year and appending more information.  Where
would one insert or append the 'x' in the accession numbers?
   Any ideas or insights will be much appreciated.

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   Stephen B. Ringle, Registrar             [log in to unmask]
   University of Maine Museum of Art
   5712 Carnegie Hall, Room 109              vox: 207-581-3257
   Orono, Maine   04469-5712                 fax: 207-581-3083
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