It was with some consternation that I read Anita Cohen-Williams' posting.
Were we to meet at some conference, I would buy her a double whatever she
might be drinking and then shout into her ear (not because I was angry...
probably; but because the piano was so loud) WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU
TALKING ABOUT!

I've known for some time (approx. 20 years) that museums don't really
give a rat's ass about conservation, but to see it so blatantly expressed
is very offensive.  There is an inherent responsibility which museums
take on when they accept an artifact. There is a responsibility to the
current public and to the future.  A casual attitude to the destruction
of artifacts, as was implicit in Anita Cohen-Williams' posting informs my
feelings about many museums, and also informs those who may, from time to
time, review NEA/NEH grants.

Jack C. Thompson
Thompson Conservation Laboratory
Portland, OR
[log in to unmask]


On Thu, 31 Aug 1995, Anita Cohen-Williams wrote:

> Something that Ivy said brought this to mind. What do museum curators do with
> artifacts that break in either transit, or during routine cleaning? Are the
> pieces simply thrown away, or are they collected somewhere?
>
> The reason I ask is that at the Presidio of San Diego excavations, we are
> putting together a series of type collections of historic ceramics. We would
> be interested in taking anyone's old, busted, potsherds, and giving them a
> good home.
>
> Anita Cohen-Williams; Reference Services; Hayden Library
> Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ  85287-1006
> PHONE: (602) 965-4579              FAX: (602) 965-9169
> [log in to unmask]  Owner: HISTARCH, SPANBORD, SUB-ARCH
>