Miriam wrote:
>problems raised by
>collections that predate registration procedures.  This can include
>arttifacts without any number or documentation, missing objects, multiple
>numbering systems, conflicting stories about provenance, etc.  Other than
>doing a complete physical inventory (expensive and time-consuming), can
>anyone share how   some museums handle these issues?  Does anyone have
>interesting anecdotes to share on this topic?  Any lastly, any
>suggestions for reading materials, books or articles?

During an inventory at a place I used to work, we assigned X19--.-----
numbers to any objects we encountered that had no number or tag with or on
them.  Reconciliation with catalog cards whose objects couldn't be located
ascertained that many were the identifiable.  The 'X' number tag was
removed and the true number affixed.  For all the others - well, they were
truely, found in the collection.  However, they now have an identifiable
date/number associated with them.  With the state's Museum Property Act
(called "abandoned property legislation" in other states), once we could
prove we had held them for over 35 years we could legally claim title to
them and either accession properly or otherwise dispose of them (never
having been accessioned it would not be too difficult to get rid of them if
we didn't want them).  There is of course the step of publishing a call to
the public to identify any property they think may be at the museum.  A bit
of a pain, since you have to wait a year before getting rid of something
(but this is also fair for the public).  Again this varies state to state.

My recommendation to the writer is, do your research on abandoned property
or museum property legislation in different states.  As said, they vary
from state to state, and not all states have them. but this is a good place
for some additional research.

Sorry for filling up non-US mailboxes with this....

BTW, the complete inventory of 56,000 object cost about $200 and took 2
months.  It was an institutional priority and therefore everyone pitched
in.  So don't assume that inventories are the dreaded beast they are
sometimes made out to be!

Suzanne Quigley
Head Registrar, Collections and Exhibitions
Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum
1071 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY 10128
212 423 3568
fax: 212 423 3650
email: [log in to unmask]