In a message dated 00-09-28 02:55:59 EDT, Jerrie Clarke quoted an arrogant
ignoramus:

<<  He
 told me in England the statues are all outside and they encourage people to
 touch them.  It doesn't hurt them, you can't remove the finish >>

Well, first of all, you might have countered that the statues certainly are
NOT "all" outside in England--what a ridiculous thing to say.  It's certainly
true that a large proportion of sculpture has always been intended for
outdoor display, and that's why so much of it is in poor condition.  Not only
must it suffer the ravages of pollution and the elements over time, but it's
subject to damage from too much touching (if it's accessible) and outright
vandalism.  There's badly damaged sculpture all over Europe, and you could
have told him that part of a museum's job is to protect sculpture so that it
survives longer with a minimum of very expensive repair and restoration.
Conservation of sculpture can be horrendously expensive, as both government
and private owners can tell you.

Dealing with truculent, know-it-all visitors can be a difficult and delicate
exercise.  About all you can do is smile sweetly and say that part of your
job and your institution's mandate is to preserve your art longer than it
would last in an unprotected environment, and you'd appreciate it if he would
cooperate so that more people could enjoy it longer.

(And sell him a bumper sticker or button that says, "Curators [and/or
Conservators] Make It Last Longer.")

David Haberstich

=========================================================
Important Subscriber Information:

The Museum-L FAQ file is located at http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ . You may obtain detailed information about the listserv commands by sending a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "help" (without the quotes).

If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "Signoff Museum-L" (without the quotes).