$5 says they can't find the pistol.

db

John Gavin wrote:
> Last August a researcher let us know about an artifact in a museum in
> Colorado that may have belonged to an individual central to the biggest
> story in our area. The staff was very excited about this info and my
> registrar contacted the museum to see if we could obtain a photo, serial
> number (item is a pistol) and the provenance. My registrar was told by the
> curator there that the request would have to come in the form of a letter
> from me, the museum director. I thought it a little odd that a director
> would have to get involved in what is essentially a collection's staff
> everyday procedure, but nevertheless in early October I wrote a letter to
> the director of the museum requesting the above information. I explained the
> importance to us of the pistol. 
>
> Time passed without any response so in January I wrote a second letter and
> attached the original letter. Still no response. The researcher who had
> volunteered at the museum in the 70s (how he knew about the pistol), called
> the director to see if he could get some action. No response. He called
> again and the director asked that I call him after faxing a copy of the
> original letter, which I did. (NOTICE THAT HE DID NOT OFFER TO CALL ME). In
> my conversation with the director he laid it all on his curator... busy, on
> vacation, thought it was taken care of, blah, blah, blah. Three weeks have
> gone by and you guessed it... no response. 
>
> Correct me if I am wrong but it is my understanding that museums are
> supposed to work together. I know that our response to such a request would
> have been answered as soon as possible. What also bothers me is the idea
> that the museum in question is really tooting its own horn in an attempt to
> get AAM conference attendees to take the long trip by Denver Light Rail to
> their site in the spirit of collaboration! One additional item I noticed in
> their board minutes, posted on their site, was the response by the director
> to a question from a board member about whether the museum ever piggybacks
> on the events of other organizations in the area. His response was, "...that
> usually others piggyback on the museum." I suppose that is a telling remark. 
>
> What do all of you think about this situation? The volunteer wanted to call
> the director again and really let him have it, but I squashed that idea. My
> only idea at this point is to write to the board members to make them aware
> of the non-collaboration, or perhaps I should just let it die, especially
> since I have now vented to this board!
>
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-- 
Dan Bartlett, BFA, MA
Curator of Exhibits
Midway Village & Museum Center
Rockford, IL

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