Mark Erik Nielsen wrote:
>
> I would like to see responses to this question as well. Our museum is
> currently examining the prospect of relocating and expanding our shop.
> The shop is currently in an odd location and its too small, but we are a
> small museum with no extra space, and we have obligations to expand certain
> exhibition areas. One of my proposals had to do with combining some of
> our decorative arts pieces within the shop environment. Although they could
> have been installed safely, the response was cool, because some felt that
> it would rub the academic contingent the wrong way. What do you think????
>

For several years we had in our store an antique motorcar of local
manufacture, which we used essentially as a decor piece (though
it did have a semi-informative label)--stuffed animals for sale were
displayed on it.  Since the car was on loan and we had permission from
the owner to use it this way (and since the thing was arranged by the
director and we had no choice), we didn't worry about it too much.  There
were stanchions around it to keep people from actually climbing on it.

The difficulty came when it was time to return the loan.  Seems when we
constructed our new store the car had been installed first and the store
built around it!  It was only pure luck we did not have to knock a hole
in the wall to get the thing out!
--
Janis Beth Wilkens
Curator of Collections/Interim Director
Museum of York County
4621 Mt. Gallant Road
Rock Hill, SC  29732
803-329-2121    Fax:  803-329-5249
mailto: [log in to unmask]