I have cataloged many photo albums and scrapbooks, and the rule has always
been to catalog every item inside the book. Pictures in albums, especially
older ones, do have a tendency to fall out as the original glues or tabs
weaken and deteriorate. They all need to be cataloged and numbered in case
something falls out so that nothing is lost. All photos and scrapbook items
should also be scanned so there is all a ditigal image, should somethimg
happen to the original. I usually catalog them using a numbering system
like James suggested. It goes like this:

Scrapbook - 2012.50.34a
Photo 1 - 2012.50.34b
Photo 2 - 2012.50.34c
And so on...

Eventually you might have to use double letters, such as:

Photo 25 - 2012.50.34aa
Photo 26 - 2012.50.34ab
And so on...

Also catalog things like pressed flowers, envelopes, letters, bits of
ribbon, newspaper clippings, etc.

It's important to think of it this way: if any item in a photo album or
scrapbook was important enough for the creator to include, then it is
important enough to catalog.

~Maggie~
On Oct 7, 2012 2:48 AM, "Juetian Luo" <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> Thanks, James for your reply!
> So basically, items that can function separately each gets a whole number;
> and parts that cannot function separately on their own get parts number.
> Correct?
>
> However, I thought that a cup that comes with a saucer are not items that
> can stand on their own?
> This is where subjectivity can come in.
>
> Ok, presuming the cup and saucer are not as subjective. For the jacket and
> dress example, or even a chess-set, photo album with photos. Are there any
> guidelines for "subjective" things like such?
>
> - Each piece in a chess set gets a part number?
> - Jacket and dress would be given whole number each?
> - The photo album and the photos in the album would all be given whole
> number each?
>
> Thanks!
>
>
>
> On 6 October 2012 11:18, James Tichgelaar <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>
>> My rule of thumb has been that if the parts can function separately, each
>> gets a number.  A cup and saucer would each get a number.  But two things
>> that are used as a whole object with detachable parts (teapot and lid) get
>> –a and –b numbers.  I would number your set as:****
>>
>> ** **
>>
>> •First cup:   1998-00005-001 ****
>>
>> •First saucer:   1998-00005-002 ****
>>
>> •Second cup:   1998-00005-003 ****
>>
>> •Second saucer:   1998-00005-004 ****
>>
>> •Pot:   1998-00005-005a ****
>>
>> •Cover:   1998-00005-005b****
>>
>>
>>
>> ****
>>
>> ** **
>>
>> *From:* Museum discussion list [mailto:[log in to unmask]] *On
>> Behalf Of *Juetian Luo
>> *Sent:* Thursday, October 04, 2012 10:53 AM
>> *To:* [log in to unmask]
>> *Subject:* [MUSEUM-L] Whole or Parts number?****
>>
>> ** **
>>
>> Hello to all (Registrars especially),
>>
>> I would like to seek your advise on the following:
>> We are trying to come up with some good guiding principle on when we
>> should assign Part Accession Numbers and when we should assign Whole
>> Accession Numbers to things. E.g., when assigning accession numbers to a
>> teapot set consisting of 2 sets of cup and saucer and a pot with cover, we
>> would assign in the following manner.****
>>
>> •First cup:   1998-00005-001 ****
>>
>> •First saucer:   1998-00005-002 ****
>>
>> •Second cup:   1998-00005-003 ****
>>
>> •Second saucer:   1998-00005-004 ****
>>
>> •Pot:   1998-00005-005 ****
>>
>> •Cover:   1998-00005-006 ****
>>
>>
>>
>> However, the marrying of items may sometimes be subjective and context
>> dependent. e.g., if a jacket is always worn with a particular dress by this
>> donor, and the curator decides to put them together as a "default" set, do
>> we then assign each item a whole number or the set as a whole number with
>> parts (i.e., the jacket is part 1, and the dress part 2)? How things could
>> come together extrinsically can sometimes be very subjective, such as the
>> jacket and the dress. The topic was debated at great length at our meeting.
>>
>> Other controversial cases would be photos in an album for example.
>>
>> Does any of you have any such written "numbering" guidelines that we can
>> follow? Basically, we are trying to articulate the rationale of how we
>> should assign numbers so that we can do it in some consistent manner.
>>
>> I am desperate for some good advice!
>> Thanks in advance. ****
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