In a message dated 9/19/2003 3:04:19 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
[log in to unmask] writes:

<< In many cases, I feel that museums can lose sight of the initial charter
of a museum, that is, protecting the objects that are in
 its care, and in those cases tend to focus on other goals when pressured,
albeit subtly at times and not so subtly at other times,
 by the powers that be or by the current financial operating pressures.
Almost anything in todays American society can be justified
 in the name of money.......................... power, or fear.
  >>
This post is in response to the above message and several others in this
thread.

I think talk of "pressure" represents jumping to an unwarranted conclusion.
There may or may not be pressure on the museum to honor the university
president's request, but the original post in this thread stated merely that the
president "woud like" to decorate his office and/or home with art from the
collection.  Several people have explained rather eloquently why such a request might
be not only perfectly proper and legitimate, but actually a good idea which
could benefit the museum and the university.  The only way in which the display
of the university museum's collection in the president's home or office could
enhance the president's vanity or personal prestige would be if he tried to
pass it off as his personal property; if it is made clear that the art belongs
to the museum (as with an appropriate label), I see no problem--certainly no
conflict of interest.

If the president's home or office environment cannot meet proper security or
safety standards, the museum should articulate its objections to the proposed
loan, trusting that the president will have the best interests of the museum
at heart.  If instead the president wants the museum to compromise its
professional standards, the museum staff should go on record in opposition.  But I
don't think a cynical attitude that the president is just trying to enhance his
personal prestige is helpful.  He may not take kindly to having his request
denied and may in fact apply some pressure and bullying to assert his power, but
that's not the same issue as using the museum collection for his personal
benefit.

I know pressures can occur.  For example: Many years ago the office of the
Vice-President (of the U.S.) requested a one-day loan of a museum artifact in my
care for display during a party at the Vice-President's house.  I suggested
that I serve as courier to transport the object and guard it during the
festivities, and was curtly told that that was out of the question.  (I admit that my
intentions were not pure--I figured that this scheme, while satisfying
registrarial concerns, would provide me with an interesting evening, even if I were
considered on the same level as the caterers rather than the elite invited
guests.)  Unfortunately, my director approved the loan, sans courier, subverting
normal procedures.  (I wouldn't have minded if the director had served as
courier himself, but the object was just picked up by some driver, later returned,
thankfully in good condition.)  I assumed the director just wanted to
ingratiate himself with the Vice-President's staff by being so cooperative, and was
appalled.  I'm still kicking myself for not registering on paper my objection
to this procedure.  So I'm perfectly aware that pressures from on high can
force museums to bend their rules.  I won't divulge here which Vice-President and
which director figured in this tale, but they'll be revealed in my memoirs!

Whether loaning art from the university museum's collection to the president
is a good idea depends on a variety of factors, but it should not be dismissed
out of hand as a bad idea.  And I disagree with the notion that display
anywhere is "always" automatically better than storage.  It depends.

I would also suggest that lending a painting to be displayed on the
president's wall is not equivalent to lending him a rare book and allowing visitors to
leaf through it.  A fragile object which must be handled for viewing requires
a different set of precautions than, say, a painting, and may not be suitable
for any kind of loan.

David Haberstich

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