Wendy Jessup (whom I've met and respect) wandered abit afield responding to
this request; I will do likewise.

Volunteers can be the life blood of a museum.  They can also be the bane of
existence to the staff.

Especially in a small museum, volunteers are often also members of the
Board of Directors.  When they are willing to take direction life can be
good.  When they are volunteering in their capacity as Directors, life can
be bad.  I have visited museum storage areas after an annual board
meeting/party in storage areas and found half smoked cigars, half consumed
drinks, and party napkins in artifacts, on artifacts, and on shelving
units.

And this does not only happen in small museums.  A staff member of a well
known museum in Pennsylvania (which shall remain nameless) once found a
member of the board of directors slumbering in an Egyptian Sarcophagus
during the party following an annual meeting.

Exhibits consist of what the museum staff decides the public shall see;
storage consists of what museums hold in trust for the future.

What is on display is often what is in the best state of preservation,
whether restored or not.

What is in storage is, as often as not, in a poor state of preservation and
surrounded by cans and bottles of solvents against the day when it may be
restored.

Interpretation of the past based upon criteria such as this defrauds those
who come after us; we lie about ourselves to the future and they will lie
about us.

It is as simple as that.

Jack



>Date:    Fri, 7 Feb 1997 15:02:29 -0500
>From:    Wendy Jessup <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Re: Conservation
>
>In a message dated 97-02-07 00:35:42 EST, you write:
>
><< Our museum budget is rather slim at this time - we are a recently
> established local history museum. Donations of old clothing related to
> our area are starting to come in and we are wondering about storage of
> these treasures.  We have been looking into special clothing boxes and
> acid-free tissue paper.  We are looking at the pros/cons of the cost
> versus the benefits.  Any ideas?
>
> mj >>
(Snip)

>All too often I have seen museums with vast collections of garments that
>have >been donated by scions of the community, but have little to do with
>the >mission, goals and themes of the institution.

(Snip)
>Most museums cannot afford *state-of-the-art* collections storage, but
>protect their collections very well using volunteer assistance to fabricate
>support materials....

(Snip)
>Finally, I have seen some Collections Policies include the institution's
>ability to properly care for an object as a criteria for acceptance.  This
>includes adequate space, equipment and housing (ie. containers, padding
>materials, padded hangars), and staff.  While I can understand this, I
>sometimes worry about whether this can be (and has been) used as an excuse
>not to expend resources on collections care.  Anyone out there interested in
>discussing this further.
>
>I've said enough for now.
>
>Wendy Claire Jessup
>President and Conservator
>Wendy Jessup and Associates, Inc.
>210 Little Falls Street, Suite 203
>Falls Church, VA 22046
>(703) 532-0788
>(703) 532-1661 (fax)
>e-mail: [log in to unmask]

Jack C. Thompson

Thompson Conservation Lab.                    I hear and I forget,
Portland, Oregon                              I see and I remember,
                                              I do and I understand.
www.teleport.com/~tcl/