Wendy Wiener,

A number of "living history" museums use an "E" to preceed a typical
accession number on props, and reproductions.  The E standing for,
variably, "Education" or "Expendable."

An "E number" then becomes an inventory control number rather than an
accession number, since it is assumed that the "E collection" is not
accessioned.

Other museums used a "tiered" accession system where "E collection" items
ARE accessioned.  However, the collection policy specifically states that
items in the lowest tier are useable, but must be reevaluated periodically;
the assumption here being that 1) The numbers wear off any object in
regular use, and 2) An object considered expendable today may be viewed as
unexpendable in five, ten or twenty years - depending on the object and its
material.

The group of museums that seems to have worked on this the most are
generally involved in ALHFAM - Association for Living History, Farm and
Agricultural Museums.  You might want to review the web site (address
below).

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Edward Baker
Assistant Director, Interpretation Department
Mystic Seaport Museum
Box 6000
Mystic, CT  06355

(860)572-0711 ext 5080
[log in to unmask]
<http://www.mysticseaport.org>
<http://www.alhfam.org>
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