Greetings Listmembers,

I have two sets of questions for you all.

First, we have a group of objects which have been deaccessioned and are currently awaiting disposal.  Among these objects are a set of two african fans made of wood, colored leather, and feathers, and carved ivory statuette of a woman carrying a jug on her shoulders.  Both objects were cataloged in 1985 and are associated with past presidents (20th century) of the AFL-CIO.  They were probably gifts.  The ivory carving appears to be African in origin and so I assume that the ivory is from African rather than Asian elephants.

Before we send these objects to auction, our director wants me to make sure that they are legal to sell.  However, so far I've hit a brick wall.  We have almost no documentation on when either of these objects were created, purchased, or brought into the United States.  The information that I received from US. Fish and Wildlife Service suggests contacting "a specialist such as an art historian, appraiser, or museum curator" for help identifying animal species (to determine if the feathers came from a regulated species) or for help determining the age of the ivory specimen.  Does anyone on this list know of anyone in the Washington, D. C. area who can help with this kind of identification either on a paid or volunteer basis?

Second, I'm preparing a proposal to purchase a camera for photographing objects as they enter the collection.  Currently we are thinking that we want a standard 35 mm print camera because we primarily want prints rather than digital images.  What are the minimum features I should be looking for?  Is there any reason not to buy an inexpensive "tourist" model rather than a manually adjustable one (the pictures are not used for conservation purposes and time, ease of use, and cost are major factors)?  Does anyone have a brand of camera which they are particularly happy with or any advice on selecting a camera?  Should we give up on the 35 mm and just go digital (and if so, how can we get prints made at low cost).

Thanks,
Catherine Dean
Museum Fellow
The George Meany Memorial Archives

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