Chuck,
A few points:
People enjoy the PROCESS of building models just as much as they do
having the finished product. Your museum's ability to illustrate this
important point is greatly enhanced by having/exhibiting models as they
appear from start to finish.
Furthermore, those who don't build models, like myself, don't understand
how difficult it is without seeing all those sprigged pieces of plastic
you start with and how, through patience and hard work, you end up with
an accurately decaled and painted B-17 model.
And, how many vintage 'kits' survive verses assembled models? Rarity is
often in and of itself a reason to preserve an artifact. What are the
possible stories you could tell as to why the kits were never built?
Did someone's uncle's hobby shop get put out of business by Toys 'r Us?
Remind them that just because they see x number of un-built kits at your
museum, it doesn't mean that x number of kits exist elsewhere. That's
the point-it's your museum's mission to collect and preserve these kits.
Finally, who can predict what your future exhibit needs will be (i.e.
you have to have something in order to exhibit it...).
Best of luck,
Fielding
Redcliffe Plantation State Historic Site
-----Original Message-----
From: Chuck Stout [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Friday, November 09, 2001 9:19 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Help! They want to sell off the collection!
Dear list colleagues,
I'm the curator of the model collection in an air and space museum, and
have
been asked by our vice president to go through our collection of unbuilt
model kits and select "the ones we don't really need" so they can be
sold in
the gift shop. Needless to say, this makes me very nervous. I have tried
to
explain about the presumption of permanence of the collection, the need
to
keep things in the public trust, the ramifications of selling items from
the
collections in the gift shop, etc. but to no avail. (I guess I need to
mention that none of the upper management has any background in museum
work,
and that this VP is also the development director and is under pressure
to
raise money.)
My questions are these: Is it ethical? Is it legal? Have you faced
similar
situations? I would appreciate any advice on how I can handle this
professionally, short of leaving the museum. My fear is that after the
unbuilt kits are sold, I'll be asked to cull the model collection.
(Other
collections are being "thinned" as well, sometimes without any
consultation
with curators.)
Other facts that may be relevant: Many of the model kits have no
provenance,
they were just there when I took over the collection. Very few are
formally
accessioned (but that's true of most of the artifacts in our museum!),
and
none has any restriction that says we can't sell it. Some of the kits
are
rare and "collectible," we have duplicates of a few, and they are
unlikely to
be assembled or exhibited in the future.
The VP has also suggested that in cases where we know who made the
donation,
we can simply call and ask if they mind if we sell it. This fills me
with
dread, too. What are your thoughts?
Thanks for your help.
Chuck Stout
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