In a message dated 00-09-29 18:06:27 EDT, Nesdon Booth wrote:

<< Clearly, some of you took my remarks out of context. I assented that
 conservation was important, and that I supported it. I in no way believe
 that everyone should be allowed to touch anything they please. There is a
 valid discussion in this community, with opposing opinions, about the
 relative importance of our dual missions of conservation and education. >>

Nesdon, I don't think your remarks were taken out of context so much as that
you simply failed to provide sufficient context in your first post, whereas
you provided more in your second.  You gave a more thoughtful and measurerd
explanation of your views in the second post, and I think many of us were
relieved to see it.  However, I saw no "ad hominem" attack in the first
response, merely a somewhat harsh remark that you didn't seem to know what
you were talking about.  The fact is, you made it appear that you were
advocating allowing bronzes to be touched, then replacing them whenever
necessary, as a matter of routine.  If you didn't mean that, your emphasis
was misleading.

You are perfectly right that there is an inherent dichotomy between
preservation and exhibition. This is, or used to be, the basic museum
dilemma.  I personally lean toward preservation as the fundamental
responsibility of museums, not public exhibition (and I hope everyone won't
attack me for that view--it's just my opinion).  In any event, museums must
constantly balance preservation needs against the risks of public exposure,
and we adopt a sliding scale to accommodate those conflicting goals.  Some
objects are simply too fragile or fugitive to ever permit them to be included
in public exhibitions.  We keep them in storage because they are important
enough to save as historic, scientific, or aesthetic evidence of the past and
we allow limited viewing and study by those who need to use them, but
prolonged public exhibition is simply not an option.  Other items, such as
works of art on paper, can withstand occasional display in special
exhibitions, but could not survive "permanent" display.  Still others, such
as painting and sculpture executed in hardy materials, can go on permanent
exhibition in friendly environments, with appropriate safeguards against
casual physical contact by visitors, some of whom theoretically could be
trusted to be gentle, but some of whom don't have a lick of common sense.  (I
know an entire family, for example, who don't know how to take care of
anything--their furniture has to be replaced frequently because they wreck
it, every mechanical or electrical object they own is falling apart, most of
their treasured collection of old LP's is nicked and unplayable, tape
cassettes are broken with tapes ruffled and even twisted, and every book they
own gets food stains and has pages falling out after one reading.  You can
bet I don't let them touch anything in my house, let alone my museum.)

You're right that bronze sculpture is theoretically replaceable, and I'm glad
you know all about the lost-wax process, but it simply is not practical for
most museums to hold replacements in reserve or commission new ones to
replace damaged or worn sculpture.  If artists want people to touch their
works and are willing to initiate the production of back-up bronzes,
customers will have to pay the extra cost.  It's a nice idea, but I don't
think it's museums' responsibility to make provision for the backups; that
goes beyond silly.  Having said that, yes, I think it would be wonderful if
every art museum would provide a touchable sculpture, which would be a
terrific teaching device in a variety of ways; not only could they enjoy the
tactile experience, but they could readily compare the difference between
works they're encouraged to touch and the normal hands-off variety.

You are partially correct about loans.  While inter-museum loans of specific
objects for specific exhibitions customarily are provided in a spirit of
collaboration and cooperation and rarely are intended to make money for the
lending institution and any fees charged usually just cover costs, it is
certainly true that part of the point of making entire exhibitions available
for rental usually is to generate income--but that's two different scenarios.
 Yes, lending objects subjects them to added risks, and museums try to manage
those risks intelligently, balancing them against potential benefits.  But
curators and conservators often veto specific loan requests because the risks
are considered too high, and many museums have lists of objects which just
"don't travel," period.  Museums have to make judgments about such matters
all the time.

Occasionally museums have had exhibitions dealing with these issues, or at
least treating them as components of larger shows, and I'd love to see more.
I think the public needs to be better educated about the preservation vs.
exhibition, touch-or-don't-touch dilemma.  Paranoid
keep-it-in-the-dark-in-hermetically-sealed capsules exlusion vs.
let-it-all-hang-out, look-touch-and-be-merry, nothing's-permanent-anyway
anarchy, and all the nuances and compromises in between.  I'd love to see a
full-fledged art museum exhibition, juxtaposing damaged art with pristine
works, with explanatory labels.  History museums could do the same.  Nowadays
it's trendy to tell stories, illustrated with artifacts, instead of just
putting objects on pedestals for contemplation in the "old-fashioned" manner,
and I think one of the most fascinating and educational stories museums could
tell is about the museum enterprise itself--collecting and preservation vs.
public exhibition and education.

David Haberstich

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