I subscribed to my first information list on Friday, and have already
replied to someone's query without first introducing myself!  I am a
graduate student (M.A.) in the Department of Human Ecology at the U. of
Alberta. My first degree was in archaeology, and I have experience with
archaeological fieldwork as well as with exhibitions and textile
conservation.  For my current thesis research, I'm most interested in the
"life-history" of artifacts in
ethnographic collections, and the nature of their journey from their
cultural origin to the  world of their collector(s), to the museum, and
through their exhibition.  I'm looking forward to meeting (sort of)
others interested in a variety of material culture-related
topics, from archaeology, material history, conservation, and curation, etc.
 
Virtually,
 
Laurie Hart