I would also recommend Cicery Plastics for vitrines.  They make some of the
best vitrines I have seen.

I would also recommend that you make sure that conservation concerns have
been addressed in both the design and construction of your exhibit cases.
The national parks services's CD "Exhibit Conservation Guidelines" is well
worth taking a close look at.  They cover exhibt case design, types of
material, etc. very well.  You can get inforation about it on their web
site - www.nps.gov.

Most exhibit cases are used for many years, for many exhibits, and for many
types of object.  Be very careful of the types of materials that your cases
are made of.  Consider very carefully if you want sealed, climate
controllled cases, or ventilated cases.  Do you want to design the cases
with a compartment underneath for silica?

Also, once you design the cases double check with the fabricators to make
sure that they understand exactly what you want the cases made of and why
you want the cases made of those perticular materials.  Many, many times I
have seen cases that were very carefully designed to specific conservation
guidelines, and then because no one bothered to explain it to the people
that are actually making the cases, that the fabricators substitute other
materials because they think that certain materials would last longer.
Whoever you get to make the cases, please comunicate very clearly with them.
Making exhibit cases for museums seems very simular to making kitchen
cabinets and most good carpenters can make them.  However, there are very
important differences and those differences must be explained very carefully
to the fabricators.

This doesn't necessarily mean that better cases have to be more expensive.
Many very simple things like planning ahead,  using the right materials,
sealing the materials with acrylic instead of oil based paints or varnishes,
or letting the painted surfaces in the cases off gass for three weeks, can
make a big difference, without adding a lot of extra expense.

Earl Lock





----- Original Message -----
From: Janice Klein <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Wednesday, April 03, 2002 2:26 PM
Subject: Re: Money for display case


> In my experience the plexi (or lexan) vitrine covers are the most
expensive
> part of the deal and I would probably advise spending your money on those.
> In the Chicago area we all use Cicero Plastics in Romeoville.  Call George
> at 815 886-9522.  I cannot say enough good things about him.
>
> Janice Klein
> DIrector
> MItchell Museum of the American Indian, Kendall College
> [log in to unmask]
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Jerry Fahey <[log in to unmask]>
> To: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]>
> Date: Wednesday, April 03, 2002 1:52 PM
> Subject: Money for display case
>
>
> >Hello Museum world,
> >My director just informed me that we have some end of the fiscal year $.
> >I now have $7,000 to spend on a display case or cases. I have built them
> >before but I've never bought one. We are in the St. Louis area if that
> >makes any difference. Could anyone give me a companies name that you
> >have dealt with before and where happy with?? And if your thinking why
> >not use the $ for materials and build a few of them, they will not let
> >me do that.
> >Thanks,
> >Jerry Fahey
> >Exhibits Designer
> >The University Museum
> >Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville
> >
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