Wanda- At the museum I used to work at, we too grappled with the props vs. artifacts question. When we catalogued items we developed a code to use. After the number we added a one letter code: A = artifact P = prop R = recreation (for items we had made to look exactly like an artifact we couldn't obtain) We also indicate if an item was a recreation to the museum visitor. Lisa --- Wanda Edwards <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > There seems to be some confusion in our institution > about the difference between an artifact and a prop, > especially when thy are used in exhibits. I've > tried to explain the difference, but not always with > success. I think part of the problem stems from the > company that designed and built some of the > permanent exhibits in new building. Sometimes they > went to flea markets and junk stores and bought "old > stuff" to incorporate into their designs. Of course, > that "old stuff" tends to look like some of the > artifacts from our collection that are also on > display. Does anyone have clear, simple definitions > that I can share with our staff? > > Thanks for your help. This list is always a great > source of information. > > Wanda Edwards > Curator of Collections, Library and Archives > Orange County Regional History Center > 65 East Central Boulevard > Orlando, FL 32801 > Tel: 407.836.8587 Fax: 407.836.8550 > www.thehistorycenter.org > Explore. Connect. Imagine. Reflect. > > ========================================================= > Important Subscriber Information: > > The Museum-L FAQ file is located at > http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ . You may > obtain detailed information about the listserv > commands by sending a one line e-mail message to > [log in to unmask] . The body of the > message should read "help" (without the quotes). > > If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one > line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] > . The body of the message should read "Signoff > Museum-L" (without the quotes). > __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com ========================================================= Important Subscriber Information: The Museum-L FAQ file is located at http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ . You may obtain detailed information about the listserv commands by sending a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "help" (without the quotes). If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "Signoff Museum-L" (without the quotes).