Some thoughts: 1.So far I like Christian's distinctions the best and the one museums I have worked would adopt. However, I must admit I have never heard the word Naturafact. (I like it) We would more commonly use the word "specimen" in America, but the definition would be the same, I'd bet. 2. In HIstory museums, they would tend to use the word "artifact" for everything in their collection regardless of whether it is a specimen or artifact. This is simply because, I would guess, almost everything we have is technically an artifact with very few specimens. It is therefore difficult to remember to call each by its proper name and just say artifacts. Imagine someone rolling a cart with objects destined for an exhibit case. Person A says "oh here comes Steve with the artifacts," and Person B seriously and accurately corrects "Don't you mean artifacts and specimens?" I would posit that Person B is a nit, and would deservedly become unpopular with this behavior over time. We are more likely to call everything an artifact, or use the neutral term "object." 2a: One problem that has recently reared it's head is how to refer to pieces of exhibits that are replicas of real, historic artifacts. For example we currently have a real hunk of the Berlin Wall on display. It's very small and does not give any sense of what the wall was or how big it was. Near it is an exhibition element that is a recreated section, much bigger, with all the graffiti the original had. What do you call it? Although technically an "artifact" since it was man- made, there must be a distinction between it and the "real artifact" not only for our own purpose, but, more importantly, for the public. As far as I know that discussion continues, but then I am an educator and do not read the literature for curator or collections managers. 3. In my current position we have adopted a very specialized definition. Since we have a teaching collection of non-accessioned things, we have taken to calling these pieces "objects." They come from a variety of sources, many are even replicas and some might rightly be called specimens, raw cotton for example, but we call them all "objects." This is to distinguish them from the "artifacts" which are accessioned pieces in the official historic collection. Were we to call our "objects" "artifacts" we would be explaining ten times a day that these were not accessioned to curators, registrars, and conservation people that no, we are not keeping parts of the permanent accessioned collection in an unsecured, non-climate controlled storage and no you do not have to come down an inspect our shelves. These items belong to the Public Programs Office. It's just a matter of survival and convenience for us to make the distinction among ourselves. Which brings me to my last thought. 4. It seems to me what is missing in this discussion, and was missing in a similar discussion on the Science Center Listserv on the distinction between Exhibition and Exhibit (and comes up regularly everywhere when discussing such concepts of "docent" versus "facilitator" or "visitor" versus "customer") is a consideration of context. Judging just from this conversation it looks like there are important subtleties and distinctions in how these terms are used in different professions, countries, and other populations. These are fine, because they reflect differences in mission, goals, methodologies, and priorities. The difficulties and confusions come in cross-population conversations. To take what I think is the most common example would be when specialists talk to the general public. Most of our visitors don't care about the distinction between object, specimen, or artifact. They just want to see our stuff. If someone asks to see our railroad objects, it would be a rude staff member to waste that visitors time correcting him on his vocabulary. Just show him the trains. You know what they mean. (although I would argue we need to be clear on what is "real" versus "recreation." That is just a matter of honesty) In another context, when addressing a population different or more diverse than one's standard peers, whether in informal groups or professional presentations, it would save a lot of time if you made an effort to make sure everyone in your audience or group were on the same page defining terms and concepts. I have lost track of how many AAM sessions, guest speaker workshops, etc where the speaker did not make the effort to either a) use the same terms in the same way the audience does or b) throw in one slide that says "Here is how I will use these terms today, although I know there is some disagreement between professions." I think we can all think of examples where a lot of acrimony and confusion on the back end of a discussion could have been saved by some explicit care and attention to definitions on the front end Conversations like the one we are having here. Good topic. Matthew White Director, Hands On Science Center Smithsonian Institution National Museum of American History 202/633-3698 [log in to unmask] On Jul 6, 2007, at 6:38 PM, Dr. Christian Müller-Straten wrote: > Dear Chris, > > we here in good old Europe use the term "object" generally in > contrary to "subject". So museologically spoken, do we have in > museum two "subject-object-relations": The one of the museum > activists and the one of the visitor. "Object" is also used to > characterize any materialized matter, like a work of art, a piece > of stone, a leaf, a stuffed bird in contrary to beliefs, fictions, > theories etc. A dance is not an object. But the photograph of a > dancer is. So not all objects are museum objects, but all museum > objects are objects. Museologically one of the main questions had > been: What make an object a museum object? It would lead me too far > to go deeper in details but this question is important. > An artefact is something on a different level. Coming from the > Latin word artefactum (i.e. artificially made) it is coined to > objects which are made by men. Animals and plants are not producing > "artefacts" they may us tools to open a nut, but the nut is not an > artefact. Also birds' nests are not artefacts, as "artificially" > they look like. The respective term is "naturafact" (made by > nature"). The term artefact is also used in some natural sciences > in order to characterize artificial distortions in a picture, f.e. > IN an infrared camera picture by external influences. > > During my last 58 years I never heard somebody using these terms in > the way you mentioned it. > > Hope that helps? > > Christian > > > "Cascio, Chris" <[log in to unmask]> schrieb: >> For the "why be clear when you can use jargon" department: >> >> I quite often hear the terms "artifact" and "object" used >> interchangeably. I always thought that they were used in different >> contexts. My understanding is that the term "object" is used for >> "whole" things (ex. a chair, a painting, a teapot) whereas >> "artifact" is >> used for fragments of things--especially something archaeological >> (ex. a >> ceramic shard). >> >> Maybe I'm being a bit too particular, but what's the consensus? >> >> Chris >> >> Christopher M. Cascio >> Assistant Site Administrator >> Pottsgrove Manor historic site >> 100 West King Street >> Pottstown, PA 19464-6318 >> (610) 326-4014 >> [log in to unmask] >> www.historicsites.montcopa.org >> >> ========================================================= >> 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] . 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