Please excuse the cross-posting; I'm trying to gather as much wisdom as possible!

I am currently working with a county parks and recreation department to furnish 3 houses that interpret the lives of free African Americans in the first half of the 19th century in Virginia.  All of the furnishings are reproduction, but the county (very sensibly, given their financial investment!) wants to make sure that all of the furnishings are marked in some way. 

The furnishings are already in the houses and, yes, this is something that would have been more easily done before the furnishings were installed.  It's a subject that I have discussed several times over the past two years with the county people I'm working with, but only recently have they decided that this is something that needed to be done in order to keep track of everything.

For this particular situation, I would have suggested that the furniture and metals be marked using an engraving tool, the textiles with a permanent marker on a seam, and the few paper objects with a pen in an inconspicuous location.  I've also got a set of leather mule harness, and I'm not sure how to mark that at all!  However, there is no electrical power at the site, so using the electrical-powered engraving tool isn't a good solution.

I can certainly get a marking kit with Acryloid B-72 & B-67, and the pens, and do it that way.  But any other suggestions will be gratefully received!

Thanks for your help.

Martha Katz-Hyman

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