"Worth" is a subjective value. There is monetary worth - which most of the public seems fascinated by. There is historic worth - which combines the maker / owners / places / events that the object has in its provenance. There is the functional worth - as indeed some objects such as vehicles and some musical instruments have. The essential thing is that there is always a tension between these various values and the need to preserve vs. the need to display and to use, in some instances. Personally I am a big believer in reproductions or reproduction components (such as the action of an antique harpsichord) being primary for objects being used. Historic objects and art are documents of their maker and materials, their long lives and use, and as such should be preserved as over time we are able to glean more information from objects than we did 30 years ago, and so on. Cheers! Dave David Harvey Senior Conservator and Museum Consultant Los Angeles CA On Wed, Sep 28, 2011 at 9:42 AM, lucysperlin <[log in to unmask]>wrote: > ** ** ** ** ** ** > > A good point. Maybe ‘in working condition’, though, doesn’t necessarily > mean that they are used on a frequent basis?**** > > ** ** > > ** ** > ------------------------------ > > *From:* **Museum discussion list** [mailto:[log in to unmask]] *On > Behalf Of *Janis Wilkens > *Sent:* Wednesday, September 28, 2011 9:29 AM > > *To:* [log in to unmask] > *Subject:* Re: [MUSEUM-L] Collections Policies and Categories of > Collections Use > **** > > ** ** > > There are some classes of objects—such as musical instruments and > machinery—that a museum might want to maintain in working condition, even if > they are in the permanent collection. In order to do this, they have to be > (carefully) “used” and maintained from time to time. How much is a > Stradivarius worth if it’s deteriorated to the point that it’s not playable? > **** > > ** ** > > _________________________________ > **Janis Wilkens** > Registrar > ****Levine** **Museum**** of the New South**** > ------------------------------ > > *From:* **Museum discussion list** [mailto:[log in to unmask]] *On > Behalf Of *lucysperlin > *Sent:* Tuesday, September 27, 2011 7:52 PM > *To:* [log in to unmask] > *Subject:* Re: [MUSEUM-L] Collections Policies and Categories of > Collections Use**** > > ** ** > > ****Sharon****,**** > > I still think it’s better to not accession to the regular collection things > that will be used. If, at some time in the future, a ‘support’ collection > item is taken out of use and still has value in the permanent collection, it > can be moved out of ‘support collection’ and into permanent collection.*** > * > > ** ** > > However, I do think this is a question worthy of discussion, because I > suspect many local museums and historic houses struggle with variations on > the theme.**** > > ** ** > > I use the mission to differentiate between what we can allow use of and > what we keep in the ‘support’ collection. Items that clearly need to be > protected as part of the history of our county aren’t used. However, the > slope can be slippery because we have a historic house which uses mostly > non-collection items as furnishings because it is sometimes rented and a lot > of our programmatic activities take place there. There are some donors from > major families in the community who bring in things that they expect us to > use in the house, because they don’t themselves value those items as part of > the community’s history.. **** > > **** > > So, even though we don’t use things from the permanent collections (and > mostly we don’t), donors and other volunteers keep saying ‘but I (they) want > it to be used’. The current issue is a quite special wedding dress that I * > *really** want to take off display due to over-exposure to daylight, but > the donor has reiterated once again her wish that it be seen and “enjoyed”. > And, because it was never actually accessioned in an earlier period in > which things that came to the historic house weren’t processed as they > should have been it is in a gray area. Usually I can get donors to > understand the need for long term preservation, but in this case the > volunteer who is in charge of the house is the one who communicates with > her.**** > > ** ** > > I’m considering creating some sort of a form letter or other document that > I would ask the donor to sign, to acknowledge that they do not wish the item > to be preserved according to museum standards. From earlier experience at > another museum, I’m concerned with protecting our reputation at the time in > the future when descending generations arrive on the scene (sometimes > decades later) and become upset that their family things are not in as > preserved a condition as they expected. Has anyone ever done something like > that?**** > > ** ** > > Lucy Sperlin**** > > ****Butte** **County**** Historical Society**** > > ****Oroville**, **California******** > > ** ** > > ** ** > > ** ** > ------------------------------ > > *From:* **Museum discussion list** [mailto:[log in to unmask]] *On > Behalf Of *Clothier, Sharon > *Sent:* Tuesday, September 27, 2011 9:56 AM > *To:* [log in to unmask] > *Subject:* [MUSEUM-L] Collections Policies and Categories of Collections > Use**** > > ** ** > > Hello All,**** > > ** ** > > Do any of your collections policies include a category for accessioned > artifacts that receive regular use? This is different from a hands-on or > educational-use category, in which the objects are understood to be > eventually expendable. This category would include things that will be > preserved but for practical reasons must also be used. **** > > Our museum has some large accessioned pieces that are considered permanent > collection, but are used in the galleries either by staff or visitors. One > example is a clock, another is a piano. We’ve just acquired a large dining > table that would also fall into this category if we decide to accession it > into the permanent collection. **** > > As we update our collections policy we want it to reflect the reality of > how these things are used, and include a category that recognizes this “gray > area” between permanent-collection-preservation and hands-on-use. I’d be > grateful to know how other policies have addressed this.**** > > ** ** > > With thanks, **** > > ** ** > > Sharon Clothier**** > > Curator of Decorative Arts**** > > ****Oshkosh** **Public** **Museum******** > > (920) 236-5776**** > > www.oshkoshmuseum.org**** > > **** > > ** ** > > ** ** > > ** ** > ------------------------------ > > No virus found in this message. > Checked by AVG - www.avg.com > Version: 10.0.1410 / Virus Database: 1520/3922 - Release Date: 09/27/11*** > * > ------------------------------ > > No virus found in this message. > Checked by AVG - www.avg.com > Version: 10.0.1410 / Virus Database: 1520/3924 - Release Date: 09/28/11** > ** > > > ------------------------------ > > To unsubscribe from the MUSEUM-L list, click the following link: > http://home.ease.lsoft.com/scripts/wa.exe?SUBED1=MUSEUM-L&A=1 > > ------------------------------ > > To unsubscribe from the MUSEUM-L list, click the following link: > http://home.ease.lsoft.com/scripts/wa.exe?SUBED1=MUSEUM-L&A=1 > > ------------------------------ > > To unsubscribe from the MUSEUM-L list, click the following link: > http://home.ease.lsoft.com/scripts/wa.exe?SUBED1=MUSEUM-L&A=1 > > ------------------------------ > > To unsubscribe from the MUSEUM-L list, click the following link: > http://home.ease.lsoft.com/scripts/wa.exe?SUBED1=MUSEUM-L&A=1 > ========================================================= Important Subscriber Information: The Museum-L FAQ file is located at http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ . 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