In article <[log in to unmask]>, Anita Cohen-Williams
<[log in to unmask]> writes
>
>Labels are not a good idea because they come off, especially on sherds.

Geological collectors and curators have been using attached labels for
centuries without too much problem. I've handled specimens with labels
applied in the late eighteenth century that seem as good as the day they
were made and obviously have a long future ahead of them. OK, in time
some do fall off, but numbers written more directly on specimens don't
necessarily last too well either. I've seen numbers on various types of
objects (ceramics, glass, wood, paper, etc.) that have faded or worn
away after only a few decades, or less.

But just looking at how you mark is not enough. There's as much to be
said of where you apply the mark as what medium you use. And making sure
that the writer has a steady and legible hand. And ensuring that you
have a regular regime for systematic or spot checks on object marks as
part of an on-going collections care routine.

Michael Cooper, Registrar, Nottingham Museums