It was with some consternation that I read Anita Cohen-Williams' posting. Were we to meet at some conference, I would buy her a double whatever she might be drinking and then shout into her ear (not because I was angry... probably; but because the piano was so loud) WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU TALKING ABOUT! I've known for some time (approx. 20 years) that museums don't really give a rat's ass about conservation, but to see it so blatantly expressed is very offensive. There is an inherent responsibility which museums take on when they accept an artifact. There is a responsibility to the current public and to the future. A casual attitude to the destruction of artifacts, as was implicit in Anita Cohen-Williams' posting informs my feelings about many museums, and also informs those who may, from time to time, review NEA/NEH grants. Jack C. Thompson Thompson Conservation Laboratory Portland, OR [log in to unmask] On Thu, 31 Aug 1995, Anita Cohen-Williams wrote: > Something that Ivy said brought this to mind. What do museum curators do with > artifacts that break in either transit, or during routine cleaning? Are the > pieces simply thrown away, or are they collected somewhere? > > The reason I ask is that at the Presidio of San Diego excavations, we are > putting together a series of type collections of historic ceramics. We would > be interested in taking anyone's old, busted, potsherds, and giving them a > good home. > > Anita Cohen-Williams; Reference Services; Hayden Library > Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287-1006 > PHONE: (602) 965-4579 FAX: (602) 965-9169 > [log in to unmask] Owner: HISTARCH, SPANBORD, SUB-ARCH >