Museum Object

Bleichmar

Looking at exotica- curio cases and medieval collections

Pearce

Museum object- things museums collect that are ascribed cultural value by the art of selection

Rodini

Museum object- things have an inherent historical, aethetic, and cultural value. Objects are removed from daily context and become items of inspection/instruction

Wharton

Challenges of conserving modern art- conservation requires one to think about materials, artist intent, concept, process, installation, and cultural significance

Met museum

Heroes tapestry- material as a primary source that can tell us about its meaning, history, and life

Leona

Materiality- materials/techniques used can provide evidence of how objects are made, date, origin, trade, authenticity, how artwork has changed over time. Understanding materiality helps to study, interpret, exhibit, and preserve correctly

Classen

Sensory life of an Early museum- in 17/18th century, visitors could touch, smell, and taste objects to help them understand and foster a personal connection. 19th century restricts touch out of conservation, damage, and stealing concerns

Christidou and Pierroux

Art, touch, and meaning- Eternity’s form exhibition experiment. Touch provides information vision cannot, even vicarious touch can contribute to interpretation. It is also a social activity that turns the hand into an optical prosthesis.

Narkiss and Tomlin

Close encounters- access vs. preservation in museums. Argue that separation can limit learning. Museums need collaboration between conservatiors, educationrs, and curators. Risk aware vs risk averse- managing risk instead of eliminating meaningful encounters.

Gerstenblith

Provenances: real, fake, and questionable. Provenance is the history of an object’s ownership and essential for determining legality. 1970s UNESCO convention rules, but provenance can be faked and even attached to real objects.

American Alliance of Museums

Unlawful appropriation of objects during the Nazi era- provenance research is an ethical responsibility. Stewardship is about safety and dealing with the history of ownership

Macdonald

Collecting practices- a practice that involves selecting, organizing, classifying, and giving objects meaning. Recontextualizes objects in a collection, can express identity, status, knowledge, and is connected to power and social values. Shapes how objects are valued, understood, represented.

Clark

Nazi era claims- provenance is key for wrongfully taken objects. Argues Nazi era claims require balancing provenance work, ethical responsibility, legal rights, and a responsibility to the public

Gillian Marcus

Predicting the damages of light- work on the picasso drawing/sketch. Balancing work being seen and it being preserved for future generations. Solutions include limiting time on display, minimizing light levels, using a UV frame, using special lighting.

Ritzenthaler & Nicholson

The Declaration of Independence and the Hands of Time

Harvard Museums Blog

Museum Speak: what is rotation?