To start off this week, I began the process once more: finding items to go to the Clark House, researching them, putting them into the Past Perfect system and then taking them over to be put in their rightful place.
Although never mentioned previously, I always wear white cotton gloves when handling
items. Whether the item is new or old, you do not want your oils getting on the item, potentially ruining it. You always must be gentle and have them on your work surface (never holding them over your lap or something of that nature). This was something I learned in my Archival Studies class, when we were handling very old documents.
I once more dove into the boxes and piles I had, pulling out any items I believed would go to the Clark House. This time, I found two antique shoes, full of plaster (we aren't sure why), some gloves, a crocheted baby cap, a box of handmade vintage lace,a storage bin full of quilts and clothing, and a pharmacy bag with a Feltman's pink infant dress.
This time around, nothing had clear accession numbers or were recently donated, making them easier to find in the Deed of Gift records. Throughout the week, I've been trying to find the accession numbers for many of these items, yielding no luck. Once I mentioned this to Jonathan, he showed me the old accession records, before they started using the current system they use now. With this, I have a larger search area and have been able to find some of the items through there. However, for the items that I still cannot find in any of our records, I will sit them aside into a different pile. These items, if not found in the records, will be compiled into a list that will be published in the newspaper. The rightful owners have three weeks to come forward and collect the objects. If no one steps forward (after a month of the ad running) the item then becomes the museum's property.
Throughout the week, I continued working with my pile of items, hoping to have them in the system and moved by the beginning of next week. From where I am now, I do not see that as a realistic option. Researching these things can, unfortunately, take up time and be frustrating. After this pile is finally researched, organized, cataloged and put away, I will move onto a few other small projects (TBD) and my exhibit. In addition to my Stephenson Room organization, I also started compiling a list of objects to consider looking at for my end of semester exhibit project. I am really excited about Christmas, like I am every year, and proposed the idea of doing a sort of 'Christmas through Indiana' type of exhibit: using old ornaments donated by businesses and locals, Christmas cards (such as ones from Judge Clark) and just setting a general scene for Christmas. In conjunction, there is also going to a be a Christmas tree exhibit, which I think will help the overall tone/theme of my exhibit as well. Much of what I have been doing (researching/organizing all these items) is one of the many tasks the curator used to do. I really enjoy this type of work and have started looking into possible job options to explore in my future.
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