Collecting of Museum Objects with Special Reference to its Structure, Functions and Issues.
Introduction: Dr.K.M.Alexander.
A museum collection is “an assemblage of museum objects (collecting) to some rational scheme and maintained so they can be exhibited, preserved, studied or interpreted for public benefit”. Museum objects include prehistoric and historic objects, artifact, and works of art, archival documents and natural history specimens that are a part of a museum collection. The prime and fundamental mission of museums is to collect, preserve and transmit part of our tactical heritage, whether manmade or the result of natural phenomena, that can be assembled in an orderly fashion and which by its study may contribute to a better understanding of our planet’s development and contribution of our ancestors and contemporaries. Museums are storehouses and laboratories. They are also centers where we can contemplate how the inner vision of artists has transmuted the materials at their disposal into objects that rejoice the eye or which provide deeper insights into the human condition and give tangible reality to past and present fears and beliefs.
Museums are centers of lifelong learning - places where assumptions can be measured, talents evaluated, inventions placed in context and natural phenomena correlated and viewed in perspective. In short they are keepers of the tangible truth that is contained in the existence of holdings against which future generations will gauge their own accomplishments and discoveries. Museums, in a sense, testify to our trust that there will be a future to inherit this legacy. (Perrot 1997: 189)
Museums are concerned with objects. Objects are the starting point of a museum, of a museum field and property of any activity of the museum. One determines the kind of museum he has by the kind of objects in the collections and the uses to which the objects are put. Of all the kinds of educational, public service and cultural institutions that exist, only the museum is founded on the principle that selecting and preserving objects is of importance to people today and in the future. (Burcaw 1979: 47 - 48)
The history of collecting and the formation and management of collection is a fascinating and complex field of study. Collection have been formed in countries throughout the world for many centuries and collecting as a human endeavour takes place for many reasons in and outside of a museum. It is possible, however to detect general underlying trends in collecting at different periods and to analyze collecting in a variety of ways. Understanding the history and nature of collecting and change and continuity in attitudes to collections is an important aspect of museum work. (Timothy and Crispin 2002: 124)
Collecting Objects
The collections are the foundation for everything museum does. “Collecting” or “acquiring” conjure up the idea of actual objects being selected and added to the collection. Museum objects are collected because of what they stand for. This is most obvious in social history or ethnography collections, where each object represents a whole raft of knowledge and information about the time, place or culture from which it comes. So collections have a normal physical dimension but they also have an information dimension.(Suzanne 1996: 23) The first function of museums to appear historically was that of collection and collection remains the predominate reason for many a museum’s existence. “The heart of any museum is its collection”. (Guthe 1964: 34) Most museums collect because they believe the objects are important and evocative survivals of human civilization worthy of careful study and with powerful educational impact. Whether aesthetic, documentary, or scientific objects tell much about the universe, nature, the human heritage and the human condition. Museums thus carefully preserve their holdings so as to transmit important information to the present generation and posterity. (Alexander 1997: 119) The manner in which these collections are cared for, used and interpreted by the museum determines the museum’s standing among similar institutions and its success within its own community.
It appears that the well established three main points connection with museum collections;
- The Concern program
- The Acquisition
- The Management
The concern program – The programme is essential; established scientifically and in accordance with the aims of the museum and need of the community, it determines the type of objects that ought to be acquired to serve the objects of research and exhibition.
Acquisition - Acquisition itself depends above all on the available means (Special budgets, field expeditions, gifts and legacies) it can be made in two ways, directly and indirectly.
Direct acquisition – Direct acquisition is essentially the collection of objects from the field by means of excavation of ethnographic or natural - science expeditions. The objects or the specimens recovered are scientifically documents and immediately made available for research, education or exhibition.
Indirect acquisition – Indirect acquisitions are brought about with the aid of one or more intermediaries, collectors and art and antique dealers. This is generally the only method for the acquisition of work of art but there is the absence of documentation and the risk of illegality. In fact, since World War II, illegal traffic in cultural assets has become of great magnitude - theft, clandestine excavation illicit export from developing countries and pillage of poorly guarded monuments. Furthermore, an industry of fakes and copies has developed. Another means of acquisition is exchange with another museum or the deposit on lone of pieces belonging to a collector or scientific institution. (International Council of Museums(ICOM) Ethical rules of acquisition 1970: 1 - 12)
The management – The management of collections begins in the course of field expeditions (summery identification) or with their entrance in to museum. It includes primarily the registration on the museum inventory register. An inventory number will thus identify the object and will be marked on the objects itself or attached to it. This number usually follows a code that includes, as a minimum, an indication of the museum or department, the year of accession serial number during that year.
For acquiring objects to the museum it should collect according to the museum nature. Museum should collect objects to their museum according to the museum mission, acquiring policy and ethics of the museum. Also, when museum management collects objects to their museum, they should consider collecting methods and theories. Also if decided by the museum management removes any object from the museum it should be done according to the disposal policy.
Museum Collecting Mission
Any museum has a mission. The mission of the museum is its guiding statement of purpose. It describes why the institution exists, what its functions are and what the scope of activities shall be. Therefore, the museum staff should organize their every programme according to the mission in the museum. Also they should collect museum objects to their museum according to the mission of the museum.
A good museum mission statement answers the questions:
- Who is the museum (what is the museum called and who its base of support is?)
- What it collects (what objects will be including in the museum’s collection?)
- How was it formed (is the museum subject to private. corporate or governmental entities?)
- When it collects (what time, period(s) or historic epoch will be represented in the museum’s collections?)
- Where it collects (which collecting locations will be included in the museum’s collection constituency - community, regional, national or international?)
- Why it collects (what will the museum do with its collections?) (Gary Edson and Dean Davide 1997: 29)
Rather than begin with the theory of why and how the museum came into existence, it is best to assume the museum exists, there is a building and there are some objects that constitute a collection. For the purposes of simplification the word “object” may indicate works of art, natural history, science or history. Good museum governance begins with a written statement of institutional purpose – a mission statement. It must be supported with other documents, including a manual of policies and procedures guidelines and code of ethics designed for the museum. (Bands 1994: 39)
Carl E. Guthe, wrote “The decision establishing the scope of museum’s collections is probably the most important one that governing board can make” in discussing small history museums but the statement applies equally well to all types and sizes of institutions. (Guthe 1959: 16) The relevance of museum’s holdings distinguishes it from a household attic filled with obsolete and often broken and useless discards. In making a plan, the museum should first of all consider its purposes and define them succinctly but clearly. What is it to collect? How to preserve, authenticate and research its collections? How to exhibit and interpret them? How does the present collection fit into this plan? Wise answers to those basic questions can provide the framework that result in a first - class, high quality museum. (Alexander 1997: 122) The mission statement or statement of purpose of the museum is a document that establishes the limitation of the collection and defines the role of the museum. As an example, the Museo de Oro (in Colombia) would have a mission statement that limits the purpose of the museum to collecting, housing, researching, exhibiting and providing public educational programs relating to gold. A clearly written well articulated mission statement will save many house of discussion and much misunderstanding if as possible can be defined. (Gary Edson and Dean Davide 1997: 29)
As an example, museum mission statement of the - Museo de Oro
“The Museo de Oro is a non - for profit institution dedicated to the collecting, housing, researching, exhibiting of object of gold produced in the central regions of the Andean Highlands prior to European influence. The museum shall use its collections and resources inform and inspire the general public by exhibiting important works of artistic beauty and excellent craftsmanship produced by persons working in gold. The museum recognizes its role as a repository of the cultural heritage of the region and is dedicated to serving the people of the area”. (Wittlin 1970: 27 - 28)
Museum collecting materials are not only for exhibition, describing above mission statement of the Museo de Oro. The museum recognizes the need to continue to influence and support both the science and community through research and educational activities and the public through education. The collections are of museum significance and are used extensively in research, identification service and educational activities. These collections can and will be improved through selective addition of new materials. The museum has a specific and continuing interest objects, artifacts and specimens originating in their related subjects.
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| Role of museum with collections |
Thus museums have a basic role as educational institutions. Therefore museum mission should be focus to do a good public service. Also, museum should collect objects to give a valuable knowledge and satisfaction to visitors.
Collection Acquisition Policy and Ethics
Museum as public institutions, exist for the public benefits and to be successful in all aspects of their operations should reflect this obligation and commitment. Collecting, conservation and research should be executed with a pubic consciousness just as the more visible or public - oriented exhibitions and educational programming. (Caring for collections 1984: 66 - 67) Any organization operating in the public interest must manage its affairs properly, but museums as custodians of the cultural and scientific heritage of a people, region or nation must function as nearly as possible above reproach. Museum operated or maintained as parts of a governmental structure are normally required to function according to the management system of governing body of operation according to accepted museological practices.
Museums exist and depend on their collections, because authority of museum incline and pay their attention to collect objects. Therefore “each museum authority adopts and publishes a written statement of its collecting policy. This policy should be reviewed from time to time and at least once every five years. Objects acquired should be relevant to the purpose and activities of the museum and be accompanied by evidence of a valid legal title”. (International Council of Museums 1990: “Acquisitions of Museum Collections” Cord of Professional Ethics, ICOM, section 3, paragraph 3.1.27)
The policy should be written in a way to serve as a useful guide for staff members and interested members and should be viewed as an opportunity to clearly state the goals of the museum and the methods to achieve those goals. Also the policy should consider effective procedures for evaluating collection care, maintenance and needs. The policies should examine the needs of individual collection areas in the context of the goals of the museum as a whole and should be flexible enough to accommodate unusual opportunities. Also policies should reflect the records maintenance procedures for all activities that affect collection objects. (Malaro 1995: 68 - 69)
The following are a few guidelines that attempt to summarize some basic requirements.
Every museum should have clearly expressed collection policy. This statement should delineate how the collections reflect the museum’s mission and should out line main areas of emphasis, taking into account: the institution’s financial ability to assure the proper care of its holdings: the public it is to save; the extent of comparable resources that may be available in the area; the need (either expressed or spaces that meet environmental and other safety concerns) and the availability of trained staff to oversee and exploit the collections for educational and research purposes. The policy should be broad enough to allow for exceptional where the circumstances warrant and should be reviewed periodically to ascertain that its provisions are being followed and that they remain responsive to the ideals of the founders and to be evolving requirement of society.
All proposed acquisitions should be thoroughly studied to elicit as much information as possible on the nature, history, condition and requirements of the objects, its previous ownership and past and current legal status. Where any doubt remains concerning the legitimacy of its availability, a thorough search is required. In the case of an archaeological object or specimen on the endangered list, this would entail a formal inquiry by registered letter to the pertinent authorities requesting their comments and /or approbation of the proposed acquisition.
In considering the de accessioning of an object acquired by gift or bequest the first step is an analysis of the documentation recording the original transaction. Any statement implying that object is to remain permanently in the institution should automatically preclude any further consideration of disposal. If the statement is ambiguous and a careful evaluation should be made of the donor’s intention. No disposal should occur unless there are extraordinary mitigating circumstances and only if careful judicial review finds no legal or moral objections. In cases where sale is justified, the proceeds should be used only to strengthen the collections and never for operational purposes.
Museum administration should be mindful that the best de accession policy is restraint from acquisition. While errors may have been made by our predecessors, it is a hazardous position to use that excuse to speculate on the integrity of past decisions. Tastes change perspectives alter and what once may have been on the ‘most wanted list” may have fallen to the bottom only to re - emerge, sometimes decades later. It is an ethical obligation to consider all possibilities before making any decision.
An important aspect of museum responsibility is the manner in which objects are interpreted or even identified. That most scrupulous objectivity should be the goal. Where there is any doubt about an object’s authenticity, the information should be carefully recorded on the museum’s official record and reflected in the object’s labeling. If doubts are credible the interpretive materials should refer to them. The same should apply to condition. The public should expect to see exactly what the object is alleged to be. It is the moral obligation of staff not to allow donors or viewers to be in doubt about what they have given or what is presented. (Perrot 1997:194 - 195)
These considerations many of which are discussed in greater detail in the accompanying essays are part of the ethical correctness that should be expected from institutions of “higher learning”. Museums, as the principal keepers of our tactile heritage, have long striven to be recognized as belonging to that august group. The adoption and implementation of strict ethical principles in all their activities are essential components to the continued material and programmatic of these institutions.
What, where and how to collect is an ethical issue that has worldwide implications. No other social institution has the defined responsibility of preserving materials (objects) for future generations. Only museums have this unique assignment. The idea of preserving the “material evidence of people and their environment” (ICOM, Acquisitions of Museum Collections 1990: 3) should extend beyond the museum to the source of the collections. Museums have an ethical responsibility to preserve the material culture of society as well as the “higher” culture of the humankind. Along with more traditional (movable) museum objects, there is also a need to preserve communities, historic sites and the ecosystem as generations of culture and daily life.
The acquisition of artifactual material is an ethical issue of immense proportion, and one of the greatest challenges for the museum community. The concepts of stewardship begin with the decision (value judgment) of what is to be selected for inclusion in the museum’s collections. From that beginning, decisions made by museum personnel control the destiny of objects and their role as “evidence” of human activity. The ethical ramifications of this element of museum activity are significant and lay the foundation for a major part of all decisions that follow. How are these decisions to be made, who is responsible for their implementation and why is ethics such an important part of museum’s collection policy? (Edson Gary 1997: 187)
These questions are, about ethics and collecting for further consideration.
(1) Although ethnocentrism generally is viewed as unacceptable, museums use the premise of ethnical relativism to justify retaining collections relevant to other cultures. Can this concept be justified?
(2) A person excavating cultural material from land they own may say it is no one’s business what they do with the objects. He may decide to sell the material, give it away or send it out of the country. For him it is personal property and he contends they are “hurting no one by their actions.” Do they have a right to continue this practice or should they be restricted in their activities? Does legal ownership of property supersede the ethnical responsibility of cultural preservation?
(3) The tourists / travelers are responsible for illicit trafficking in cultural property. Often this activity is opportunistic in nature without thought of the long - term implications. An opportunity arises to acquire a ‘treasure” and it is taken because the person recognizes no duty to do anything other than what is in their own interest. This attitude reflects ethical egoism and it has both personal and universal implications. What practices (personal and institutional) within the museum community may be driven by this principle?
(4) Should the question of monetary value or cultural significance be a factor in determining repatriation of objects such as human remains or spoils of war? (Edson Gary 1997: 187 - 188)
These (describing above) questions should be focused every museum when they are collecting materials (objects) for their museum collections.
There are some theoretical methods, when it is collecting of museum objects. The museum staff should consider when they collect objects in to their museum. Meanwhile museum staff should attention to museum policies. If any museum staff going after according to their museum policy they can do their every duties clearly without problems.
Before collecting the museum collection staff should know two collection policies, specific direction for:
· The collection mandate
· The scope of the collection
The collection mandate
The collection mandate flows directly from the museum’s mission and mandate and is frequently a matter for discussion, negotiation and eventual compromise among museums located within a region or museums specializing in the same or similar subjects. A clearly articulated collection mandate established the outer boundaries for the collections by defining collection disciplines, categories and types. Within these it should establish temporal, geographic and associative limits. (John Nicks 1999: 116) The collection mandate should provide addresses to the following questions:
- What kind of museum is it? Is it an art museum, for example a natural history museum or a museum of science and technology?
- What disciplines are to be represented in the museum? If it is a natural history museum, for example- which specific disciplines to be represented in collections?
- What categories of collections will be included?
•Artifacts
• Replicas
•Apparatus
•Specimens
•Work of arts
•Documents of paper
•Photographic documentation, films and image, videotape etc.
What are the temporal limits to collection? Should they be expended or connected?
Are there geographical limits and how are they defined? Will artifacts be used within the defined regional qualify, for instance or only which have been manufactured there?
What are the quality standards for acceptance into the collection? The collection mandate may establish measurable standards that can be used to evaluate acquisition on such criteria as “of national significance or display quality”.
Acquisition criteria may include
· Size
· Provenance
· Title (ownership)
· Association of context
· Rarity or representative character
· Relevance to other items in the collection
The above examples help to illustrate how policy decisions related to the collections mandate influence decisions on space and facilities. (John Nicks 1999: 116)
Scope of Collection
Another important idea is the scope of collection in the museum. The criteria for the collections adopted as part of the collection mandate policy establish the “what” of the collection, but they do not define its scope. Within mandate boundaries of type and category, it is necessary to consider also how extensive the collections will be. At any point of time, the scope of collecting activity will reflect the curatorial and physical resources of the institution. Responsible curators will shape collecting plans to match the resources available for proper care and strategy. But such a strategy must be guided by policy considerations regarding the scope of collections. The three types of collections that can be defined by these considerations are:
· Representative collections
· Systematic collections
· Associated collections
Representative collections represent ideas, concepts or themes. The level of representation may vary substantially, from one object that stands as an icon for a complex of ideas to a collection that contains objects that represent significant variations in a type or category of object. Representative collections are typically designed to support educational exhibitions and interpretative programmes.
The systematic collections are developed on a typological basis to support research and preservation objectives.
Associative collections consist of artifacts or specimens that are directly linked with a particular site, person or event. Typical examples would be a historic house museum or an archaeological site museum. (Greene 1999: 119 - 123)
Collecting Methods
Museums accumulate their collections through various methods as follows,
· Donations and Bequests
· Purchases
· Museum objects exchange or borrow
· Field collections (Through actual gathering in the field)
Adequate and useful museum collections can be developed only when definite acquisition policies are established and followed selectively limiting the categories of objects in the collections. A good museum administrator should be watchful lest by accepting indiscriminately all gifts, his museum becomes a community attic full of educationally useless and junk. By channeling and restricting and its collections and their use, a museum is able to render a unique educational service that no other type of institution can perform. The extent and usefulness of this service depends primarily upon the nature and amount of accurate information the museum has about the objects in its collections. (Timothy and Crispin 2002:125 - 126) Gift - Donors may give items to either the permanent collection or the Non - Permanent Collection. With the acceptance of a gift, the museum is obligated to preserve the object for the future.
Donation and Bequest
Donations and bequests are the most common kind of some museums in the world. Many probably most private collections cannot bear to see dispersed the objects on which they have lavished so much attention and thought, thus they donate them to appropriate museums. Their generosity is often heightened by the desire to preserve their name as important donors and by the tax laws that make it worth their while.
Purchase
In many countries number of small museums rarely able to purchase objects is almost totally dependent upon gifts and bequests. Dealers are sometimes important in this field, because they may have helped the privet collector secure his objects and may counsel him on giving them where they will be best preserved and used. Large or wealthier museums also acquire objects by purchase from private sources, dealers or auction. Collection may be built steadily and comparatively inexpensively over a period of time by knowledgeable curators whose studies enable them shrewdly to judge and even anticipate values. Here again dealers are useful in discovering objects and calling them to the attention of museums or museum patrons. (Alexander 1997: 121)
Museum Objects Exchange or Borrow
Another way that museums acquire collections is by exchange or loan. Enlightened museum professionals like to see objects used well and fittingly. Sometimes exchanges will mutually benefit and improve several collections. Formal exchange is difficult, however because materials to be traded are usually uneven is value often outright sale or extended lone is more feasible. (An exceptionally useful treatment of field collecting is United National Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, Field Manual for Museums: 1970) It shall be the policy of the museum to borrow (loans) objects from other museums and private sources for the purposes of exhibition, research or public education. In addition the museum shall lend objects from its collections to responsible institutions for the purposes of exhibition, research or public education. (Gary Edson and Dean Davide 1997: 82)
Field Collections
Field collections are made more frequently by science, anthropology, history and archaeology museums than by art museum. Museums also obtain collections by field work and expeditions. Anthropological museums obtain the bulk of their collections by means of archaeological exploration and excavation and art museums also collect archaeological and ethnographical materials in this manner. Natural history museums often send curators in to the field gather scientific specimens. (Part of the country or part of the world) Historical preservation projects depend on archaeological excavations to help provide historical authenticity for their antiquities, architecture, furnishings, gardens and interpretive activities, this historical archaeology result in collections of materials to be used for research and interpretation. (Alexander 1997: 121 - 122)
Collection Theory
The assumption is that all objects can be fitted into some kind of museum or into a department of a museum can be used in a special exhibition. One should categorize objects by their potential use. A collection of furniture might belong in a history museum, in an art museum, in a botanical museum (think of the materials of which the furniture is made), or in a museum of technology (science and industry). The value of the objects depends on how well they serve in accomplishing the goals of the museum. In an art museum the objects must contribute to education and intellectual stimulate. Therefore museum staff should collect objects to the museum according to the theories related to their museum.
General and History Museum
“History” is sometimes taken to mean all past event, as in “the history of the world”, the history of the country or “the history of man” etc. “History” means that written record. But broad and hazy separation between history and prehistory is the period of the introduction of written records of behavior. It should be obvious that the boundary between historic and prehistoric occurred at different times in different places. In prehistorically period hasn’t written documents or written things, because we have to build every phenomenon of prehistorically period with artifacts and consideration of its environment at that time. Therefore prehistorically artifacts and bio facts are very important in history museums. It has been said that all museums are history museums in the sense that all preserve objects pertaining to past events and situation. This is certainly obvious when we think of collections in history, art, anthropology and technology. It is obvious when we think of biology. But even with this subject, the specimens were collected they did live, the exhibits show living environments of the past (though recent). Nature changes so slowly that we cannot in our short life times see most of the changes occur; museums however deal with these changes- mountain formation, the weathering of rocks, the evolution of plants, for examples. (Burcaw 1979: 54)
History museum can define its field of collection rather readily, its period will extend from prehistory to the present or will cover some portion of that era and its area will be determined chiefly by its location geographic field. Then difficulties begin however for the inhabitant of the area have belonged to various jurisdictions from locality to nation and have had connections with an imported materials from other areas.
The best plan will be to outline in considerable detail the history of the chosen period and area and then subject materials sought by the museum and offered to it to careful and rigorous analysis. As an example, Liaoning Provincial Museum in China China
All humanity has a drive for beauty. Even the most primitive people decorated their simple possessions and their own bodies. They also made representations of real and imagined elements of their environment such as carvings of animals or masks portraying supernatural beings. Some civilizations statues representing goad and people were often painted in bright colors from ancient time in the world. Pictures were painted on walls and boards and woven in cloths. Representation of what is real to the artist continues to present days. The fine artist’s creation that results in a material objects is called sculpture whether carved wood, chiseled marble, modeled clay or whatever. The creation that results in a flat, two - dimensional picture or design may be called graphic art.
Let us reserve the term “history” for museum activity related to discovering, preserving and interpreting important knowledge about past human behavior. What then should a history museum collect? Suppose that curator or director is in charge of a museum, and prospective donor comes in to give him something. His gift will have no strings attached and he is free to accept or reject the offer. Would you accept or reject?
The wedding suite of first mayor in this town?
Wedding suite of currant mayor?
The wedding suite of an ordinary citizen of this country, one or two hundred years ago?
A well catalogued collection of birds’ eggs?
A valuable antique chair or table or some thing?
A painting by a great artist?
A painting of poor quality of a local scene?
An old piano use for many years by one of music teacher?
A miscellaneous collection made over the years by a prominent citizen of your community from his travels in different part of the world?
A number of arrowheads arranged in a design on purple velvet in an oak frame?
An old bottle, a telephone? Etc.
Workers in small museums have to make decisions for questions of their kind almost every day. If director or curator had trouble making up their mind, it is because they did not have a scope in mind. Therefore, there should be limitations for their museum, and they will find the decisions easier to make. Not to have a clear, written policy regarding what the collections are to contain is a serious mistake. Every museum employee should know the policy. And staff members charged with the responsibility of acquiring objects for the collections, either by purchase or by accepting gifts, must have not only a very clear knowledge of what ought to be collected, but also the assurance that his superiors on the staff and the board of trustees will support their decision. The collection might contain some items that you could send to other museums. Some items probably would be suitable for your museum collection. The arrowheads collection has very little value without dependable documentation as to the original location of each arrowhead. If the prehistory of your region lies within your museum’s scope, you must accept the arrowheads for the collections, although their usefulness will be limited. If the donor can remember very clearly the specific locations where he found the arrowheads, these should be singled out immediately and properly identified. They will be of more value than the others. The wedding dress may be accepted if used in your locality, if in good condition and if you have no more than two like it from the same time period. Director or curator should ask the donor what else he may be willing to part with. The objects he has offered you may not be nearly as important to your museum as other things he has that he has not guessed that you could use (such as old wallpaper sample for example). (Guthe 1959:23 - 27)
Museums are firmly grounded in man’s “instinct” to collect. Whatever the motivation of individuals, museums collect to preserve objects of apparent of possible value that otherwise might be lost to the future and to bring objects together for use. These are really the same justification (public education, broadly speaking). The difference is only that a museum curator does not always have a specific use in mind for an object when he decided to preserve it.
What do individual collect? Objects that are impressive and attractive because they are old, expensive, associated with a famous person or place, bizarre, from a remote corner of the earth (today from the moon, someday from anther planet), the result of adventure or much labor or patience. Objects may also be collected because they are nostalgic or sentimental. What may have great value to the collector may have little or none to a museum(an arrowhead or unknown origin, a button collection sewn on pieces of cardboard, a lock of President Harding’s hair, a ship model built in a bottle, a rock from Mt. Everest, a collection of match folders). On the other hand a collection of ore specimens from local mines, a scrapbook made by President Harding, an authentic model of Magellan’s ship that circumnavigated the globe, or a Persian rug world be of use to an appropriate museum.
If collecting is selective then the question is, “Who does the selecting? In a way, chance selects what is to remain from the past. Artifacts have short lives; accidents cause objects to change or disappear. Another selector is the donor who selects from among the objects he owns those which he thinks belong in a museum. Other selectors, such as money, are influential, but perhaps the most important factor in selection is popular culture - the stereotypes of the bulk of the population (including the average museum curator) as to what is appropriate to a museum and what is not. If museum is to have a serious purpose and be managed efficiently, thought must go into what makes the museum. The museum cannot accomplish much public education without good collections. Good collections result only from thoughtful collecting. Good collecting requires logical, intelligent planning. What a museum collects matters. The main selector of the object should be the informed curator, who is guided by a sound collecting plan. (Burcaw 1979: 47 - 48)
Museum directors and curators must know what to collect, but the general scope of the collection is not properly their decision. If they had to decide to reject objects on the basis of their personal feelings at the moment, much of time they would be wrong. The founding body, in establishing the museum, should decide on its scope. That is it should set limitations on the collections and therefore on the field of interest and activity of the museum. This is the most important decision the board of trustees will ever make (Guthe 1959: 24).
The first limitation is one of geography; with what physical area will the museum be concerned? The province? The country? The states? The entire world?
The second limitation is one of subject; is the museum to be concerned only with art? Art and history? Natural history? History and anthropology?
That logically the third limitation should be that of time. Pre historical period? Historical period? The middle age? Last century? Modern history? etc.
Scientific Collection
What should a museum of science collect? Or what should a curator of a science museum collect? The goal of the science museum is to increase knowledge about our physical environment and to disseminate such knowledge to the public. Stated more simply, the museum’s job is education in science. But we are speaking of education based on the study and use of tangible, three - dimensional objects. The objects that should be collected are quite simply, those objects that can be used by that museum in an educational program. They must be in keeping with in the scope of the museum that is within its set limitations. They must also be collectible. Microbes and volcanoes are of considerable interest to science, but they cannot be museum objects.
Collecting in science is probably easier than collecting in art or history. Text and reference books in any scientific field outline the main laws, facts and processes that would be interpreted through exhibits for the benefit of the general public. The objects needed are those that can be used in illustration. The small regional scientific museum will want to deal with its natural environment. The geology of the country, birds and animals of the state, flora of the region, local archaeology - all are suitable fields if they fit the museum’s scope. The aim in the collecting should be first of all accuracy (be absolutely certain of identifications of the specimens you collect and catalogue) and second, completeness. If exhibit the native trees of a country, be sure to include them all unless can justify a sampling; for example, to show trees of local economic importance or to illustrate differences among large categories of trees where one representative of a category would be sufficient. Do not exhibit some trees and some animals and then imply that are showing the total natural environment. The honesty and meticulousness of science must carry all the way through to use of collections. The main point is that collecting and exhibiting in the scientific fields as in the others should be to some larger purpose. Objects and exhibits are not ends in themselves. (Burcaw 1979: 50 - 51)
Natural history museums occupy an honored position in our profession. Museums in a sense created natural history. In the latter half of the 20th century collecting by these museums and the study of the collections gave great impetus to the advance of scientific knowledge. The natural history museum deserved its great social prestige. Zoological research now, for example, is more concerned with natural dynamics; with observation of the relation ship among living things, their adaptation to their environments, the growth and decline of populations, the utilization of “niches” in the environment, etc.
What to collect and what not to collect
It is important that the museums have an active, not a passive collection program. Active collection is determining with the collection ought to contain in order to do the best possible job of presenting the complete story and then making a strong and continued effort to locate and acquire those materials. Passive collecting is sitting back and accepting or rejecting what is offered. This leads to collections which are largely a reflection of what the general public thinks ought to be in a museum. The potential donor’s notions on this score are likely to be wide of the mark, if not downright ridiculous, in view of the museum’s scope and its educational aim. Museum collections grow through donations, purchases, expeditions and other field collecting, informal collecting by the staff (such as at secondhand stores) and by transfer, exchange, gift and permanent lone from other institutions. (A permanent loan contracted between two museums of professional standards, amounts to an outright gift in all but legal title. The lender has the legal right to recall the lone, but has no intention of doing so. It is a useful device for museum which has difficulty under the law, in disposing of surplus objects in its collection) Two principal dangers must be avoided. (Burcaw 1979: 50)
Do not accept conditional gifts.
A donor may request that his gift of a number of objects be placed on exhibit, be exhibited intact-without separating the objects and that his name be prominently displayed with the objects. Even though he does not request this, he may because of his past associations with “museums” assume that this will be done. Only in very rare circumstances, if ever should a museum agree to these conditions. It is best to have the donor sign a standard accession from which states something like, “I give these objects unconditionally’ If you do not use such a form you might at least explain to the donor how the collections are organized. That not everything is exhibited and that the donor’s name will be forever preserved in the records, though not in the exhibit.
Do not accept loans is describing below,
Do not accept loans for an indefinite period of time or for any purpose other than temporary use. Many small museums cause their future employees much gifts, wasted time and bad public relations when they make it legally possible for lenders or their heirs to recover objects after many years have passed. Build your collections only with objects to which your museum has clear title. Often a person will want to lend something (like an antique piano) in order to get it out of his house without giving up his ownership of it. This person is seeking to use limited space belonging to the general public as a warehouse. Do not accommodate him.
If you are working in a museum which has in its possession loaned or conditionally given objects first get the approval of the board of trustees, then immediately begin correcting the situation. Separate these objects from the rest of your collections, then write to the donor or lender explaining and justifying your policy (the policy of the museum) and either return objects you do not want, getting writing receipts for them of seek to have objects you do not want made unconditional gifts. Once the trustees are involved any criticism or objection can then be directed not at a museum employee, but only at the institution itself or rather its policies. (Burcaw 1979: 50 - 51) Actually any object contradict are into museum rules should not be acquire to the museum.
Key words –Museology, collection / acquiring, references, functions
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