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  • 1.  Storage ideas

    Posted 05-24-2024 05:10 PM
    Hello--I'm looking for some photographic examples of your archive storage options.  Our museum has been accessioning gifts from our founders' estate that are new to our collection.  We have some large, heavy glass pieces, vases, flo-blue chinese vases and large, silver urns, intricate porcelain items, etc.  

    How do you all store those things in your archives? 

    Thank you!

    --

    Wendie Cook
    Executive Director

    The Citadelle Art Museum
    520 Nelson Ave.
    Canadian, TX 79014

    806.217.1553 cell
    806.323.8899 Museum
    www.thecitadelle.org


  • 2.  RE: Storage ideas

    Posted 05-27-2024 08:59 AM
    Hi, Wendie - your question is so large and global and I doubt that images of one (or several) institution's(') collections storage will help you much.  From your website, it looks like you already have a large and diverse collection.  Where/how are the objects not on display currently stored?

    If you are starting to fit out a collections storage facility from scratch, you may want to hire a consultant to develop a plan.  You can contact several dealers in compact storage who will send a representative to view your space and "design" a system for you, but having a third party design it for you will ensure that your bids are comparable.  Also, is there a way you can at least inventory what's coming in?  That will help determine what you need.  It could come down to integrating objects new to your collection into existing.  A skilled and experienced consultant will also be able to gauge the stability of your structure and the ground upon which it sits.

    Expect disruption during installation, unless the storage facility is offsite or separate from the museum structures and spaces.

    At my previous museum, we built a new collections storage facility and installed compact shelving, racks, etc., so I'd be happy to speak offline.  Good Luck!  Vivian







  • 3.  RE: Storage ideas

    Posted 05-27-2024 09:08 AM
    Wendie:

    If you haven't already found the site, check out Stash: Storage Techniques for Art, Science, and History (https://stashc.wpengine.com/).  They have some great solutions.

    Sue Maltby, Conservator, IIC Fellow
    Maltby & Associates Inc.
    Adjunct Faculty, Museum Studies Program/Faculty of Information, University of Toronto
    174 Spadina Ave., #508
    Toronto, Ontario
    M5T 2C2
    Canada