Open Forum

I'm looking for a consensus on this perplexing issue. As a graphic designer I feel that less is more on a label. How many people actually need that accession number? And if you do still put them on your labels, are they up top under the object title? Or are they tiny at the bottom of the label? And standards would be a great help. Trying to talk a client into losing them all together on their labelling.
Thanks!

------------------------------
Karen Polesky
Museum Exhibit Graphic Designer
------------------------------

Accession numbers are an internal matter for the institution. When I worked in-house, we also had a coding system for every label in our five different venues. We had thousands of signs, some massive and expensive exhibit organizers, and a whole pile of directional signs. We did that so a damaged sign could be replaced within 24 hours if the person who identified the damage gave us the number. They could call it in to a help desk and presto, it was on press within the hour.

From my perspective, these are important management tools but hierarchically, they could as easily be on the back. Many institutions are required to acknowledge if the object was a gift.  ie; Big gold urn, Greece 350BC, Gift of Mr. & one of his wives Trump, ceramic and bronze.  That's already lots and doesn't add anything to visitor understanding. The real thing the visitor wants to read is why does anyone care about this thing, why should they care about this thing, what makes it so special, and what am I supposed to do now I know this stuff.  See Serrell's work or Scriven. 

We published a multi-institutional study on label hierarchy in zoos here:

Fraser, J., Bicknell, J., Sickler, J. & Taylor, A. (2009) What Information Do Zoo & Aquarium Visitors Want on Animal Identification Labels? Journal of Interpretation 14(2) 7-19.  Not one visitor asked  "Hey, what's the animal identification number for this critter in front of me that you use to manage each member of this population?"

My suggestion is that both accession number and label number would appear in 6 or 8 point type at the bottom edge of the label, about 1cm from the edge.  That way, pretty much everybody knows it matters, but the few people who follow that kinda thing will be happy and most visitors will recognize there is an institutional process that's not random but not worth reading about.  I consider both label numbering code and accession number to be useful as an underline or a bit of pattern that does not insult the overall design gestalt and is not content for consumption by the visitor.

------------------------------
John Fraser PhD AIA
President & CEO
NewKnowledge.org
New York NY
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Original Message:
Sent: 12-06-2017 11:42 AM
From: Karen Polesky
Subject: Do Accession Numbers belong on exhibit labels?

I'm looking for a consensus on this perplexing issue. As a graphic designer I feel that less is more on a label. How many people actually need that accession number? And if you do still put them on your labels, are they up top under the object title? Or are they tiny at the bottom of the label? And standards would be a great help. Trying to talk a client into losing them all together on their labelling.
Thanks!

------------------------------
Karen Polesky
Museum Exhibit Graphic Designer
------------------------------

Karen,
We do not put accession numbers on labels because it does take up room and eye space, and because if someone has a question about an object and asks us, we should know what's on display.  Natural history museums exhibiting many of the same type of things, for example, several dozen butterflies, might need to put the accession number on the label for better reference for everyone.

------------------------------
Michele Lyons
Curator
Stetten Museum of Medical Research NIH
Bethesda MD
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 12-06-2017 11:42 AM
From: Karen Polesky
Subject: Do Accession Numbers belong on exhibit labels?

I'm looking for a consensus on this perplexing issue. As a graphic designer I feel that less is more on a label. How many people actually need that accession number? And if you do still put them on your labels, are they up top under the object title? Or are they tiny at the bottom of the label? And standards would be a great help. Trying to talk a client into losing them all together on their labelling.
Thanks!

------------------------------
Karen Polesky
Museum Exhibit Graphic Designer
------------------------------

I have always opposed having accession numbers on exhibit labels and have been successful in avoiding them in the exhibits I was responsible for over the years.  The sole job of a label is to provide museum visitors with information about what they are looking at.  Accession numbers do not do this. In addition to being useless conveyors of anything helpful from a knowledge perspective, they are something of a condescending secret held from the public...only us insiders know what they are...  Also, graphically who needs them.  Labels are difficult enough to write, why clutter them with extraneous content of no value for visitors. 

Steve

------------------------------
Steven Miller
Executive Director Emeritus
Boscobel House and Gardens
Garrison NY
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 12-07-2017 07:28 AM
From: Michele Lyons
Subject: Do Accession Numbers belong on exhibit labels?

Karen,
We do not put accession numbers on labels because it does take up room and eye space, and because if someone has a question about an object and asks us, we should know what's on display.  Natural history museums exhibiting many of the same type of things, for example, several dozen butterflies, might need to put the accession number on the label for better reference for everyone.

------------------------------
Michele Lyons
Curator
Stetten Museum of Medical Research NIH
Bethesda MD

Original Message:
Sent: 12-06-2017 11:42 AM
From: Karen Polesky
Subject: Do Accession Numbers belong on exhibit labels?

I'm looking for a consensus on this perplexing issue. As a graphic designer I feel that less is more on a label. How many people actually need that accession number? And if you do still put them on your labels, are they up top under the object title? Or are they tiny at the bottom of the label? And standards would be a great help. Trying to talk a client into losing them all together on their labelling.
Thanks!

------------------------------
Karen Polesky
Museum Exhibit Graphic Designer
------------------------------

Original Message------

I'm looking for a consensus on this perplexing issue. As a graphic designer I feel that less is more on a label. How many people actually need that accession number? And if you do still put them on your labels, are they up top under the object title? Or are they tiny at the bottom of the label? And standards would be a great help. Trying to talk a client into losing them all together on their labelling.
Thanks!

------------------------------
Karen Polesky
Museum Exhibit Graphic Designer
------------------------------

We do put accession numbers on our object labels, partly because it helps identify the piece if the public has questions, and partly because all our labels are saved in a common folder on our computers where all our museum departments and our docents have access to them, for use in teaching, etc., and it helps keep straight which object is which. It's easy enough to refer to some works by title or artist, but when you get to ancient bits of glass or this chair vs. that chair, the unique accession number is the easiest way to keep them straight. We put the accession number at the end of the "tombstone information" on the label, on the same line as the credit line.

------------------------------
Kerry Schauber
Research Assistant
Memorial Art Gallery
Rochester NY
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 12-06-2017 11:42 AM
From: Karen Polesky
Subject: Do Accession Numbers belong on exhibit labels?

I'm looking for a consensus on this perplexing issue. As a graphic designer I feel that less is more on a label. How many people actually need that accession number? And if you do still put them on your labels, are they up top under the object title? Or are they tiny at the bottom of the label? And standards would be a great help. Trying to talk a client into losing them all together on their labelling.
Thanks!

------------------------------
Karen Polesky
Museum Exhibit Graphic Designer
------------------------------

Original Message------

We do put accession numbers on our object labels, partly because it helps identify the piece if the public has questions, and partly because all our labels are saved in a common folder on our computers where all our museum departments and our docents have access to them, for use in teaching, etc., and it helps keep straight which object is which. It's easy enough to refer to some works by title or artist, but when you get to ancient bits of glass or this chair vs. that chair, the unique accession number is the easiest way to keep them straight. We put the accession number at the end of the "tombstone information" on the label, on the same line as the credit line.

------------------------------
Kerry Schauber
Research Assistant
Memorial Art Gallery
Rochester NY
------------------------------

I think more than being for the visitors, those numbers are an internal reference for the collections staff.  Our numbers seem to mostly be at the bottom of each label, after the text.

If I'm up in the gallery and notice a problem with an artifact, it's much easier to be able to just take a photo of the label with my phone rather than have to go back down and find the item in the database. In our main gallery we have 956 artifacts on display, so narrowing them down to one specific item in the database is doable but is more time consuming than when we have a number to reference on the label, even with the inventory lists we've created. 

It's also useful for staff at our state historic sites to be able to specifically reference a number when there is a problem with an artifact, especially if we have multiple artifacts that are very similar.  I can definitely find the item in the database, but it's much easier to have them be able to give me a specific number.  It's a reference that I definitely appreciate!

------------------------------
Geoffrey Woodcox
Assistant Curator of Collections
State Historical Society of North Dakota
Bismarck ND
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 12-06-2017 11:42 AM
From: Karen Polesky
Subject: Do Accession Numbers belong on exhibit labels?

I'm looking for a consensus on this perplexing issue. As a graphic designer I feel that less is more on a label. How many people actually need that accession number? And if you do still put them on your labels, are they up top under the object title? Or are they tiny at the bottom of the label? And standards would be a great help. Trying to talk a client into losing them all together on their labelling.
Thanks!

------------------------------
Karen Polesky
Museum Exhibit Graphic Designer
------------------------------

Hello Ms. Polesky,
It depends on what audience the client is trying to reach. It seems to me that most of the visitors coming in would not miss the accession number, as they are not likely to be registrars, curators or even museum professionals. It that's true, the accession number is entirely unneeded on the label, as it's irrelevant to most of the audience. If, however, the client wants to make it easy for a museum professional to look up the object's provenance, but the professional is still in the minority, you could still include it, very small (yet still readable without reading glasses), near the bottom.
Your approach of "less is more" is a good one, and backed up by recent research (as well as common sense). If the client is trying to reach the uninitiated, he would do well to feed them information in small pieces. Adding prominently displayed accession numbers is a sure way to bulk up the text and make it more intimidating. Even the term "accession number" would be unknown to most people, and they may even be put off by it. They might be puzzled about what it means or worse, might resent a word being there they don't know. The more curious might wonder why the word isn't defined. If it's small, it gets distanced from the text description, so none of those problems happen, except for the truly unreasonable. I hope your client can be persuaded!

Cordially,

Paul Pallansch

------------------------------
Paul N. Pallansch
Dot-Connector,
Up-Close Realism
Silver Spring MD
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 12-06-2017 11:42 AM
From: Karen Polesky
Subject: Do Accession Numbers belong on exhibit labels?

I'm looking for a consensus on this perplexing issue. As a graphic designer I feel that less is more on a label. How many people actually need that accession number? And if you do still put them on your labels, are they up top under the object title? Or are they tiny at the bottom of the label? And standards would be a great help. Trying to talk a client into losing them all together on their labelling.
Thanks!

------------------------------
Karen Polesky
Museum Exhibit Graphic Designer
------------------------------

If you are really against adding the numbers to the label you could photograph each exibit case or area and add the numbers to photo.  It is a bit more up front work, but it may be a way to make everyone happy.

------------------------------
Felice Ciccione
Chief Curator
Gateway National Recreation Area
Staten Island NY
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 12-06-2017 11:42 AM
From: Karen Polesky
Subject: Do Accession Numbers belong on exhibit labels?

I'm looking for a consensus on this perplexing issue. As a graphic designer I feel that less is more on a label. How many people actually need that accession number? And if you do still put them on your labels, are they up top under the object title? Or are they tiny at the bottom of the label? And standards would be a great help. Trying to talk a client into losing them all together on their labelling.
Thanks!

------------------------------
Karen Polesky
Museum Exhibit Graphic Designer
------------------------------

Accession numbers do not belong on the labels that help the public understand the artifact. They are an internal control program only for the institutional use. I have seen the accession number used on a "removed from exhibition" notice when the collections department has taken an object from exhibit. This ensures that the object was not stolen but intentionally relocated and having a number associated can assist in making sure all staff can track the object if necessary.

------------------------------
James Walther
Executive Director
National Museum of Nuclear Science and History
Albuquerque NM
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 12-06-2017 11:42 AM
From: Karen Polesky
Subject: Do Accession Numbers belong on exhibit labels?

I'm looking for a consensus on this perplexing issue. As a graphic designer I feel that less is more on a label. How many people actually need that accession number? And if you do still put them on your labels, are they up top under the object title? Or are they tiny at the bottom of the label? And standards would be a great help. Trying to talk a client into losing them all together on their labelling.
Thanks!

------------------------------
Karen Polesky
Museum Exhibit Graphic Designer
------------------------------

​I say yes for a couple of reasons:

1. Easier to identify objects for museum staff (especially if you have duplicates). This would include programmers, photographers, collections staff, security and curators.
2. If a visitor is interested in an object on display, it's an easy reference.
3. Helps distinguish between grade of object to internal staff  (education collection, prop, core collection etc....)

I always think of the tombstone label as a mini cataloguing card. The extended label lends itself to more information.

My two cents.

Rebecca

------------------------------
Rebecca Melenka
Executive Director
Firefighters Museum of Calgary
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 12-07-2017 10:02 AM
From: James Walther
Subject: Do Accession Numbers belong on exhibit labels?

Accession numbers do not belong on the labels that help the public understand the artifact. They are an internal control program only for the institutional use. I have seen the accession number used on a "removed from exhibition" notice when the collections department has taken an object from exhibit. This ensures that the object was not stolen but intentionally relocated and having a number associated can assist in making sure all staff can track the object if necessary.

------------------------------
James Walther
Executive Director
National Museum of Nuclear Science and History
Albuquerque NM

Original Message:
Sent: 12-06-2017 11:42 AM
From: Karen Polesky
Subject: Do Accession Numbers belong on exhibit labels?

I'm looking for a consensus on this perplexing issue. As a graphic designer I feel that less is more on a label. How many people actually need that accession number? And if you do still put them on your labels, are they up top under the object title? Or are they tiny at the bottom of the label? And standards would be a great help. Trying to talk a client into losing them all together on their labelling.
Thanks!

------------------------------
Karen Polesky
Museum Exhibit Graphic Designer
------------------------------

At the National Museum of the Marine Corps we include the accession numbers as part of the label, although we display them neither prominently nor in a hidden manner. 

Example:
[Label Text]

[Donor Credit Line, Accession Number]

As many others have pointed out, there are pros and cons -- they take up space and their absence would not likely go noticed by the majority of visitors. However, we see them as a visual inventory and as a designation between an artifact, loaned item on display, and an exhibit prop.  Including the accession numbers reinforces the authenticity that museums provide to the public; the accession numbers provide proof that the museums have the legal authority to own, keep, and display the objects, that donated objects are tracked (and don't just sit on a shelf somewhere), and that the museum has been collecting in a responsible manner. I have been to museums that don't include accession numbers on labels and I question the authenticity of what I am seeing and reading. 

In the end, each institution should find the style that best suits their collection and exhibition philosophy and create guidelines. As for design and aesthetic purposes, removing the accession number won't help much, what curators want is MORE SPACE to talk about why that artifact is neat, cool, or relevant -- we want bigger labels. Labels should at a minimum be written for the "stroller" visitor.

------------------------------
Carrie Bowers
Museum Specialist
National Museum of the Marine Corps
Triangle VA
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 12-06-2017 11:42 AM
From: Karen Polesky
Subject: Do Accession Numbers belong on exhibit labels?

I'm looking for a consensus on this perplexing issue. As a graphic designer I feel that less is more on a label. How many people actually need that accession number? And if you do still put them on your labels, are they up top under the object title? Or are they tiny at the bottom of the label? And standards would be a great help. Trying to talk a client into losing them all together on their labelling.
Thanks!

------------------------------
Karen Polesky
Museum Exhibit Graphic Designer
------------------------------

I always enjoy seeing accession numbers at other museums--they relay so much information! (year of acquisition for example, or size of the lot). Internally they are invaluable for staff while the artworks are on display and after for archiving and institutional history. They can be small, and on the bottom of the tombstone info, but they absolutely should be there.


------------------------------
Pat Evans
Registrar
Taliesin West - Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation
Scottsdale AZ
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 12-07-2017 10:36 AM
From: Carrie Bowers
Subject: Do Accession Numbers belong on exhibit labels?

At the National Museum of the Marine Corps we include the accession numbers as part of the label, although we display them neither prominently nor in a hidden manner.

Example:
[Label Text]

[Donor Credit Line, Accession Number]

As many others have pointed out, there are pros and cons -- they take up space and their absence would not likely go noticed by the majority of visitors. However, we see them as a visual inventory and as a designation between an artifact, loaned item on display, and an exhibit prop.  Including the accession numbers reinforces the authenticity that museums provide to the public; the accession numbers provide proof that the museums have the legal authority to own, keep, and display the objects, that donated objects are tracked (and don't just sit on a shelf somewhere), and that the museum has been collecting in a responsible manner. I have been to museums that don't include accession numbers on labels and I question the authenticity of what I am seeing and reading.

In the end, each institution should find the style that best suits their collection and exhibition philosophy and create guidelines. As for design and aesthetic purposes, removing the accession number won't help much, what curators want is MORE SPACE to talk about why that artifact is neat, cool, or relevant -- we want bigger labels. Labels should at a minimum be written for the "stroller" visitor.

------------------------------
Carrie Bowers
Museum Specialist
National Museum of the Marine Corps
Triangle VA

Original Message:
Sent: 12-06-2017 11:42 AM
From: Karen Polesky
Subject: Do Accession Numbers belong on exhibit labels?

I'm looking for a consensus on this perplexing issue. As a graphic designer I feel that less is more on a label. How many people actually need that accession number? And if you do still put them on your labels, are they up top under the object title? Or are they tiny at the bottom of the label? And standards would be a great help. Trying to talk a client into losing them all together on their labelling.
Thanks!

------------------------------
Karen Polesky
Museum Exhibit Graphic Designer
------------------------------

From a museum educational point of view, accession numbers on labels are an invaluable teaching and awareness building tool. Having these numbers on labels do what others have noted such as help staff identify specific objects and images in collections that can number tens of thousands, as well as provide an opportunity for research and interpretive staff to explain how objects are catalogued and why. In a time of threatened funding, we all need to do whatever we can to raise awareness about what museums do for their communities, why, and how. An accession number on a label is simply the tangible, visible key to unlocking that door. I, personally, am always surprised at how few visitors know what an accession number is and that every object in a museum collection is individually accounted for. I even use accession numbers in my publication captions because I've run into a number of instances where people ask about a "photo of X" not realizing that we have 1,000 Xs. Saves so much time to have an actual accession or catalog number in hand.

------------------------------
Stephanie Lile
Director | Curator
Harbor History Museum
Lecturer for Museum Studies
University of Washington Tacoma
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 12-06-2017 11:42 AM
From: Karen Polesky
Subject: Do Accession Numbers belong on exhibit labels?

I'm looking for a consensus on this perplexing issue. As a graphic designer I feel that less is more on a label. How many people actually need that accession number? And if you do still put them on your labels, are they up top under the object title? Or are they tiny at the bottom of the label? And standards would be a great help. Trying to talk a client into losing them all together on their labelling.
Thanks!

------------------------------
Karen Polesky
Museum Exhibit Graphic Designer
------------------------------

Hi Karen,

There are several reasons to include accession/catalog numbers of images used in exhibits, but the reason I find particularly important to my job is being able to answer research requests and inquiries. We often get requests from the visiting public (and sometimes our own staff) to reuse an image that they saw in an exhibit or wayside panel. If there is no catalog number or attribution associated with the image, we can spend hours trying to track down the original owner of the image and where to find it. I hope this small insight helps with your decision.


------------------------------
Ann Roos
Museum Curator
Rosie the Riveter/WWII Home Front NHP
Richmond, CA
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 12-06-2017 11:42 AM
From: Karen Polesky
Subject: Do Accession Numbers belong on exhibit labels?

I'm looking for a consensus on this perplexing issue. As a graphic designer I feel that less is more on a label. How many people actually need that accession number? And if you do still put them on your labels, are they up top under the object title? Or are they tiny at the bottom of the label? And standards would be a great help. Trying to talk a client into losing them all together on their labelling.
Thanks!

------------------------------
Karen Polesky
Museum Exhibit Graphic Designer
------------------------------

Hi Karen, Only if the same number is used for access to a database on the web. Otherwise it may even confuse the visitor. 
Mariano Desmaras 
Museum Environments

------------------------------
Mariano Desmaras
Creative Director
Museum Environments LLC
New York NY
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 12-06-2017 11:42 AM
From: Karen Polesky
Subject: Do Accession Numbers belong on exhibit labels?

I'm looking for a consensus on this perplexing issue. As a graphic designer I feel that less is more on a label. How many people actually need that accession number? And if you do still put them on your labels, are they up top under the object title? Or are they tiny at the bottom of the label? And standards would be a great help. Trying to talk a client into losing them all together on their labelling.
Thanks!

------------------------------
Karen Polesky
Museum Exhibit Graphic Designer
------------------------------

I LOVE when museums include accession numbers on labels. As an art historian, it allows me to easily identify the object (and to cross reference it--for example, I'm able to say, yes, indeed, this is the vase that appears in so-and-so's book or article), to look it up in the museum's online database, or to inquire about it with a museum staff member. I find the lack of accession numbers on labels very frustrating. Without an accession number, an object becomes, for example, the Olmec jade celt in the Gallery X at Museum Y. Which particular jade celt is this among the many in the museum's collection? Who knows? I'm also a museum professional, and it's annoying and time-consuming for me when a visitor contacts me about an object in our collection without an accompanying accession number. I have to then comb through our database to figure out which particular object the person is interested in.

------------------------------
Kate Holohan PhD
Coordinator of Academic Engagement
Cantor Arts Center at Stanford University
New York NY
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 12-06-2017 11:42 AM
From: Karen Polesky
Subject: Do Accession Numbers belong on exhibit labels?

I'm looking for a consensus on this perplexing issue. As a graphic designer I feel that less is more on a label. How many people actually need that accession number? And if you do still put them on your labels, are they up top under the object title? Or are they tiny at the bottom of the label? And standards would be a great help. Trying to talk a client into losing them all together on their labelling.
Thanks!

------------------------------
Karen Polesky
Museum Exhibit Graphic Designer
------------------------------

I do not consider the accession numbers to be critical on an exhibit label, but some of us do look at them to get an idea of how long the owner institution has owned the artwork/object.  So I like to include them, but they do not need to be prominent.

------------------------------
Kristan H. McKinsey
Director, Illinois Women Artists Project
Peoria IL
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 12-06-2017 11:42 AM
From: Karen Polesky
Subject: Do Accession Numbers belong on exhibit labels?

I'm looking for a consensus on this perplexing issue. As a graphic designer I feel that less is more on a label. How many people actually need that accession number? And if you do still put them on your labels, are they up top under the object title? Or are they tiny at the bottom of the label? And standards would be a great help. Trying to talk a client into losing them all together on their labelling.
Thanks!

------------------------------
Karen Polesky
Museum Exhibit Graphic Designer
------------------------------

In my long museum career (primarily communications/PR and also collections management) and as an avid museum visitor, I have advocated for using accession numbers, placed discreetly on labels. They are also useful in photo captions, especially for staff but also for visitors who want more information. 

------------------------------
[Anna] [Koster]
[Head of Communications, Retired]
[Cantor Arts Center, Stanford University]
Stanford CA
[annakosterart@gmail.com http://annakoster.com]
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 12-07-2017 01:50 PM
From: Kristan McKinsey
Subject: Do Accession Numbers belong on exhibit labels?

I do not consider the accession numbers to be critical on an exhibit label, but some of us do look at them to get an idea of how long the owner institution has owned the artwork/object.  So I like to include them, but they do not need to be prominent.

------------------------------
Kristan H. McKinsey
Director, Illinois Women Artists Project
Peoria IL

Original Message:
Sent: 12-06-2017 11:42 AM
From: Karen Polesky
Subject: Do Accession Numbers belong on exhibit labels?

I'm looking for a consensus on this perplexing issue. As a graphic designer I feel that less is more on a label. How many people actually need that accession number? And if you do still put them on your labels, are they up top under the object title? Or are they tiny at the bottom of the label? And standards would be a great help. Trying to talk a client into losing them all together on their labelling.
Thanks!

------------------------------
Karen Polesky
Museum Exhibit Graphic Designer
------------------------------

Personally, as a collections manager who frequently has to track down catalog numbers of objects on exhibit that researchers want more information on, I am a TYRANT about putting catalog numbers on labels. We also have an online database and if the number is on the label, that gives our visitors the ability to look up those objects on their own and learn more about the piece than the 20 words our exhibit designer may have allowed us to add about the piece.

Give your visitors the ability to learn on their own and give credit to the creator and collector of those items - always add a catalog number to the label (and for that matter, any time a photo of that item is used in any way!).

------------------------------
Angela Linn
Senior Collections Manager, Ethnology & History
University of Alaska Museum of the North
Fairbanks AK
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 12-06-2017 11:42 AM
From: Karen Polesky
Subject: Do Accession Numbers belong on exhibit labels?

I'm looking for a consensus on this perplexing issue. As a graphic designer I feel that less is more on a label. How many people actually need that accession number? And if you do still put them on your labels, are they up top under the object title? Or are they tiny at the bottom of the label? And standards would be a great help. Trying to talk a client into losing them all together on their labelling.
Thanks!

------------------------------
Karen Polesky
Museum Exhibit Graphic Designer
------------------------------

Our museum keeps them on the labels. They are also the last thing on the label under the gift/purchase information. I find that the number is there for the staff, not really the public. We find it helpful in tracking the object's movement throughout the building. And end the end when an exhibit comes down we may save the labels and it's good to have the accession number there in case there is any confusion of which labels goes with which object. I do understand where you are coming from though in the idea of a streamlined label, but the label is suppose to hold important information and to me a collections manager, the accession number is just as important as any other information on the label. Also museums that have their collection online might like to have the accession number on labels in the museum because then you can use that number to look at other objects that were part of the same donation online. So all in all, I think it depends on the institution and how they want their labels to look.

------------------------------
Amelia Whitehead
Collections Manager
International Museum of Art & Science
McAllen TX
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 12-06-2017 11:42 AM
From: Karen Polesky
Subject: Do Accession Numbers belong on exhibit labels?

I'm looking for a consensus on this perplexing issue. As a graphic designer I feel that less is more on a label. How many people actually need that accession number? And if you do still put them on your labels, are they up top under the object title? Or are they tiny at the bottom of the label? And standards would be a great help. Trying to talk a client into losing them all together on their labelling.
Thanks!

------------------------------
Karen Polesky
Museum Exhibit Graphic Designer
------------------------------

I find them incredibly helpful when displaying items from our permanent collection. We include the catalogue number on the label, which is the unique identifier for that specimen / artifact / object. That number ties to additional information about the object. For collection management purposes, it is crucial that the catalogue number (that unique identifier) be maintained with an object as it ties back to its data. When the object and the catalogue number become disassociated, the value of that object (for scientific examination, connection to an artist, relationship to a part of history, etc) is lost and is quite difficult to re-associate. In our collection, we can have hundreds of a single species, some with similar or the same collecting information, and the catalogue number is the only sure way to distinguish them. Also, our staff monitor specimens and artifacts while they are exhibit, and having catalogue numbers on the exhibit labels enables us to easily verify each specimen.

For visitors, if someone is interested in learning more about a specific piece, and the museum has an accessible database, typically all that person has to do is look up the information based on that number. I've done this when visiting other museums and things can't always be found from a title on an exhibit label. I've also had researchers contact me after seeing a particular specimen on exhibit. Additionally, I view providing this information on exhibit labels as part of the transparency we should have institutionally with our visitors. As we hold these collections in the public trust, we should make information about the objects in our collections available to the public. Exhibits aren't just about interpretation, but sharing information on many levels.

In terms of placement, we put the name / title of the object first (larger font size, bold), then particular collector/creator information, then the catalogue number (smaller font size), then credit line.

------------------------------
Dawn Roberts
Director of Collections
Chicago Academy of Sciences / Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum
Chicago, IL
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 12-06-2017 11:42 AM
From: Karen Polesky
Subject: Do Accession Numbers belong on exhibit labels?

I'm looking for a consensus on this perplexing issue. As a graphic designer I feel that less is more on a label. How many people actually need that accession number? And if you do still put them on your labels, are they up top under the object title? Or are they tiny at the bottom of the label? And standards would be a great help. Trying to talk a client into losing them all together on their labelling.
Thanks!

------------------------------
Karen Polesky
Museum Exhibit Graphic Designer
------------------------------

​Yes.  The Object Identification Number is a unique identifier; there is (or should be) no way to confuse which number while it is very easy to confuse which blue gown, black and white photograph of school children, or wooden kitchen tool.  These numbers are immensely helpful in tracking research and in every step of an exhibition process, from pulling images to getting them back into housing and storage. There are more than 5,000 black and white industry photographs in a single Accession group at my museum; there are also duplicate prints of many images but linked with important different historic collections as well (scrap book, business file, marketing file, event file, etc.).  I typically include the Object Identification Number as a separate line immediately below the header lines on exhibit labels; it's there if anyone needs it yet is not disruptive to the lay out or general reader.

------------------------------
Suzan Friedlander
Director & Chief Curator
Arkell Museum at Canajoharie
Canajoharie NY
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 12-06-2017 11:42 AM
From: Karen Polesky
Subject: Do Accession Numbers belong on exhibit labels?

I'm looking for a consensus on this perplexing issue. As a graphic designer I feel that less is more on a label. How many people actually need that accession number? And if you do still put them on your labels, are they up top under the object title? Or are they tiny at the bottom of the label? And standards would be a great help. Trying to talk a client into losing them all together on their labelling.
Thanks!

------------------------------
Karen Polesky
Museum Exhibit Graphic Designer
------------------------------

I concur with many of the reasons stated above advocating for inclusion of accession numbers.

Another not mentioned here is that including accession numbers on the labels helps insure that labels are associated with the right object during exhibition install or should labels get disturbed and need to be replaced. Say you have many objects of the same type with similar descriptive titles or multiple works by the same artist that are untitled or have the same name, accession numbers help you quickly reference checklists to be sure labels are and remain installed correctly.

Sure, accession numbers on labels don't often contribute directly to the visitor experience but, in the ways they help staff keep on top of the collections ultimately serves both the objects and the visitors.

------------------------------
Eric Berkemeyer
Assistant Project Manager for Exhibitions
Denver Art Museum
Denver, CO
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 12-06-2017 11:42 AM
From: Karen Polesky
Subject: Do Accession Numbers belong on exhibit labels?

I'm looking for a consensus on this perplexing issue. As a graphic designer I feel that less is more on a label. How many people actually need that accession number? And if you do still put them on your labels, are they up top under the object title? Or are they tiny at the bottom of the label? And standards would be a great help. Trying to talk a client into losing them all together on their labelling.
Thanks!

------------------------------
Karen Polesky
Museum Exhibit Graphic Designer
------------------------------

The Object ID number is what connects the object to the documentation about that object.  Including the Object ID allows visitors and staff to ask questions about the object that are not answered in the label.  And labels often do not include detailed information about the object, especially given the "less is more" approach.  Visitors may have questions about an object that have nothing to do with the interpretive point it's being used to make in the exhibition.  Including the Object ID gives them a key to getting answers to their questions.

------------------------------
Douglas Kendall PhD
Museum Coordinator
Yager Museum of Art and Culture
Oneonta NY
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 12-06-2017 11:42 AM
From: Karen Polesky
Subject: Do Accession Numbers belong on exhibit labels?

I'm looking for a consensus on this perplexing issue. As a graphic designer I feel that less is more on a label. How many people actually need that accession number? And if you do still put them on your labels, are they up top under the object title? Or are they tiny at the bottom of the label? And standards would be a great help. Trying to talk a client into losing them all together on their labelling.
Thanks!

------------------------------
Karen Polesky
Museum Exhibit Graphic Designer
------------------------------

I agree that it needs to be taken on a case by case basis. At the Chrysler, the ascension numbers are used almost daily and need to be available on the didactic. If a Gallery Host has a question about a piece from a guest that they are not able to answer, they can quickly give the ascension number to a Host at a computer to look up in our online catalog. We have over 3,000 pieces on display at any given time, including multiple glass works that are very very similar in appearance. It is impossible to memorize every piece! Likewise, visitors can use the numbers to find the item in the catalog as well. This is great for the local university students that are working on projects (last minute usually).

We also use the numbers as teaching tools. When guests ask about the name of the museum we tell them about Walter Chrysler and how he brought his vast collection to what was previously an Arts and Science museum. A Host can walk right over to a piece, show the ascension number, and basically give them a scavenger hunt to find all the pieces on display that came from that original mass gift from Walter Chrysler. It's a fun historic tid-bit and guests love the extra "insider" knowledge that they gain. 

Conversely, if the institution does not have a large collection with like items and does not have a digital catalog, then the ascension numbers may not matter. Another smaller museum I worked at did not have them, but you could count on two hands all the pieces on display. The ascension numbers were kept in a ledger in the Directors office that could be accessed if needed.

------------------------------
Ashley Beerbroer
Chrysler Museum of Art
Norfolk VA
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 12-06-2017 11:42 AM
From: Karen Polesky
Subject: Do Accession Numbers belong on exhibit labels?

I'm looking for a consensus on this perplexing issue. As a graphic designer I feel that less is more on a label. How many people actually need that accession number? And if you do still put them on your labels, are they up top under the object title? Or are they tiny at the bottom of the label? And standards would be a great help. Trying to talk a client into losing them all together on their labelling.
Thanks!

------------------------------
Karen Polesky
Museum Exhibit Graphic Designer
------------------------------

_{Catalog numbers are ok, Accession numbers should never be on public view, as accession numbers are associated with donors and legal ownership information. Catalog numbers which are object based can be useful in a museum  connected with a university or research facility.}

------------------------------
Jennifer Garey MA MPhil Cantab,
President CEO and sometimes Guest Curator, Arts & Antiquities
San Clemente CA
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 12-06-2017 11:42 AM
From: Karen Polesky
Subject: Do Accession Numbers belong on exhibit labels?

I'm looking for a consensus on this perplexing issue. As a graphic designer I feel that less is more on a label. How many people actually need that accession number? And if you do still put them on your labels, are they up top under the object title? Or are they tiny at the bottom of the label? And standards would be a great help. Trying to talk a client into losing them all together on their labelling.
Thanks!

------------------------------
Karen Polesky
Museum Exhibit Graphic Designer
------------------------------

YES. They are really crucial if you are teaching museology to your students - they tell a great deal about the history of the collection. I always teach how to decipher accession numbers. Also without them, museum management on a daily basis would be compromised. Imagine needing to quickly identify which of 26 art nouveau belt buckles in a display case needs attention. Also how to do you communicate with the museum library if you are assigned a paper on a particular object. "Can you please help me find bibliography on that amphora in the far left corner of the case in the Greek and Roman gallery? No, not the one with the horse on it; the one with the two horses . . . " Doesn't work. Don't underestimate the needs or interests of your audience.

------------------------------
Mary Prevo
Art Historian
Hampden-Sydney College
Adjunct Instructor
Virginia Museum of Fine Arts
Richmond VA
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 01-03-2018 09:45 AM
From: Jennifer Garey
Subject: Do Accession Numbers belong on exhibit labels?

_{Catalog numbers are ok, Accession numbers should never be on public view, as accession numbers are associated with donors and legal ownership information. Catalog numbers which are object based can be useful in a museum  connected with a university or research facility.}

------------------------------
Jennifer Garey MA MPhil Cantab,
President CEO and sometimes Guest Curator, Arts & Antiquities
San Clemente CA

Original Message:
Sent: 12-06-2017 11:42 AM
From: Karen Polesky
Subject: Do Accession Numbers belong on exhibit labels?

I'm looking for a consensus on this perplexing issue. As a graphic designer I feel that less is more on a label. How many people actually need that accession number? And if you do still put them on your labels, are they up top under the object title? Or are they tiny at the bottom of the label? And standards would be a great help. Trying to talk a client into losing them all together on their labelling.
Thanks!

------------------------------
Karen Polesky
Museum Exhibit Graphic Designer
------------------------------