How to Disassemble an Artefact

Recently, conservator Lisa May worked with the Museum’s Operational Services staff to smoothly disassemble an artefact so it could be moved out of a basement storage area. The artefact is a display case that came from a prominent Winnipeg business, Winnipeg Music Supply, which closed in 1984, at which time the display case was donated to the Manitoba Museum. 

It was stored for many years at the Museum’s storage building on Lily St., in a basement room. In 2010, a pipe break and subsequent water infiltration led to the decision to remove all artefacts stored at basement level, due to concerns of a major mould outbreak (See blog post “Lily St. Storage Move”, Sept. 3, 2010). Every other artefact was removed from the basement, but this display case was too big and heavy to take out as it was. Finally, last month it was taken apart; and last week, it was hoisted up onto the main floor of the storage building.

Taking the case apart was no simple operation. Lisa and carpenter Marc Hébert spent considerable time examining the case to see how it was put together. Lisa drew a diagram indicating which areas should be worked on first, noting things to check as they went along.

First of all, the drawers and all separate pieces were removed. Then the interior display surface was removed, and next the marble trim from the bottom. The pieces were all numbered for ease of reassembly. Then the back was taken off, and the case lowered onto its back side. The top was carefully pulled off. After that, the sides came apart quite easily, and finally the two halves were separated from the centre column.

Display case before beginning disassembly

The marble trim was labeled for identification

The top, all one piece, was carefully pulled off

Removing the centre column

The pieces were lifted to the main level of the building using a hoist, and now sit waiting, with all the other artefacts, for the time when they will be moved into a different storage facility – for this building will be demolished to make way for a much-needed multilevel parkade.

 Although a relatively small project, it required careful planning and many hands (and backs!) to accomplish without damaging the artefact. Our Operational Services staff are professional and experienced, but not conservators, so Lisa’s input and guidance was required. Everything went well, and we look forward to the day (coming soon, we think) when this case will be moved into an improved storage environment.

Door to Door: A Collecting Trip

The Manitoba Museum recently acquired a number of objects that add to an existing collection. The Wilson family collection of bottles and crocks is an extensive one, with over 1600 artefacts.  The Wilsons contacted the Museum with an offer to donate a related collection of ceramic footwarmers and various Medalta ware. Curator Roland Sawatzky recommended we accept the offered items; the subject went to our Collection Committee, which approved it on the curator’s recommendation. Follow us now through the process of preparing for and completing the acquisition.

 Preparation

We had been provided a list of items. Knowing the number was roughly 150, with 49 of those being ceramic footwarmers, I collected 35 “Banker’s box” size boxes. An intern, Megan Narvey, cut pieces of foam for packing and placed them in every box. She also cut up some extra bubble wrap for packing.

 Pickup

Three people were involved in the pickup: Curator Andrea Dyck (Contemporary Cultures and Immigration), acting for Roland, who was undertaking fieldwork; Nancy Anderson, Collections Assistant, Human History; and Megan Narvey, Collections and Conservation intern. We rented a minivan, and all the boxes fit into the back. Arriving at the donor’s house, the empty boxes were brought in, and packing proceeded. Luckily, all the objects were stored on shelves in one area in the basement, which made packing faster. The boxes were then loaded into the van, and staff returned to the Museum. The Deed of Gift forms had been signed at the house, so the objects were legally ours to take.

Footwarmers packed in box

Unloading and Unpacking

The boxes were put onto carts and brought into the Museum, into the elevator and up to the sixth floor History Lab. 

Here is the Medalta ware unpacked in the History lab

The footwarmers in the lab

Next Steps

With all items removed from boxes, the next step is to process them. Each must be assigned a catalogue number and entered into the collection database. They also must be physically numbered, catalogued, photographed and condition reported, before being put into their permanent storage location.

More than meets the eye

The actual collection trip took approximately a half day. However, the preparation took about the same amount of time, and the next steps will be far more time-consuming. With cataloguing and condition reporting, many entries can be cut and pasted, and the conservators can use a checklist to speed the process; however, I still anticipate that the processing of these 150 or so objects will take person-hours adding up to weeks of work!

Unless you work in a museum, most likely you have no idea of the details involved in collections work. The steps I’ve described are required for all new acquisitions. This is a glimpse into the day to day tasks the Collections and Conservation department staff tackle, although it’s just one part of what we do.

Museum Receives Funding Support For Database Upgrade

The Manitoba Museum uses a collections management database program called Cuadra STAR, licensed from Cuadra Associates, a California software company. The program is used for documenting the Museum’s permanent object collection.

 The collections management work the Collections and Conservation Department does relies heavily on this database program. It is where we record all of our collection transactions, from the time an object is considered for acquisition to when it legally becomes Museum property; through its life here, any use for loan, exhibit, conservation or research. Any information that we have about an object is contained in its STAR database record. There are more than 530,000 records to date.

 Over the past year, The Manitoba Museum received grant funding from both The Winnipeg Foundation and the City of Winnipeg Museums Board to perform a technical upgrade to the program. The project focused on our inventory location system. First, our location descriptions were standardized, following discussion with and input from Curatorial staff. We were fortunate in having a summer student, partially funded by Young Canada Works, to complete the vast majority of work designing, printing and applying new labels in all our collection storage areas. She made almost 5000 labels!

 In the meantime, consultation was underway with Cuadra Associates to determine required changes to the database. It took many months for the work to be completed. Collection Database Administrator Betty-Ann Penner liaised  with Cuadra Associates staff to ensure a smooth process and minimize errors. The final product was delivered in March, and now our collection inventory location system is much improved.

 The Museum’s collection database is vitally important to our mission and the work we do. It was a bit nerve-wracking during the upgrade; we had to work through glitches, but it is such a relief to have the improved system. We continue to examine our processes and look for more ways to improve our use of the database program.

 The Manitoba Museum is extremely grateful for, and wishes to acknowledge the support it received from The Winnipeg Foundation Community Grants Program, and the City of Winnipeg Museums Board Special Project Grant Program. Without this funding assistance the work would not have been possible.

Birch Bark Canoe Video

For those of you who have enjoyed my blogs on the creation of the Birch Bark Canoe you will be interested in seeing the video of how it was made. During the intensive 7 days we spent making the canoe Lakeland Public Television documented the construction of the birch bark canoe step by step. Scott Knudson filmed much of the activity and interviewed each of us about the canoe and what it meant to each of us. Scott was one of the producers and edited together a 57:03 minute documentary. The filming was funded under the Minnesota Arts and Culutral Heritage Fund.

                                                              

 You may also be interested in the full un cut interview with Grant Goltz which has also been uploaded to youtube. The interview with Grant Goltz was filmed for audio and video clips used in the full hour documentary.

New Nonsuch Safety Lines

NEW SAFETY LINES WILL ALLOW STAFF TO INSPECT NONSUCH RIGGING

Published by knanowin@manitobamuseum.ca on November 1, 2011 in Conservation

Look up, way up… at the dust on the Nonsuch’s rigging and spars. Museum staff have not been able to climb the ship rigging since Manitoba Workplace Safety and Health regulations were amended several years ago. In order to address the stricter requirements, steel safety cables were installed in the Nonsuch Gallery two years ago. However, they turned out to be less usable than we hoped...

From a distance, the safety lines
blend in fairly well

To read the full blogpost, written by our Manager of Collections and Conservations, Kathy Nanowin, please click here.