Yesterday was the day. Well, it probably could have been done earlier, but yesterday is when I had time. I dismantled the Music & the Technology of Sound exhibit. It’s been up just over a year, which is the limit of time for display that we observe with our east hallway exhibits. (While we have a coating on the windows to limit UV rays, the sun still manages to have an effect on hallway exhibits.)
When it comes to exhibits, it can take us days or weeks to build one. We have to come up with an idea/theme/story, gather the appropriate artifacts, figure out how best to display the items we’ve chosen, and make labels. Yesterday I decided to see how long it would take to dismantle an exhibit, just for comparison’s sake. With Ann Marie’s help, it took 2 hours, and that included tweeting and taking photos throughout the process, as well as putting all the artifacts away. (Just so you know, putting the artifacts away is the hard part because we have to remember where they all belong within the collections store rooms. One year is a long time to keep that sort of thing in mind.)
Here are some pics of the process:
A portion of the Music & the Technology of Sound exhibit at the Weyerhaeuser Museum, January 20, 2010.I started by removing the books and pictures from the exhibit. Then I removed the band uniforms. Here I am on a ladder taking down one of the band uniforms. Note that I'm wearing gloves. January 20, 2010.Accession number label inside jacket. We use accession numbers, a unique one on each item, to keep track of our collections.When putting items away, we have to match up the accession number on the item with its storage container. This is the garment bag for the uniform jacket in the picture above. January 20, 2010.When storing clothing, it's important to give it support. We use padded hangers for the uniform jackets. January 20, 2010.Mannequin, formerly known as Dressed. January 20, 2010.Me - putting away the band uniforms in Collections Room 1. January 20, 2010.A case in the process of being emptied. January 20, 2010.As I dismantled the exhibit, I put the exhibit furniture on one table .... January 20, 2010...... and the artifacts on another table. Staying organized while dismantling an exhibit makes it easier to put things away. January 20, 2010.
The east hall now looks naked, but we’ve already got plans for the next exhibit.
