Handling Objects

  • Appropriate and Safe Handling of Museum Objects In this video tutorial, Nancy Odegaard, Head of Preservation at the Arizona State Museum, demonstrates how to appropriately handle museum objects such as baskets and pottery. Some of the topics covered include: the use of gloves for handling objects as well as the use of carts, boxes, and trays to transport objects from one place to another. This turorial was recorded during the 2015 ATALM annual conference held in Washington, DC on September 9-12, 2015.
  • Caring for Collections Made from Hide In this video, Kelly McHugh, Supervisory Collections Manager, National Museum of the American Indian, and Leah Bright, Mellon Fellow in Objects Conservation, discuss how many objects in museum collections are made of hide, skin, or leather. The biological properties, processing techniques, and conservation/condition issues that often affect collection items made from hide are examined. The basic care of hides, such as documentation, integrated pest management, storage/environment, and treatment options are discussed and demonstrated using examples. This session was part of the ATALM annual conference held in Prior Lake, Minnesota, on October 8-11, 2018.
  • Making Internal Moccasin SupportsIn this video, Sophie Hunter, Samuel H. Kress Fellow at the Museum of New Mexico Conservation Unit and Nicole Passerotti, Samuel H. Kress Fellow at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, introduces different methods for creating internal moccasin supports ("moccasin stuffings"), as well as some general rules and the philosophy behind stuffing objects. The presenters provide solutions for low and high moccasins, moccasins with vulnerable interior surfaces, and fast solutions for those who may not have time to sew a support. The presenters also introduce an elegant exterior support/ storage mount that can be made, and is especially useful for supporting high moccasins. This session was part of the 2017 ATALM annual conference held in Santa Ana Pueblo, New Mexico, on October 10-12, 2017.
  • Respectful Handling of Sacred Medicine BundlesIn this session, Audrey Harrison, Conservation Technician, University of Arizona, Tucson, delivers an Inspire Talk to call attention to how medicine bundles are viewed by tribes as living entities and require extra attention from the organizations now holding them. Ethics, respectful actions, and storage solutions created to care for a collection of medicine bundles held by the Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming are reviewed. This presentation discusses the criteria for storage requirements, consultations with cultural specialists and experienced conservators, and the need to associate the bundles with names of their original carriers to facilitate repatriation. This session was part of the ATALM annual conference held in Prior Lake, Minnesota, on October 8-11, 2018.
  • Safely Handling Art and Artifacts in Native Collections In this video, Nicole Grabow, Objects Conservator and Preservation Conservator at the Midwest Art Conservation Center, demonstrates how to safely handle art and artifacts. Topics covered include glove choice, identification of hazardous collections materials, dust elimination, and collections care methods for various media. Emphasis is placed on how art handling protocols can be modified to accommodate for handling restrictions and other issues relevant for Native collections. This session was part of the ATALM annual conference held in Prior Lake, Minnesota, on October 8-11, 2018.
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