Methods of Museum Collections

Methods of Museum Collections

Introduction:

Museums should have a systematic collecting policy; collecting programme should not be over

ambitious. Every museum should draw up an active collection programme neatly fitting its

collecting policy. A large numberof tools and equipment are available in the market.Many of

them can easily be used by the collecting team depending on funds for better search of objects,

field recording and field documentation. These are cameras, video cameras, lenses, tapes,

cassettes, laptop computers and printers as also e-mail and mobile telephones. These can be

used along with collecting tools, field note books, tag cards, sketch books, pens and pencils.

These modern hi-tech tools are used, and then technically approved storing system of audiovideo

records should be installed in the museum. Now tools and techniques in collection are

used in eco-survey, marine archaeology and satellite survey. Object fabrication technology by

the use of fibre glass, PVC components and computer can be used for virtually real objects.

A museum mainly collects objects for the following purposes:-

1. To open a new branch of Knowledge.

2. To augment the number of collection.

3. To augment typological collection.

Museums mainly collect objects according to the specific requirement, types, nature and scope

of the collection. Different methods of collection are as follows-

1. Purchase

2. Loan.

3. Gift or Bequeath

4. Expedition

5. Exploration

6. Excavation

7. Treasure Trove Act

8. Exchange

9. Fabrication

1. Purchase:

In large museums, purchase is done in almost every year and Art Purchase Committee is

generally authorised to take decision about purchase. In case of small museums, having small

space, small funds, purchase is done almost in alternate years or when funds are available. In

case of small museums the Director is authorised to take decision about purchase up to a

certain limit. In the field, where evaluation by experts is not possible the Director is authorised to

take decision about purchase.

2. Exchange: Sometimes museums acquire excess objects/ specimens from the collection of a

particular museum by offering excess items in their collection.

Articles received in exchanges or purchases and money realized from sale is tobe held by the

Board of Trustees/ Governing Bodies of the museums.

3. Art Purchase Committee: There is an Art Purchase Committee in the Indian Museum,

Kolkata, for purchase of artefacts and antiquities.The Art Purchase Committee is constituted as

per the bye laws of the Museum.Like the Indian Museum, other big Museums, i.e., The National

Museum, New Delhi, The Salar Jung Museum, Hyderabad, have Art Purchase Committees.

There is Physical Verification Committees who have the responsibility to look after the matter

related to the authenticity of the object

4. Loan:

Sometimes the collection of a museum depends exclusively on the donations. In many cases,

the objects are offered to the museum by the private collectors. If a museum has surplus

objects of same types, it can give the object to the other museum as a loan object. It may be

short term or long term loan. Loans accepted for use with a permanent collection or for a long

tenure rather than for special exhibitions.

5. Gift or Donation:

Sometimes the entire collection of a museum has been built up almost exclusively on the basis

of gifts or donations. The museum professional responsible for collections speaks to the donor

personally and the offer of donation is thoroughly investigated. The object is also examined

physically and then it should be checked against the museum’s Collecting Policy, scope and

ethical issues. Anote is made on an offer card. Then the next step is formal acceptance or

refusal. A formal letter of thanks to donor is a part of formal acceptanceof an object. In case of

refusal of a gift, a museum curator or director may suggest another museum to which the object

could be offered.Donations are given without return consideration. Gifts acquire the legal status

as a transfer of property to a museum. The person or institution giving a gift is called the donor.

6. Expedition:

Before any expedition a clear outline of expedition should be chalked out. No museums in this

world have thoroughly trained people in all the specialized branches of different scientific

disciplines. The following steps are to be followed in an expedition –

i. Clear identification of the expeditions.

ii. Survey and study of the area by reviewing the published and unpublished

written documents and personal interviews.

iii. Analysing the physical features, such as maps, meteorological and geological

features and local fauna and flora, etc.

iv. Arranging financial resources for completion of field work, proper budget

allocation, methods of financing, expense account, etc.

v. Establishing good rapport with the Government, local people, proper legal

permission to work, local people’s attitude towards scientists,and their work,

sources of labour supplies, local transport facilities and local banking facilities.

vi. Assembling all the staff, professional, technical, and skilled labour.

vii. Assembling equipment, instrument, etc.

viii. Arranging proper transport, packing and shipping.

ix. Living arrangements in the field.

x. Following custom and other regulations.

xi. Conclusion of the field work.

xii. Preparation of report.

6.1 Collection of archaeological objects is mainly done by excavationand exploration.Some

principal techniques used in archaeological site discovery are aerial photography, remote

sensing from high altitude, archaeo-magnetism, etc. While undertaking any excavationwith an

aim to collect relics in an ancient site, some equipment are indispensable, i.e., measuring tapes,

compass, binocular, theodolite machine, field camera, cloth lined field bag of different sizes,

paper tags, polythene bags, measuring board with indicators, topo-sheet, pencil, eraser. field

note book, mauza map, etc.

6.2 Excavation: It often happens that valuable relics of the past are accidentally found in the

course of agricultural works, pipe-laying, the building of rocks, etc. Study and protection of site

is very important in archaeological excavation. The extraction must be done with the utmost

care. Grid method was successfully used by Sir Mortimer Wheeler. In this method, the site

divided into miniature squares is excavated in such a way as to leave the baulks separating the

squares intact, the thickness of these virgin baulks depending on the solidity of the soil. After

collecting, the in situ preservation and the transportation to the museum should be done with

utmost care.Dating of antiquities is the major step for which radio-carbon dating,

dendrochronology, transluminscence, amino acid dating, magnetic properties, mass

spectrometry, atomic absorption spectrometry, etc., are used.

6.3 In Anthropology, field work is the study of people and their culture in their natural habitat.

Any field worker should have a good knowledge of the human sciences before undertaking

fieldwork. A survey demands several visits. The actual collecting of objects takes less time. For

exploration in dwellings, these can include a hut of simple bark, or branches (e.g., African

Pygmy) or wooden or stone cottages, middle class architect-designed homes, log-cabins, or

tents which are of varying materials and construction. Lots of photographs from the inside &

outside of the dwellings, movable partitions, lightings, heating, head rest beds, seats, etc., and

all other accessories should be noted. Cooking arrangements, jars, pots, grinders, spice boxes,

position of objects in kitchen, etc., should be carefully marked on a sketch. All types of roofing

should also be studied.

6.4 For ethnographers, clothing worn by women, men, children, are very important. In

ceremonies and in everyday wear the clothing and accessories, ornaments, etc., may differ from

communities to communities. Sometimes it also differs according to the activities. Careful note

should be taken of colours. Often colour signifies whether the wearer is single, engaged,

married, or widowed. Large number of clothing, ornaments, and accessories could be collected

for museums. Indian societies have been shaped and reshaped under the influence of religion.

Each and every community is associated with religious beliefs, faiths, rituals, etc. Conservation

of heritage is the vital function of a museum. Here the museum make intangible world tangible.

During collection of tangible pieces of the community, it is important to collect/ record the

intangible part meticulously by using different types of gadgets.

Collection of anthropological objects in many museums have made them contested terrains,

The opposition of Maori tribe against musicalized presentation of the anthropological objects of

their original cultural patrimony has raised serious questions against the unethical practice of

museality and segregation of the object from their original environment and their

musealisation.Most anthropological museums in India focus on living history, and enduring

traditions.The timeless art and crafts are portrayed from these museums.

6.5 Collection of Zoological Specimens:The most practical scientific method of collection of

fishes is ‘netting’. Spear fishing and angling are not considered the serious collecting method by

scientists. Though these are recognizedas very effective method and it is a fact that a great

many interesting specimens are collected by this method.For the collection of natural history

specimens all the relevant facts regarding the collection are to be observed, so as to protect the

endangered species. There are many types of nets/ equipment are used in collection, like,

a) Dip net, i.e. fine netting suspended on a circular hoop which is turned and is attached to a

long handle. The size depends on the type of specimen to be collected and accordingly the size

can be controlled.The dip net is slowly submerged and gradually moved to the position under

the fish, trying to avoid making underwater currents. When the netis closed and fish comes

inside the net, it is quickly moved up and out of the water.

b)Collection of insects such as, bees, wasps, butterflies, dragon flies, moths,etc., may be

caught by using nets, sucking bottle, Berlese funnel, light trap, collecting bottle, forceps, baits,

knife, lamps, lenses, mounted needles, twisters, tubes, relaxing bottle, entomological pins, etc.

c) Butterfly netconsists of three major parts, the frame or hoop, the handle, the net bag. The

hoop is about 45 cm in diameter and fixed to a long handle made up of wood, cane or

aluminium.The length of the handle depends on the ability of the user to swing the net around

the insect. Handles are normally 0.9 m. to 12 m. in lengthwith a diameter of about 25 mm.

Some handles are telescopic or have screw fittings, so that extra length can be added to

enable the collector to reach insects at a great distance. Some entomologists have a cloth bag,

which hangs outside the net attached to the hoop.

d) Sweep net – The frame of it is stronger than that of the butterfly net. The net bag would be

made up of straw but not too thick canvas. The shape and dimensions can be as like of the

butterfly net. This net can be used as follows the collector slowly walks through the field and

continuously sweep side to side with the net. After 10-15 sweeps, the bag should be examined

and the specimens extracted. There are various designs of sweep nets.

e) Mobilized net – Sometimes necessary to collect a large number of insects within a short

period. These nets may be mounted on a vehicle and moved through the field. This technique is

very useful for quantitative collection of swarming insects.

f)Beat net / tray – It can be made from thin canvas or similar cloth cut into a diamond or oval

shape approximately 750 mm x 600 mm. Two rods can be inserted crossways to form a shape

similar to a kite. This net is then held under an overhanging branch or between the trees and

foliage and fitted with a stick causing the insects to fall and land on the canvas, where they can

be picked off. Some collectors use square beatnets. Specimens can also be collected using a

sheet of white cloth spread under a tree or shrub and the insects fall on it, as the foliage is

jerked.

g) Aspirator – For small and fragile specimen an aspirator or sucking tube is a very valuable

piece of equipment for the insect collectors.

h)Berlese funnel – The Italian entomologist, A. Berlese, invented this instrument, which helps

in the sorting of animals from leaf and soil. The original design is modified by many workers.

The simplest type consists of a funnel with a smooth inner surface, a sieve, a heat source and a

collecting frame or preserving jar. Litter is spread across the sieve and heat is switched on. As

the litter started to dry out from the top the animals move downwards to stay in the damp

condition. As the litter completely dries out the animals fall through the sieve to the collecting jar.

i) Reittersieve – Many insects and other arthropods live in the areas of permanent humidity,

i.e., under leaf, or at the base of the trees, under rocks and stones, under fallen treeand

branches, under loose barks adhering to trees, etc. In order to collect the specimens from these

areas large amount of organic matter must be sorted. This equipment helps to collect large

amount of organic matter and sorted the collected specimens. It consists of the top section,

which is separated from the bottom by a mesh(10mm x 10mm) which is connected to a handle.

The entrance of the top is held open by a thick gauge; wire ring is also connected to the handle.

The wire is flat or slightly concave, opposite to the handle for easy positioning against tree

trunks. The bottom section is tapered and tied to that sieve material can be transferred to

Maczarshy-Winkler Cylinder or Berlese funnels for the separation of the specimens. The sieve

is operated by filling the top section with organic materials and moving the handle quickly

backwards and forwards till enough small materials have been separated from the larger leaves

or bark. As specimens are collected they can be placed into a killing bottle or reagent.

j)Use of a lantern – Moths may also be caught by hanging up a sheet of white cloth with a

lantern behind it. Insects are attracted by light and may be picked up with forceps, cotton, tin

boxes as they settled on the sheet. Some beetles and carnivorous insect may be obtained by

hanging of skins of animals, etc.

The collections of insects and other small animals for museum purpose involve many different

techniques. Many insects fall to the ground if the branches of trees or shrubs on which they are

resting or moving are sharply knocked down. A white beating sheet may be spread on the

ground beneath trees and insects picked up with forceps. An umbrella with white cloth held

upside down under the foliage or trees will serve the same purpose. A large variety of light traps

have been designed to collect insect attracted by light. The great advantage of light trap is that

large no. of insects is taken with very little trouble on the part of the collection.

6.6 Collection of Vertebrates: In case of fresh water fishes,scinenet, cast net or bag net can

be used. Bag net is used in shallow water. Two other processes, i.e., damming and poisoning

are also done for collection of fishes. Collection of amphibian is done by using nets, hand, torch

light, etc.For collection of reptiles fire arms are used such as 12 bore shot gun, 0.410 shot gun,

16 bore shot gun, 14 bore shot gun, 22 range riffle, Bullet LG, SG, SSG, etc., are used. For

killing a turtle a blow of hammer on to the neck break the cervical vertebrae is done. Birds can

be collected by using fire arms or by using Mist net. It is a large nylon net with four tiers, 610 cm

in length with 280 cm width.

6.7 Huntinglarge mammals: Equipment for this purpose should include a portable medicine

chest containing photographic equipment, field glasses, drawing materials, coloured pencils,

metal tags (numbered), a tape-measure, callipers, large and small knives, a steel rule, scissors

of different sizes, a hammer, nails, wire, pincers, tweezers, a saw, an axe, bush-knives, string

and rope, strong plastic bags, thread needles, soap, towels, common salt (NaCl), potash alum

(KAlSO4) and insecticide.Photographic equipment, packing materials, mounting materials are

also important for collection of zoological specimens.

6.8 Collection Method of Botanical Specimens: While going out to an excursion for

collection, Santau (1955) suggested that one must be well equipped with the following articles,

which has been later modified by Jain and Rao (1976):

i. Vasculum for keeping the materials collected

ii. A cutter or pruner to cut or prune the hard stem twigs into the collecting size

iii. Penknife which is important for cutting the branches, etc., neatly

iv. A pocket lens is indispensable in the field

v. Rough and fair book and a pencil for keeping records on spot in the field.

vi. Plant press, old newspaper, blotting or drying sheets, etc., are very much essential for

keeping collected plant materials

vii. A voucher book or field book with number for fixing it to the collected plant materials is

essential.

7. Fabrication: The Science museums, especially the science centres, in India grossly depends

on fabricating their exhibits to drive on mainly the concept-based exhibitions they prioritise for

inculcating scientific tempers – their principal goal as envisaged in the successive Government

policies, particularly started from the second five-year Plan.

8. Treasure Trove Act: The Act of 1878 deals with the ‘treasure,’ i.e., objects/ artefact of

more than a hundred years found buried under soil. Such items are by default properties of the

Government, under the provisions of the Act, and often are handed over to the State-run

museums for conservation and display besides research.

9. Summary:

The module describes different methods of collection of objects of different categories. Cultural

Property varies according to their material composition, and also subject wise. So collection

methods vary accordingly. Geological and other natural history collection requires extensive

survey work.Now field works and survey works depend on some modern technologies.

Researches in the Space Science, RemoteSensing, Geographical Indication System (GIS)

helps the expedition team a lot. Collection, care and conservation are the main functions of a

museum. Systematic and scientific collection method is the primary requisite of collection based

museums. After collection proper documentation and transportation of objects safely to the

museum is essential. All these are integral component of a museum and without healthy

collection it will not be possible to exhibit our rich cultural heritage to make accessible to the

people for adequate and effective learning experiences.