
Introduction:
The Urge to Collect
A brief history of collecting and the
development of museums. Discussion on the various reasons
for collecting and the motivations of collectors. Recent
gift cases go in this section along with "show piece"
artifacts.
Section
I: Methods of Collection/Collecting the Past
Compare "buy what you like"
with scientific methods. Redhead's collection goals and
methods are show cased as well as those of other local collectors.
Set up the idea that there are differences between private
collectors and museums.
Section
II: Learning from Objects
Discuss how objects are important for
understanding the past. Artifacts are evocative of the past
and connect us to our own history. Discuss the idea of
heirlooms including a couple of short oral history vignettes with
people and their objects.
Section
III: Museums and Collecting
Explain again why it's important to
preserve the past. Address in detail why collecting is
important and how museums decide what to collect.
Interactive Curator Station goes here-visitors decide what they
would accept.
Section
IV: So, What's it Worth?
Address the concept of value-what does
value mean? Interactive station for explaining different
ways of judging value-Aesthetics, material, age, rarity,
historical significance.
Section
V: Collecting for the Future
Conclusion. Briefly discuss
conservation and preservation methods. Put the museum's own
research on display in a "Collections Manager's Desk"
section. Ask visitors to think about collecting in the
broader context-Oral histories memories, and the role of
artifacts in shaping our view of the past. Finally,
ask what they collect and what we should collect in the future.