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Frequently Asked Questions:
What is an Artifact?
Put simply, it is any object that is a product of human workmanship.
How do you describe an artifact?
Curators follow a set of standardized rules called nomenclature. Nomenclature is a system of ordering artifacts by object name and intended function. This way, curators can group artifacts into several catagories which aid in the interpretation of the entire collection. For example, a hammer is used for pounding nails into wood (woodworking) or forging metal (metalworking). Thus, the object name would be hammer and the intended function would be either "woodworking T&E" or "metalworking T&E". The T&E is an abbreviation for Technology and Equipment.
What is a Collection?
A collection is a group of objects recognized as having something in common, such as the owner's name (The O'Reilly's Collection at Point Ellice House), the subject matter (Clothing Collection), or a regional or geographic location (DcRu4 Collection).
How do you Accession an Artifact?
A curator collects and records basic information about each artifact. Information such as a) the date accessioned, b) the donation or purchase, c) the name and address of the donor / vendor, d) a brief description about the object(s), e) a brief history of the object(s), f) the name of the recorder and g) the assignment of the accession number.
What are Accession Numbers?
Accession numbers are how curators keep track of artifacts in a collection. Each accession number is unique to that object and tells us "the when" (the year), "the who" (donated by), and "the what"(the last number in order in which it was catalogued within the collection).
A typical accession number looks like:
YYY.DDD.NNNN
The yyy or sometimes yyyy tells us the year the object was acquired, e.g. 1975 = 975 or 1975.
The ddd is the number of the source that donated the object. For example, if there was four donors to an entire collection, there would be four donor numbers written as 001, 002, 003, and 004.
The nnnn is the number given to the last number succeeded in the collection, e.g. 3456, 3457, 3458, etc.
At Point Ellice House there is an artifact with accession number 975.1.807. This means that it was accepted into the collection in 1975, that the donor was O'Reilly, and the number assigned to it was 807.
How do you Label Artifacts?
Artifacts are always labelled with their accession number. The best place to put the label is where it cannot be seen on the artifact, i.e. the bottom. Usually clear nail polish is applied on the area where the number will be written on the object. When the nail polish dries, the accession number is written on top of the dried nail polish. Commonly the accession number is written in black or white ink depending on the background color (you can't read black ink on a black object). When the ink dries, another coat of clear nail polish is applied over the accession number. The artifact is now labelled.
What Damages Artifacts?
The environment under which artifacts are cared for can greatly improve or destroy their ability to survive. Factors that can lead to damage are insects, temperature and humidity levels, excessive light and cleaning.
Insects...
Insects are attracted to areas that are moist and dark. One common insect that can be found in dark storage areas of museums is the silverfish. Unlike its name implies, it does not look like a fish.
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Silverfish
Range from 9.5mm to 13mm
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Silverfish attack paper products such as newspapers, books, and manuscripts. Removing insects is simple but time consuming. Insects can be removed by: a) vacuuming, b) poison bait traps, and c) controlling humidity levels with a dehumidifier.
Light...
Light is a great destroyer of textiles. Exposure to light (sun, light bulbs, flash bulbs) will fade and embrittle fibres - which can never be repaired. Exposure to long periods of light is even more damaging. When in storage, objects should be placed in complete darkness. If on display, the amount of light allowed in each room should be controlled either by applying Ultra Violet filters over windows with direct sunlight or using 40 watt bulbs in a lamp to illuminate a room.
Temperature & Humidity...
Temperature and humidity levels are important because low temperatures and high humidity will cause materials to swell, split or allow mold growth. Likewise if temperature is too high and humidity is too low, artifacts will become brittle. Temperature and humidity are monitored by a hygrothermometer. A hygrothermometer is an instrument that measures the amount of moisture in the air and temperature within a room. The ideal humidity level is about 50 - 55 % and the temperature should be around 20 °C. Humidity can be corrected by using a dehumidifier (it extracts the moisture from the air and converts it into water to be emptied).
Cleaning...
Cleaning artifacts can sometimes cause a lot of damage. Dust and surface dirt can be removed by a vacuum cleaner with a soft brush attachment. A small brush can be used to remove the dust from bulkier objects, but more specialized cleaning requires a professional conservator.
How do you store an artifact?
When artifacts are not on display, they are kept in dark storage areas either on site or at another facility. The factors that can damage artifacts, i.e. insects, temperature, humidity, light, cleaning, handling, etc. are always taken into account when storing artifacts. Large artifacts such as trunks, mattresses, desks, furniture, etc. are placed on shelving units above the floor. Smaller artifacts such as wallets, jewelry, silverware, etc. are stored in individual containers on shelves or in drawers.
How do you handle an artifact?
Depending on what type of artifact is being handled, clean white gloves are used to handle fabrics or paper and latex gloves are used to handle dirty or rusted objects.
Some General Rules:
- Use both hands when picking up an artifact.
- Never trust a handle.
- Hold gently but firmly.
- Support the artifact well when moving and insure that your path is free of obstacles.
- Protect surrounding surfaces and artifacts.
- Never stack items one on top of the other.
- There are always exceptions to every rule.
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