Wasted resources
"We should hang our heads in shame at the amount of public money going on storing domestic rubbish," writes Diane Lees, the director general of the Imperial War Museum.
She indicates that by "domestic rubbish" she is referring to bulk archaeological collections. Although rightly making us think about the sustainability of curating our collections, the message is not helpful in raising awareness of what is a significant challenge for museums.
It may even be potentially damaging to the future of archaeological collections in museums by giving the impression that this material is of no merit in telling the stories of past communities. On the contrary, for much of the human past, even in comparatively recent centuries, our collections of domestic waste are irreplaceable sources of historical evidence.
The application of new technologies to enhance our understanding of that resource adds to its value over the years. The notion that such archaeological material is duplicative and limited in its historical value is ill-informed.
We also take issue with the contention that nothing has happened to address the challenges of curating bulk archaeological collections.
Leaving aside the pioneering work of the London Archaeological Archive and Research Centre, there are several other examples of museums improving their storage and access to archaeological material in recent years.
A visit to the stores at the Leeds Discovery Centre is very informative in this regard. There is also considerable work being done by the Archaeological Archives Forum (AAF) to encourage and share good practice in this area.
In 2007 the AAF published Archaeological Archives: A Guide to Best Practice in Creation, Compilation, Transfer and Curation, which is designed to improve the curation of excavated archaeological material including bulk finds (it can be downloaded at www.britarch.ac.uk).
The AAF is also currently working on guidelines for the selection and retention of archaeological archives as a companion document.
Philip J Wise, chairman, Society of Museum Archaeologists and Archaeological Archives Forum, Colchester; and David Gaimster, chief executive officer, Society of Antiquaries of London
So untender
We recently applied to tender for a museum project that is currently applying for the second tranche of money from the Heritage Lottery Fund. During the course of a question and answer exchange with the potential client it became clear that about 42 companies were involved in tendering for the scheme.
Is it just me or is this not excessive? Surely it amounts to a waste of energy, both physical and creative, when tendering for a £700,000 project? Never mind the immorality of so much free design work being sought by the client.
At a time when we are all being asked to reduce our energy consumption and to reduce waste, I find this situation sends out the wrong message. We have removed ourselves from the tender list of said project.
Steve Davis, consultant designer, Setout, Oxfordshire
Palimpsest in a twist
I greatly enjoyed reading your recent article on the plethora of medieval displays and exhibitions that are taking place nationwide, and was delighted to have been interviewed as part of your research for the piece. I am also very pleased to see that I have been given the last word.
However, there's just one sentence that jars slightly. I actually described the introductory room of the medieval palace displays at the Tower of London as an archaeological palimpsest. By this I meant that the room contained layers of material evidence from the past.
You quoted me as saying that it was a palindrome, which, it just isn't. A palindrome is a word that reads the same backwards as it does forwards - not the same as our room at the Tower!
Jane Spooner, curator (historic buildings), HM Tower of London
Water feature
This summer, as I do most school holidays, I found myself visiting museums with my two boys. My older son, who is 12 years old, had keenly requested a trip to the Science Museum in South Kensington.
As a self-confessed science nerd it's one of his favourite museum haunts, while my smaller son, who is eight years old, wanted to visit the Natural History Museum. No surprises there then.
So we set off to South Kensington on a warm sunny day in August and I'm really pleased to say that once again neither museum disappointed - both were packed with visitors but were great fun (and free, unlike many other activities that take place during the school holidays).
After experiencing earthquakes in the Natural History Museum and exhausting ourselves in the Science Museum's Launch Pad we needed sustenance, but neither museum could offer us the relaxed dining experience we needed, So I took a chance and suggested a quick visit to the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A), once famed for its marvellous cafe.
They eventually agreed and were pleased they had as they opted for a rather delicious cream tea each. Not a usual lunchtime choice I admit (does strawberry jam count as one of our five a day?), but we were having a brilliant time and I didn't want to be a killjoy.
Reinvigorated we headed for the latest exhibition, Telling Tales - Fantasy and Fear in Contemporary Design, which both boys loved for being so "random", as my older son described it.
Before setting off for home I decided to take them out into the main courtyard to see the water feature. Of course as soon as they saw it they were kicking off their sweaty trainers and leaping in for a paddle - and a great time they had too! All in all, a tremendously successful day with lots of learning and laughing and no arguments - a real achievement.
As I sat back on the Metropolitan Line on the way home, I felt rather pleased with myself for having brought up two such cultural little beasts and asked them what they had enjoyed most during the day.
My older son predictably waxed lyrical about the water rocket, giant magnets and circuit boards at the Science Museum. But my smaller son is slightly more contrary and I was secretly delighted when he announced rather precociously that he now loved contemporary art. He then went on to say, "… but that paddling pool, Mum. That was the best paddling pool in the world. When can we go again?"
So, V&A take note, you are now officially "a rather nice paddling pool with a museum attached".
Lucy Shaw, Diversify and Monument Fellowship coordinator, Museums Association
"We should hang our heads in shame at the amount of public money going on storing domestic rubbish," writes Diane Lees, the director general of the Imperial War Museum.
She indicates that by "domestic rubbish" she is referring to bulk archaeological collections. Although rightly making us think about the sustainability of curating our collections, the message is not helpful in raising awareness of what is a significant challenge for museums.
It may even be potentially damaging to the future of archaeological collections in museums by giving the impression that this material is of no merit in telling the stories of past communities. On the contrary, for much of the human past, even in comparatively recent centuries, our collections of domestic waste are irreplaceable sources of historical evidence.
The application of new technologies to enhance our understanding of that resource adds to its value over the years. The notion that such archaeological material is duplicative and limited in its historical value is ill-informed.
We also take issue with the contention that nothing has happened to address the challenges of curating bulk archaeological collections.
Leaving aside the pioneering work of the London Archaeological Archive and Research Centre, there are several other examples of museums improving their storage and access to archaeological material in recent years.
A visit to the stores at the Leeds Discovery Centre is very informative in this regard. There is also considerable work being done by the Archaeological Archives Forum (AAF) to encourage and share good practice in this area.
In 2007 the AAF published Archaeological Archives: A Guide to Best Practice in Creation, Compilation, Transfer and Curation, which is designed to improve the curation of excavated archaeological material including bulk finds (it can be downloaded at www.britarch.ac.uk).
The AAF is also currently working on guidelines for the selection and retention of archaeological archives as a companion document.
Philip J Wise, chairman, Society of Museum Archaeologists and Archaeological Archives Forum, Colchester; and David Gaimster, chief executive officer, Society of Antiquaries of London
Museums Journal October 2009, p14
So untender
We recently applied to tender for a museum project that is currently applying for the second tranche of money from the Heritage Lottery Fund. During the course of a question and answer exchange with the potential client it became clear that about 42 companies were involved in tendering for the scheme.
Is it just me or is this not excessive? Surely it amounts to a waste of energy, both physical and creative, when tendering for a £700,000 project? Never mind the immorality of so much free design work being sought by the client.
At a time when we are all being asked to reduce our energy consumption and to reduce waste, I find this situation sends out the wrong message. We have removed ourselves from the tender list of said project.
Steve Davis, consultant designer, Setout, Oxfordshire
Palimpsest in a twist
I greatly enjoyed reading your recent article on the plethora of medieval displays and exhibitions that are taking place nationwide, and was delighted to have been interviewed as part of your research for the piece. I am also very pleased to see that I have been given the last word.
However, there's just one sentence that jars slightly. I actually described the introductory room of the medieval palace displays at the Tower of London as an archaeological palimpsest. By this I meant that the room contained layers of material evidence from the past.
You quoted me as saying that it was a palindrome, which, it just isn't. A palindrome is a word that reads the same backwards as it does forwards - not the same as our room at the Tower!
Jane Spooner, curator (historic buildings), HM Tower of London
Museums Journal October 2009, p20
Water feature
This summer, as I do most school holidays, I found myself visiting museums with my two boys. My older son, who is 12 years old, had keenly requested a trip to the Science Museum in South Kensington.
As a self-confessed science nerd it's one of his favourite museum haunts, while my smaller son, who is eight years old, wanted to visit the Natural History Museum. No surprises there then.
So we set off to South Kensington on a warm sunny day in August and I'm really pleased to say that once again neither museum disappointed - both were packed with visitors but were great fun (and free, unlike many other activities that take place during the school holidays).
After experiencing earthquakes in the Natural History Museum and exhausting ourselves in the Science Museum's Launch Pad we needed sustenance, but neither museum could offer us the relaxed dining experience we needed, So I took a chance and suggested a quick visit to the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A), once famed for its marvellous cafe.
They eventually agreed and were pleased they had as they opted for a rather delicious cream tea each. Not a usual lunchtime choice I admit (does strawberry jam count as one of our five a day?), but we were having a brilliant time and I didn't want to be a killjoy.
Reinvigorated we headed for the latest exhibition, Telling Tales - Fantasy and Fear in Contemporary Design, which both boys loved for being so "random", as my older son described it.
Before setting off for home I decided to take them out into the main courtyard to see the water feature. Of course as soon as they saw it they were kicking off their sweaty trainers and leaping in for a paddle - and a great time they had too! All in all, a tremendously successful day with lots of learning and laughing and no arguments - a real achievement.
As I sat back on the Metropolitan Line on the way home, I felt rather pleased with myself for having brought up two such cultural little beasts and asked them what they had enjoyed most during the day.
My older son predictably waxed lyrical about the water rocket, giant magnets and circuit boards at the Science Museum. But my smaller son is slightly more contrary and I was secretly delighted when he announced rather precociously that he now loved contemporary art. He then went on to say, "… but that paddling pool, Mum. That was the best paddling pool in the world. When can we go again?"
So, V&A take note, you are now officially "a rather nice paddling pool with a museum attached".
Lucy Shaw, Diversify and Monument Fellowship coordinator, Museums Association
