Uploaded January 2022 | Updated September 2026, 10 hours ago
What happens after an object is selected to be exhibited in the Collection Gallery? The process shown in this video is an overview of what goes into bringing an object from storage to display.
First, a curator chooses an object and the collection manager retrieves it from the vault. The collection manager examines the object and confirms or adjusts its cataloging information in the museum’s collections database: title, date, medium, dimensions, and any inscriptions on the object.
In the conservation lab, conservators document the object’s condition and determine whether any treatment is needed. For this box of film, there is minor surface cleaning, adhesive and tape removal, and the addition of paper hinges to the interior to hold the box closed. The shipping bag is humidified to help relax folds.
Next, the object is taken to the photography studio to be photographed. The resulting digital master files, which document the object at that moment in time, are used to create files for a variety of uses, including publication and online access. For three-dimensional objects, there are four to eight angles that need to be captured to properly document the full object.
When it is time for installation, preparators work with the curator to carefully place the object in a case. A label containing identifying information about the object along with text that has been researched and written by a curator is added next to the work.
By taking these steps, we ensure every work that will be on display is documented, protected, interpreted, and prepared for you to see in the gallery.
What happens after an object is selected to be exhibited in the Collection Gallery? The process shown in this video is an overview of what goes into bringing an object from storage to display.
First, a curator chooses an object and the collection manager retrieves it from the vault. The collection manager examines the object and confirms or adjusts its cataloging information in the museum’s collections database: title, date, medium, dimensions, and any inscriptions on the object.
In the conservation lab, conservators document the object’s condition and determine whether any treatment is needed. For this box of film, there is minor surface cleaning, adhesive and tape removal, and the addition of paper hinges to the interior to hold the box closed. The shipping bag is humidified to help relax folds.
Next, the object is taken to the photography studio to be photographed. The resulting digital master files, which document the object at that moment in time, are used to create files for a variety of uses, including publication and online access. For three-dimensional objects, there are four to eight angles that need to be captured to properly document the full object.
When it is time for installation, preparators work with the curator to carefully place the object in a case. A label containing identifying information about the object along with text that has been researched and written by a curator is added next to the work.
By taking these steps, we ensure every work that will be on display is documented, protected, interpreted, and prepared for you to see in the gallery.
