This is a reproduction of a reflective piece of writing I completed for my Gem-A Foundation in Gemmology in February 2022. Image above: Examining the strong dichroic (two-colour) pleochroism of a green tourmaline crystal using Gem-A’s London dichroscope with a flatlight (credit: Tehmina Goskar). What is the gemstone pipeline? The gemstone pipeline considers all of… Continue reading Where am I in the gemstone pipeline?
Tag: curator
Curator’s Advent. Day 24. Tea
Tea opens up the curator’s mind.
Curator’s Advent. Day 23. The learning officer
Just want to get something straight. The learning officer isn’t always ‘the fun one’ in the museum.
Curator’s Advent. Day 22. Conservation supplies
Purchasing conservation supplies is retail therapy for the curator. Solander boxes. Unbleached cotton tape. Melanex sleeves. Acid free tissue. Goat hair brush. Distilled water. Tyvek. Humidity control cassettes. Nitrile gloves (S, M, L, XL). Solid brass paperclips. Book sofa. Light meter. Thermohygrometer. Plastazote. Museum gel.
Curator’s Advent. Day 21. Art hang
Simple, yet fiendish, the art hang requires a different set of skills to the mounting of objects in showcases or for open display. What happens when: The ceiling isn’t straight The tops of the walls aren’t straight The floor slopes The frames aren’t straight Throw out the spirit level and trust thine eyes.
Curator’s Advent. Day 20. Documentation backlog
The documentation backlog was the bees-knees museum trend of the late 1990s/early 2000s. It sailed forth amongst the arguments over access vs preservation and rose above the fights for and against perpetuity. Any curator who has the luxury today of dealing with a documentation backlog will no doubt relish the task ahead. It’s probably the… Continue reading Curator’s Advent. Day 20. Documentation backlog
Curator’s Advent. Day 19. The exhibition
“Lights, levels, labels… and action!” The museum exhibition is the curator’s own art form. Stand aside.
Curator’s Advent. Day 18. Archives
Is an archive (series of documents) just another type of museum collection? No it is not. Archival and documentary collections are organised differently and the information they contain is (mostly) read rather than gleaned through observation, measurements and other forms of object research. However, sometimes you’re going to walk straight into Dilemma Avenue. Is a collection… Continue reading Curator’s Advent. Day 18. Archives
Curator’s Advent. Day 17. Digitisation
Converting information into a digital format and preserving the data. That is all it is. Seriously.
Curator’s Advent. Day 16. Slow death by copyright
The curator who wants to share collections freely and openly is saddened by the imperialistic appropriation of out of copyright works by virtue of creating a new slavish copy. The curator who wants to share collections freely and openly is saddened by the government licensing scheme for orphan works. The curator who wants to share… Continue reading Curator’s Advent. Day 16. Slow death by copyright