Nash House Attic Collections Management Project
Client: Michigan Street African American Heritage Corridor (MSAAHC)
The Nash House Museum and its collections serve as testament to the Reverend Nash’s legacy and Corridor’s commitment to the community. Much of the attic contents belonged to the Reverend’s wife, Frances. In order to ensure accessibility and stewardship of the collection, it is important that the storage environment is improved and physical and intellectual access is established; only then can Mrs. Nash’s story be fully included in the museum’s narrative.
The project is comprised of five tasks:
Cleaning of the attic and collection items stored therein, along with disposal of non-salvageable items and other waste;
Rehousing of items in clean, temporary boxes;
Inventory and cataloging of remaining collection items;
Photography of collection items; and
Creation of a digital collections database.
PROJECT PARTNER
A shout out to Megan Barr at Defining Objects, my partner in this awesome project!
PROJECT GALLERY
Click each image to enlarge.
The initial survey of the attic showed the collection was in significant disarray.
Debris, water damage and active mold were present. Boxes had collapsed from over stacking, humidity and previous rummaging.
While the boxes had been numbered several decades previously, they were no longer in numerical order.
Sorting and cleaning happened simultaneously. Proper personal protective equipment was used during this stage to protect us from active mold.
The boxes were once again placed in numerical order.
Objects were sorted into like categories. Seen here are dishware and household items.
The team (me, Mark Dabney and Megan Barr) got everything sorted. The boxes of artifacts were loaded into the moving truck and transported to the new collections area.
Artifacts at the new collections area, where they await cleaning, digitizing, rehousing, and eventual storage in a stable environment.