CMC Geiger Collection Storage

CMC Personnel David & Lori,

History & Ethnographic Collections

CMC Fleishmann

South Pacific Survey• As a Preservation conservator, I was asked to “ examine a sub-

assemblage of artifacts to determine their stability, conservation needs and mounting,” along with suggestions for lighting and temperature control requirements during exhibit. “

• Then any ”specimens determined to be unstable or having substantial conservation needs would be“ removed from the sub-assemblage of 378 ethnographic objects from the Curator’s list.

• The objects have been grouped in as few care groups as possible to simplify the mount or shipping and handling process. These (22) twenty-two groups are to simplify the process to allow a diverse group of objects to be chosen in any size of exhibit. Jennifer Hein

MLN 05 Preservation Survey by Jennifer Hein

Fleischman Documentation

Fleishman in Melanesia 1940’s

The mount types are explained and listed with 30

plexi-glass supports:

• 7 plexi mounts for objects with appendages,

• 17 thin spear or arrow plexi support mounts to protect cracks

• 6 special composite plexi mounts.

• 3 ½ foot square Exhibit mount boards are suggested for:

• 10 rolled textiles that need exhibit support systems as pictured

• 4 will fit 2 width or 7’ by 7’ then

• 6 special textile sizes from 6’X 1’ to 12’X5’

• 6 Shaped mounts are not included above

Fleischman National Geographic

Documentation

The categories that include the 61 objects that

need treatment are

• 14 pest treatments,

• 15 mold treatments

• 17 minor treatments,

• 8 humidification and mount treatments,

• 2 major bead stabilization projects,

• 5 major wood stabilization treatments,

Capt. Fleischman’s Journal

Fleischman Collection Diversity

Curatorial Collection Category Types

The above materials are sometimes limited in groups because of similar technique or

process types. The following list of ten groups are

• BEADED/ KNOTTED (composites- tool/ weapon)

• belt, bracelet, earrings, fish hooks, fish trap, headdress, mask collar trim, Necklace/ Pendant,

• WOVEN

• bag, basket, bracelet, comb, leg and armbands, Hat, pouch, Mat, skirt, Sunshade, stool/ table,

• FELTED (tapas)

• Melanesian funerary cloth tapas, Polynesian geometric tapas

• CARVED SHELL, BONE ( body ornament / tool)

• nose / other ornament, bone dagger, ring

• CARVED GOURD / CANE or COCONUT (plant material – weapons, container or ceremonial)

• arrows, bow, lime container, water jug, Bottle/ Vase, container, neck rest, shadow puppet,

• CARVED ONE PIECE WOOD

• (Tools) Adzes, bowl, mallet, paddle, spoons, spatulas, mallet, suspension hook

• (Ceremonial) Amulet, mask, roof finial, shield, slit-gong,

• CARVED LONG NARROW WOOD

• ceremonial staff / club, carving, headrest, , spear, spear thrower

• CARVED COMPOSITE OBJECTS, WOOD and …

• drum , outrigger canoe,

• ROCK / STONE mixed in several categories,

• mortar and pestle, weight with fish trap (Basket)

• VERY HEAVY, awkward shape to handle

• trough, house post

Metals

Wood & Plant Materials

Shell & Paints

Functional type groups are another type of

grouping used to limit the categories. These are:

• Body Ornament,

• Container or shallow open container,

• Tool or weapon,

• sculpture or ceremonial object.

• These functions have some mixtures of materials. The most obvious is the containers that are gourd vases, bamboo tube containers and woven baskets, but because they are all lightweight they have many similar care and handling methods.

Wood Drums

Masks

Containers:

Fish trap, tray or gourd bottle

Useful Tools

Small Personal Tools

Fiber Source & Polynesian

Geometric Tapas

Graphic Image Melanesian Tapas

Drums & Carved Tools

Arrows, Spears & Amulets

A further type of grouping is defined with shapes such as:

• 3-D

• Blocky

• Thin

• Large 3-D

• Small or less than 12”

and

• Heavy awkward.

• The above materials

are sometimes limited

in groups because of

similar technique or

process types.

Beaded & Strung Shells

Bone & Shell

Interlaced with rocks & shells

Clothing or Body Ornament

Body Ornament

Shell Tools

Condition Summary and Suggested Treatments

• Overall the collection is very stable, except those noted.

• To repeat a bit of my introductory summary, approximately 100 of the 378 individual objects within the categories need minor treatments before they should be included in a traveling exhibit.

• There are 7 unique objects that need major treatments that should be removed from the list until after treatment is completed. These are all listed independently in this survey. None of these were removed from the traveling exhibit plans in the binder because the treatments are minor and easily treated.

Mildew issues

• Mildew issues were noted on 15 objects with white, green mildew surfaces that had developed from the previous storage area. These are now fairly dry but should be micro-vacuumed before any boxing for packing and shipping. The confines of a box exposed to changing temperature conditions in various temperatures, different rooms, trucks, etc. will let the mold spores develop and spread with handling. Mold spores never die, they only become inactive until humidity is introduced again. They do spread easily when dry.

Within One Storage area of the

CMC Collection

Pest object treatments

• The 14 pest object treatments should be completed within the next 5 years to preserve the base materials. The feather and the hair, fur or skin objects that are mentioned should be treated ASAP.

• They are mixed in several groups so they are later listed individually under Pest.

• Overall, the environmental control and monitoring noted was reasonable except there is a slight pest issue that needs monitored with certain object types, which were noted with yellow orange strips that were left to mark the objects that were visibly affected by pests.

The number of objects that I noted for pest are the

fourteen (14) listed below.

• 10013 male figure

• 10014 bowl, center area wood pest eaten

• 10016 figure with hair, wool- freeze or sun, at minimum-CO 2 bag

• 10230, bamboo in shark hook

• 10405 trumpet, needs heat treated or oxygen deprived.

• 10411 wood feather with feathers

• 10420 wood bowl, vac and CO2 bag

• 10455 neckrest, bamboo needs treated

• 10456 neckrest, bend is weak

• 11003 feather headdress, also needs shaped mount

• 11013 Large figure

• 11145, bamboo arrow

• 13473 Pest holes through paint surface shows active damage

• 13479 Human hair mask (rebagged tighter as a temporary measure)

Exhibitions

• The Fleischmann objects can make a very interesting exhibit with a small group of 10 or a more complete set with 50 objects or larger.

• The main concern is their safety during shipping and handling that is required to mount a traveling exhibit.

Please refer to the report for specifics.

Jennifer Hein

Fleischman Objects on Exhibit