Collection Notes
Not on Display Does Not Mean an Object Has No Collection Record
Read a museum object’s display status separately from its catalogue information and check current visitor details before planning to see it.
A closer look at material history
Explore the object files
Archive Trails
A Museum Identifier Is Not a Number to Round or Reformat
Copy museum object identifiers as text, preserving punctuation and prefixes so your notes continue to point to the right collection record.
Material Histories
A Reproduction Has Its Own Date and Material History
Read a reproduction as a later object with its own maker, date and materials, while keeping the older design it represents in a separate record.
Archive Trails
A Handwritten Price in a Printed Catalogue Adds Another Layer
A handwritten note on a catalogue page is evidence of an addition, not automatically a corrected published price. Describe the printed and added marks separately.
Archive Trails
A Catalogue Price Needs Its Selling Unit
An old catalogue price may apply to one item, a pair, a dozen or a boxed set. Read the selling unit before comparing numbers across entries.
Archive Trails
Transcribe an Old Label Before Quietly Correcting It
An unusual spelling on an old label may be part of the evidence. Keep a faithful transcription separate from your modern explanation and uncertain readings.
Collection Notes
Two Museum Photographs May Be Two Views of One Object
Before counting objects in a museum image gallery, check accession numbers and view labels. Build a small view map without treating every photograph as a separate item.
Archive Trails
A Display Caption and a Catalogue Record Have Different Amounts of Room
Read a museum display label beside its catalogue record to separate a concise visitor explanation from the fuller fields and qualifications behind it.