By Rebecca Helgeson, Collections Manager
October 16, 2019
It’s been a little over a month and half since I joined FHC as the new Collections Manager, and I am very pleased to have been asked to contribute to our blog. It is my duty and privilege, as the Collections Manager, to maintain the objects in our permanent collection by making sure they are properly stored, cared for, and easy to find. With thousands objects in the collection, I’m sure you can imagine that this is a very large task. The first thing I asked myself when I arrived was where to start.
Like with most new jobs, I started where my predecessor left off, which in this case meant the costume and textiles part of the collection. Katie Khanwalkar had done a large part of the legwork for this project by sorting, labeling, and pouring through piles of paper files so that we can ultimately make sure all of the information in those records is paired up with the information that has been entered into our database. I took up the reins for this project, have begun this data compilation, and am in the process of implementing a system that will make it extremely simple for our staff to easily track down any item that is needed for an exhibit or research.
I know. Nonstop data entry and organization doesn’t sound like something that would make for a very interesting blog post, but the great thing about this job, whatever museum or historic institution you find yourself at, is how often you stumble upon a really neat object or series of objects. No matter how well you know your collection, there’s always something to discover, and, when you’re brand new to an institution, this discovery happens fairly often. These objects tell their own stories, separate from the historical facts found in our files and databases.
Currently, I am working my way through the hats in the costume and textiles collection, and the other day I found this wonderful group of hats. At first glance, it would be easy to miss their connection, but their object numbers signify that they all came from the same donation. The database told me that they were all owned by the same woman and made in the 20th century, but the objects themselves tell a story as well, albeit one of supposition. Because of the variety of colors, materials, and styles in this group, one gets the impression of a fashionable woman of good taste. The quality of craftsmanship and the excellent condition that they are still in decades after they were made helps develop this picture into one of careful woman who took pride in her appearance, cared for her belongings, and knew the value of well-made goods (or, at the very least, a well-made hat!).
Although none of this is in our records and would be difficult to verify, you can almost see her and can get an idea of what kind of woman the owner of these hats was. This unassuming group of hats has told us a lot about person we have probably never met. This is what I love about collections care: discovering the stories that these objects can tell simply by looking at them. I hope to share these stories with you in the coming years.
