Post #2 - Behind the Scenes
As May now comes to an end, I realize that just like that, my first month with MDHS has swiftly come to a close, and what a month it has been. As I mentioned in my last post, much of my time over the last several weeks has been dedicated to the Blockhouse Refresh and I’m happy to say, that project has largely been completed. Beyond the Refresh, my days have been filled with a variety of new and exciting projects, including the accessioning of newly uncovered FIC (Found in Collection) artifacts, developing a new Second Floor Accessibility Binder, as well as assisting with the physical reorganization and management of MDHS’s collections. Altogether these projects have kept me very busy and has expanded my work scope past exhibition preparation and to include tasks involving collections management, archival organization, and interpretive planning.
Completing the Blockhouse Refresh has been nothing short of rewarding. After weeks of planning and installation work, the final stages of the project involved refining the displays we’ve spent so much time prepping, meticulously labeling and organizing every artifact within their respective exhibition spaces and ensuring that every room was ready for the season opening of the Blockhouse Museum. Each object was chosen for its interpretive quality and to enhance the visitor experience with careful consideration taken to how visitors would engage and interact with the artifacts and displays. The Textile room, in particular, became a major focus as framed lace samples and a beautiful tapestry were installed to enhance the interpretation of the local textile industry in Merrickville. Once installed, these colorful additions to the room helped to create a more cohesive and visually engaging exhibition space.
Another important component of the refresh was the setup of the brand-new Walsh exhibit and the finishing touches added throughout the Blockhouse. Final adjustments to display cases and room arrangements highlighted how much detail goes into exhibition preparation. Even small changes in spacing or object placement significantly improved the overall presentation and visitor experience. Returning to the Blockhouse for the final time to complete these last details was particularly rewarding because it allowed me to see the project fully realized after weeks of collaborative work.
As artifacts were removed, reorganized, and rediscovered throughout the Refresh, another significant task emerged: accessioning and cataloguing uncovered FIC items. This introduced me further to the collections management side of museum work and provided me with hands-on experience with both the digital and physical management and documentation of a museum’s collection. One of my first accessioning projects involved cataloguing a pair of FIC men’s Victorian Button Boots and a framed portrait of Thomas Newman. Through these projects, I became more familiar with the accessioning and cataloguing process, including reinforcing methods and principles I learnt in school, specifically how to record object descriptions, how to take dimensional measurements, documenting condition, photographic artifacts, and entering all this information into PastPerfect. Learning how to formally catalogue items also deepened my understanding of collections management, stewardship, and the responsibilities that museums and historical societies hold in preserving community history.
Alongside exhibition and collections work, I also spent a large portion of time developing a new Second Floor Accessibility Binder. This bilingual binder, is intended to provide accessible and organized information about the second-floor spaces, exhibits and artifacts for members of the public that cannot access these spaces. This project involved building upon the previously developed versions and creating a more comprehensive binder with an updated format created using Adobe InDesign. The project required balancing visual design with historical content and using InDesign allowed me to experiment with layouts, colour theory, typography, and image and information distribution in ways that would maximize readability and accessibility. New photographs were taken of every space upstairs as every exhibit and nearly every artifact had been reconfigured or moved. Artifact features were developed and both exhibition and object descriptions were written to paint detailed visual experiences for the public. For me, this project highlighted how accessibility extends beyond physical spaces and includes consideration on how information should be disseminated and presented for various museum audiences.
Another area of focus involved the physical management and reorganization of the collection. Following the completion of the Blockhouse Refresh, many artifacts needed to be returned to storage, rehoused, or relocated within the archives. This work emphasized the behind-the-scenes responsibilities that are essential to maintaining museum collections. This important task first involved updating artifact locations within MDHS’s PastPerfect database. As objects were moved in and out of exhibit spaces and storage, their records needed to reflect these changes accurately. This ensured that the collection database remained current and that objects could later be located efficiently. Alongside updating locations, brief condition reports were written for each artifact, documenting their current state after years of display and handling.
The reorganization process also highlighted some of the logistical challenges involved in collections management. While many artifacts already had designated storage locations, others required entirely new storage solutions. Reshelving artifacts and reorganizing storage spaces within a limited space required careful planning to maintain both accessibility and preservation standards of the artifacts. This work emphasized the ongoing maintenance required to care for historical collections. Museum work often focuses on the public facing aspects of the job, but much of an institution’s success largely depends on the less visible tasks of organization, proper documentation, and preservation. Managing storage spaces, updating records, and monitoring object conditions are all critical components of responsible collections stewardship that often get overlooked, so I am happy that with this platform I can highlight these incredibly important tasks.
Overall, these last two weeks have provided me with invaluable experience that span across several interconnected areas of museum work. Completing the Blockhouse Refresh project reinforced the amount of work exhibition prep requires in creating brand new exhibitions centered on visitor engagement and satisfaction; while accessioning and cataloguing strengthened my understanding of the importance of collections documentation and artifact care. As for the Accessibility Binder project, this allowed me to refine my design and interpretive skills using Adobe platform apps, while the physical reorganization of the collection at the MDHS archives offered me a deeper appreciation for the amount of behind-the-scenes work required to properly maintain historical collections.
Mercedes Hunter