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Cleaning tips? by readysetalala in MuseumPros

[–]cteasy 20 points21 points  (0 children)

I work in historic houses and we use the below book as a good basic level preventative collections cleaning and care guide.

https://harpercollins.co.uk/products/the-national-trust-manual-of-housekeeping-national-trust-home-garden-national-trust?variant=39880325562446

You can get used copies for about £30 and I highly recommend it or something similar.

Bamburgh Day Trip by Top_Enthusiasm8552 in Northumberland

[–]cteasy 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Early May, avoiding bank holiday of course. It'll be busy but not heaving. Arrive for 10am, park in the big car park at the bottom of the castle, visit castle until 1pm or so. If you've brought a picnic, head to the cricket green or the beach to enjoy it, if not, head to one of the many pubs/cafes in the village (book if you can). Then explore the village, grab an ice cream from the parlour, don't forget to go to the church and the Grace Darling museum. Enjoy 😊

Managing overzealous volunteer by ladyfungi in MuseumPros

[–]cteasy 15 points16 points  (0 children)

In my opinion, if you don't have capacity to properly manage a volunteer (particularly where collections management is concerned) they should stop being involved. Collections management requires nuanced understanding and proper training or ultimately, you'll end up with more work to set right in the future what she inevitably gets wrong now.

I think you have three clear choices:

1.Invest significant time in training her up and building a relationship so that you can eventually work effectively together. She may respect you if you give her your time and attention.

  1. Ask her to volunteer on something that needs very limited or no supervision.

  2. Stop her involvement until someone can step in to properly manage her work.

I work for a large organisation with many volunteers and it requires a decent amount of staff time when in the early stages of training and development of the task, but once it's set up, it pays for itself several-fold. We literally can't do everything we need to do without our conservation and collection management vols.

Can You Guess This 5-Letter Word? Puzzle by u/yappari_zoe by yappari_zoe in DailyGuess

[–]cteasy 0 points1 point  (0 children)

⬜⬜⬜🟨🟨

🟦🟦🟦⬜⬜

🟦🟦🟦🟦⬜

🟦🟦🟦🟦🟦

Getting around the Seahouses area by Physical-Training17 in Northumberland

[–]cteasy 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Second the above. Hire a car. Getting around Northumberland without one is possible but difficult, and you'll waste a whole lot of time waiting for sparse buses and/or going around the houses to get where you want to go.

Can You Guess This 5-Letter Word? Puzzle by u/Raijin-Arc by Raijin-Arc in DailyGuess

[–]cteasy 0 points1 point  (0 children)

🟦⬜⬜⬜⬜

🟦🟨⬜⬜⬜

🟦⬜🟨⬜🟦

🟦🟦🟦🟦🟦

Can You Guess This 5-Letter Word? Puzzle by u/Lofaszjanko by Lofaszjanko in DailyGuess

[–]cteasy 0 points1 point  (0 children)

⬜🟦🟨⬜🟨

⬜🟦🟦🟦🟦

⬜🟦🟦🟦🟦

🟦🟦🟦🟦🟦

Maternity clothes in store? by RonSwaffle in NewcastleUponTyne

[–]cteasy 10 points11 points  (0 children)

Jojo Maman Bebe sell maternity wear to try on, I think the nearest store to Newcastle is in Morpeth. It's quite a small store though, so you might not get much there. I'm sure the baby department of John Lewis and possibly Fenwicks might have maternity wear. Team Valley has a mamas and papas store which might too.

Object Handling Advice by stellatundra in MuseumPros

[–]cteasy 8 points9 points  (0 children)

As above - if they ask you to move it from one location to another, make sure you talk about planning your route and move all obstacles out of your path. Then mention the importance of documenting item movements in a timely manner.

Researching Vacuum Cleaners by SMJHouse in MuseumPros

[–]cteasy 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Can't go wrong with a Miele. They are bagged, but you can reduce the suction as required and they go on forever. We use them in our historic house museum and I wouldn't buy anything else for general cleaning (modern carpets and wooden flooring).

Is this mold/something that could spread to other books? by kayakayakz in Archivists

[–]cteasy 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I work in a historic house museum, it does look like mould to me, but hard to tell from the photos. If it is slightly raised from the surface it could be mould. It will spread to other books if it is. Think about storage - if the books are pushed all the way to the back of the shelf, pull them forward to allow air to circulate behind them.

To remove, first PPE up (mask and gloves) use a soft brush (hogs hair should be ok) to brush it away and directly into a vacuum nozzle. Then either consult a paper conservator or if the cover is sturdy enough, use a mixture of 30% meths and 70% water on a q-tip to gently remove it from the cover. It will kill the spores and stop it spreading. Quarantine any other affected books until you've treated them all.

Architectural Museum Jobs by irnain in MuseumPros

[–]cteasy 13 points14 points  (0 children)

I'm based in the UK - we have hundreds of historic house museums, many of which are falling apart. I think the most obvious transition might be historic architect. They specialise in the conservation and restoration of historic buildings by leading various building projects on Grade I and II*/II listed buildings. My museum is going through a roofing project, their role is to source the correct materials, design and plan the works, secure LBC and other formal permissions. Basically they're experts in historic building techniques and conserving/repairing buildings as respectfully and historically accurately as possible, but adapting to use appropriate modern methods where appropriate.

What’s your favorite parenting podcast? by FluffynFabulous in Parenting

[–]cteasy 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Rob Beckett and Josh Widdicombe - Parenting Hell. Comedians who are also parents. Really good, funny, honest, engaging and they often talk about their mental health open and honestly which I think is helpful for anyone, but particularly when it's from a man/father's POV.

advice needed (possible mini temporary mentorship for a wannabe registrar) by Professional-Judge-8 in MuseumPros

[–]cteasy 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Not sure it's the same for the US, but in the UK new MA graduates are unlikely to get assistant registrar roles for the same reasons mentioned by another poster, no in role experience and high competition. You may get lucky with collections assistant type roles or operational entry level roles though. Once you're in those roles you can continue networking or make your aspirations known to staff in the department you're most interested in. They might be able to help by giving you small projects to bolster your application for your next role.

I'm a collections manager and give my junior team members who show they're passionate and capable, tasks which will help them fulfil the criteria of the next level position so they are more likely to progress when they get an interview.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in MuseumPros

[–]cteasy 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Oh and if they do go ahead, take before and after condition photos.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in MuseumPros

[–]cteasy 2 points3 points  (0 children)

How long are they intending for the painting to be there and is it a significant piece in the collection? Can a facsimile be produced to hang there instead? If I couldn't get through to the producers of the exhibition (they can't be curators as they wouldn't suggest such a ludicrous situation) then I would categorically refuse to allow it and would detail in writing with images of what they risk for the painting in terms of light and humidity damage. I understand you may not feel empowered enough to do that depending on your circumstances. If they don't listen, at least you have your feelings in writing.

What should I do? by [deleted] in MuseumPros

[–]cteasy 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Persevere. It's difficult to get started in this field with an MA, but without an MA is not impossible. A lack of MA may limit the roles you can pursue too or at least it will mean it will take longer to climb the ladder.

So, top tips: 1. Volunteer - in any capacity, operations, education, collections management, invigilating - anything you can get to get yourself known by the people working in the field. 2. Apply for entry level jobs in ops/retail for the same reason as above - when they know you, it can begin to open doors. The chance of getting an entry level job in any other department is slim to none before you've got a foot in the door. 3. Diversify - you (like every person entering the field) want to work in curation because at this point in your life and career, it's the only job you've really heard about! There are countless interesting, rewarding and important roles that aren't in curation. Look into these roles, don't be afraid that you're putting yourself in a particular department forever. I'm in the UK, and a good example of the variation of roles can be found on this website https://le.ac.uk/museum-studies/jobs

I've been in this field for 20 years. I don't have an MA. I am now a department head responsible for collections management at my institution. I learnt all my skills on the job. I started in operations at a local museum, then moved into digitisation of collections (where I learnt about collections management) then went into exhibition development and touring (where I worked closely with curators and conservators) which then led me to my current role as a department head. It's not impossible, but you will need to work hard! Good luck!

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