#Leo Hoegh

[politicaldilfs]

Iowa Governor DILFs

Belated Governor DILF entry that I started doing on the day of the caucus.

[danishmuseuminterns]

A Collections PSA

(1991.150.005, donated by Salem Lutheran Homes)

This is a PSA from your friendly collections staff. Museums love getting donations, it’s how we acquire most of our stuff!  But just as important as the physical object is the story behind it. For example, a bus is just a bus, maybe even a cool vintage one.  However, if you know that it is the bus where Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat to a white passenger, it transforms into something entirely new (if you want to read more about that bus, it is in the collection of The Henry Ford Museum). The stories attached to objects don’t have to be as revolutionary or famous as the one in my example; all information is important.  The image shown above is fascinating, and raises so many questions.  Why is there a stuffed dog at the table?  Who is in the photograph next to the woman’s hand?  On the back, someone has provided wonderful details that are often lost in black and white images:

Details like hair color, clothing color, and even the color of the flowers and their leaves.  However, whoever penned that inscription failed to include the most important piece of information: the identification of the subjects.  Without a name, or even a location, this image has very little use in a museum context.  It is, of course, a visually stimulating photograph, but it would be almost impossible for a researcher to be able to learn more about the people from the details given, and likewise it would likely not be used in an exhibition because of the lack of information.  So, if you are thinking about donating something to a museum or historical society, that is wonderful.  But please, include as much provenance as you can.  Who, what, where, why, when, how.  You don’t need to answer all of these questions, but some would definitely be helpful.  Take for example, this photograph:

 (1990.082.001, donated by Leo Hoegh)

 The writer has included the date and the names of most of the subjects.  There is even information about the personal relationships between some of the subjects. This is enough information to conduct further research, or to justify using it in an exhibition about Danish-American children.  You don’t need to write directly on the object like in the examples above (in fact, we’d prefer if you didn’t!), just write up any context you have and email or send it to us.  We will be more likely to accept the donation, and it will make future collections staff very happy!

                                                                                                   -Sadie