Possibilities

It felt like Christmas all over again--powdery snow had recently added another layer to the Museum's blanketed yard, and a cheery man arrived early in the morning with a much-anticipated parcel in tow. I approached the cavernous semi-trailer as the delivery man maneuvered a pallet jack, and quickly beamed as I noticed the two new display cases positioned above me. Even though I paid considerably for them, I still consider the large cases to be a gift. I would now have a fresh opportunity to create any of the many collections displays I have recently dreamed up--and that surely feels like a gift to me.

At least a few times a day, I allow myself a short period of amusement as I search online for outside inspiration. Sometimes I might look for ways to provide opportunities for visitors to actually touch skulls, pelts, and other natural objects. At other times I try to figure out how various museums display their herbarium specimens. My habit of collecting ideas is part learning process, part creative inspiration. It's also part of why I love curation.

I find it particularly enjoyable to look at our entire collection and think of meaningful and interesting ways of sharing bits of that with the public. Perhaps I could introduce visitors to the disturbing yet intriguing side of fluid preserved mammals, or to the colorful array of local butterfly species. I might wish to expose them to our pressed plants, or tell a story of our first taxidermy specimens. In my eyes, an empty case still holds the promise of a new story before it's ever filled with objects. 

"Under Renovation" is one of my favorite signs to install--
it means something new is underway!

Not every aspect of developing displays is an appealing job. A lot of physical labor goes into producing something that is as aesthetically pleasing as it is educational. In order to make room for the two new cases, I had to dismantle and remove one over the weekend. I had carefully extracted each riker mount of butterflies, skull, and taxidermy mount from the case and reunited them with the storage room for the first time in over a year. That first part was the easiest. In order to dismantle the actual case for transportation to a nature center, the coordination of three people was needed to take out numerous glass panels one by one. The task proved once again how valuable volunteers are to us. 

Even though these specimens left the case,
they are still in the Museum! Some are
still visible from the storage room.

With specimens removed, the difficult task of
removing glass panels was next.

With new cases delivered only a few days later, I was relieved to see that most parts were already assembled. Still, I worked into the afternoon to remove hoards of plastic wrap and cardboard, and then wipe away an accumulation of dust and fingerprints before taking a deep breath and slumping into the bench behind my work area.

The Museum's new cases match three others we have.
I look forward to a more consistent look throughout the building.

What story will the contents of these new cases tell? Visitors to the Museum will have a chance to discover that momentarily, and I can't wait to share more next week.