Journal of the American Institute for Conservation, 2020
ABSTRACT The Alutiiq Museum and Archaeological Repository in Kodiak, Alaska, and the Peabody Muse... more ABSTRACT The Alutiiq Museum and Archaeological Repository in Kodiak, Alaska, and the Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, Harvard University in Cambridge, MA, partnered to study and preserve endangered Alaska Native material culture and traditional knowledge by focusing on skin-based kayaks and associated objects. The Alutiiq Museum identified kayaks and related gear as being potentially instrumental in fostering intergenerational community dialogue around Alutiiq language, arts, and science as building blocks of cultural revitalization. The resulting project and partnership stemmed from 2003 consultations and grew through collaborative design and implementation. Staff at both museums and consultants worked collaboratively to meet their respective and collective needs and goals. This article shares the process to achieve the study, preservation, educational exchange, and accessibility of historic Alutiiq material culture and traditional knowledge regarding collections at the Peabody Museum. Collections included four kayaks and nearly 130 kayak-related items of marine mammal skins including gutskin, wood, and flexible plant-based materials. The two museums’ and communities’ ongoing partnership is presented, along with highlighted components of university and community engagement. Workshops and class seminars with Alutiiq scholars and artists, university students, museum curators, and conservators engaged the visiting public and researchers in teaching and conservation activities.
In 2015, the Society for the Preservation of Natural History Collections (SPNHC) Conservation Com... more In 2015, the Society for the Preservation of Natural History Collections (SPNHC) Conservation Committee created a best practices document for food management in collection-holding institutions. This paper discusses the three-step process, devised by the committee, through which this was achieved. The first step was to research existing literature on the subject. Scant results showed that a best practices document on the subject would be of great benefit to the field. The second step was to survey collection professionals. This provided the committee a stronger understanding of current food management challenges and successes, as well as topics to address in the best practices document. The third step was to gain consensus from these professionals. A draft of the document was presented at three international conferences, and feedback was incorporated into the final recommendations. The best practices document is available on the SPNHC wiki and may be updated. It is possible to write ...
The American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) proposes to present a one-day workshop focused on t... more The American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) proposes to present a one-day workshop focused on the preventive care and basic conservation treatment of historic mammal taxidermy for professionals who work with these collections, including conservators, collection managers, preventive care professionals, museum preparators, exhibition technicians, and taxidermists. This workshop was developed with funding from the Institute for Museum and Library Services (IMLS), and was presented in 2017 at the annual meeting of SPNHC in Denver, Colorado. It will be led by natural science conservators from the AMNH, and will provide participants with a thorough working knowledge of the preservation needs of historic mammalian taxidermy and how to address common condition issues. In addition to this knowledge, participants will leave with conservation references, and samples of common treatment materials. The workshop format will incorporate a combination of presentations, demonstrations, interdiscip...
Journal of the American Institute for Conservation, 2020
ABSTRACT The Alutiiq Museum and Archaeological Repository in Kodiak, Alaska, and the Peabody Muse... more ABSTRACT The Alutiiq Museum and Archaeological Repository in Kodiak, Alaska, and the Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, Harvard University in Cambridge, MA, partnered to study and preserve endangered Alaska Native material culture and traditional knowledge by focusing on skin-based kayaks and associated objects. The Alutiiq Museum identified kayaks and related gear as being potentially instrumental in fostering intergenerational community dialogue around Alutiiq language, arts, and science as building blocks of cultural revitalization. The resulting project and partnership stemmed from 2003 consultations and grew through collaborative design and implementation. Staff at both museums and consultants worked collaboratively to meet their respective and collective needs and goals. This article shares the process to achieve the study, preservation, educational exchange, and accessibility of historic Alutiiq material culture and traditional knowledge regarding collections at the Peabody Museum. Collections included four kayaks and nearly 130 kayak-related items of marine mammal skins including gutskin, wood, and flexible plant-based materials. The two museums’ and communities’ ongoing partnership is presented, along with highlighted components of university and community engagement. Workshops and class seminars with Alutiiq scholars and artists, university students, museum curators, and conservators engaged the visiting public and researchers in teaching and conservation activities.
In 2015, the Society for the Preservation of Natural History Collections (SPNHC) Conservation Com... more In 2015, the Society for the Preservation of Natural History Collections (SPNHC) Conservation Committee created a best practices document for food management in collection-holding institutions. This paper discusses the three-step process, devised by the committee, through which this was achieved. The first step was to research existing literature on the subject. Scant results showed that a best practices document on the subject would be of great benefit to the field. The second step was to survey collection professionals. This provided the committee a stronger understanding of current food management challenges and successes, as well as topics to address in the best practices document. The third step was to gain consensus from these professionals. A draft of the document was presented at three international conferences, and feedback was incorporated into the final recommendations. The best practices document is available on the SPNHC wiki and may be updated. It is possible to write ...
The American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) proposes to present a one-day workshop focused on t... more The American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) proposes to present a one-day workshop focused on the preventive care and basic conservation treatment of historic mammal taxidermy for professionals who work with these collections, including conservators, collection managers, preventive care professionals, museum preparators, exhibition technicians, and taxidermists. This workshop was developed with funding from the Institute for Museum and Library Services (IMLS), and was presented in 2017 at the annual meeting of SPNHC in Denver, Colorado. It will be led by natural science conservators from the AMNH, and will provide participants with a thorough working knowledge of the preservation needs of historic mammalian taxidermy and how to address common condition issues. In addition to this knowledge, participants will leave with conservation references, and samples of common treatment materials. The workshop format will incorporate a combination of presentations, demonstrations, interdiscip...
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Papers by Fran Ritchie