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Author	Topic: collecting rationales for a curator
Ulysses Dietz Moderator Posts: 1265 Registered: May 99	posted 03-08-2009 06:19 PM Some thoughts on how I collect. When I got to Newark 29 years ago, there was already (unbeknownst to me) a substantial but largely ignored silver collection. It was spotty, but had some great things. I used this collection as base on which to build a more comprehensive collection: By adding styles By adding makers By adding forms By adding stories One goal was to have a complete checklist, if you will, of all of the styles from 1650 to the present. Then I wanted to get great examples by specific makers who were an important part of the story of silver in America. You have to have Tiffany and Gorham; but you also ought to have Whiting, Wood and Hughes, Kirk, Shiebler. But aside from style, I tended to first look for forms that spoke to the needs of a particular era (a cruet stand, a sauce boat, a martini shaker); or one specific form (teapots for example) that offer vivid evidence of how styles change over a long time. Sometimes I was interested in the story a piece of silver tells by way of an inscription or family history. (The Ball,Black service made as wedding silver in 1857 for an Irish born doctor from Newark) Sometimes, but rarely as a primary consideration, I wanted to balance silver from major silver production centers (NY, Philadelphia, Boston) and also secondary production centers (San Francisco, Chicago, Cincinnati). I guess the point is, I don't collect randomly, although gifts tend to be random, I actually refuse gift offers of silver if they don't enrich our collection, rather than just enlarge it. The Recent gift that has just come into the Museum encompasses several aspects of that. We had a few great examples of early 19th century neoclassical silver when I got to Newark--tea and coffee services by both Fletcher and Gardiner, and by Simeon Chaudron. But nothing else. So about twenty years ago I purchased a late classical tureen by Bailey & Kitchen, made by Taylor and Lawrie in the 1830s, and a dead ringer for an English piece of the same moment. But since then, my mind has more been on adding style and stories. This gift gives us two great examples of Philadelphia silver of the 1840s and 1850s, each in a distinct variation of the rococo style that is different from anything produced in NY or Boston at the time. Those pieces have been recently added to forums on Sterling Silver Forum Bailey & Co. sterling mark and American Silver before sterling Forum Bailey & Co. mark pre Sterling?. Plus (as shown in this forum 100th birthday present to Newark) the gift included examples of Gorhams's neo-grec style that were wonderful expansions on the neo-grec things we already own, deepening our group of Gorham objects as well. The San Francisco-retailed coffee pot by Wendt placed in the Sterling forum adds not only a great style example, and a great maker example (our first by Wendt), but also a great story, both in the cross-continental retail trade of the 1870s in silver, but in the subsequent obliteration of marks for one reason or another. IP: Logged
agphile Posts: 798 Registered: Apr 2008	posted 03-08-2009 08:45 PM Makes sense to me. The private collector of limited resources has to focus more narrowly, of course. A museum collection such as you are developing provides the wider picture, thank goodness. Wouldn't it be great if you could publish a catalogue! IP: Logged
Clive E Taylor Posts: 450 Registered: Jul 2000	posted 03-09-2009 05:44 AM The curator suffers from one great advantage - his purchases are paid for by either public or corporate money - but they largely dictate his tastes ! Or is it blessed by a disadvantge ! A private collectors taste and budget are set only by his own income and his wife and dependents. Both can usually negotiate/manipulate to a certain extent but there are limits . My wife steadfastly refuses to go without food or clothes on some occasions and curators (not mentioning Brighton in UK) do have to buy things other than their pet subject if their sponsors get tired of it ! The whole aspect of museuem display has become far more populist in the last 20 years, and dumbed down "interpretation" is more important than a comprehensive collection for the purists. Almost certainly the correct way to go, unless like me , you are a purist ! Gifts must be a nightmare to the curator. We have a museum not a hundred miles from me who had a wonderful benefactor some forty years ago whose purse was as wide as her scope. The then curator had the impossible task of trying to keep the supply of great important items coming in, while educating the donor to avoid lumbering her with unwanted items. Especially as in theory all items had to be on show. The aspect of the Museum's scope changed, the old curator retired - the new administration went populist and NOTHING is now on dispay. And access to the benefactor's collections is by appointment only. But since the collection storage is in chaos, and the visitor is left alone with it on occasion, no-one uses it for fear something goes missing. The last I heard was they ere trying to find a method of selling the collection. Ulysses I envy your budget and resourses, but not your imposed balancing act ! IP: Logged
Scott Martin Forum Master Posts: 11520 Registered: Apr 93	posted 03-09-2009 07:23 AM The rationales for what makes up a collection..... For the individual collector the rational might run from whimsical to targeted. For institutions, first there is the institution’s mission statement, followed by individual curatorial direction and then influences from the institution’s resources (funds, fund raising, board direction, etc.). [Ulysses, I am sure it is more involved, maybe you’ll enlighten us.] Individual or Institutional, I am certain the push/pull influences can be significant. As in Clive’s example ... income and his wife and dependents...”. I believe Ulysses’s outline greatly helps guide the push/pull and at the same time allows curatorial flexibility. Styles 1650 to the present Makers great examples by specific makers who were an important part of the story of silver in America Forms forms that spoke to the needs of a particular era Stories the story a piece of silver tells by way of an inscription or family history I think the above makes sense. I would like to see Newark’s collection photographically organized in all four categories into a timeline. Not only would this be informative and a great study tool but it could help potential collector contributors make selections in their own collections. Putting Newark’s silver collection on line in a photographic timeline is something I would like to see. IP: Logged
Clive E Taylor Posts: 450 Registered: Jul 2000	posted 03-09-2009 07:37 AM I agree that on-line is the way to go. But no one classification will please everyone and whether date, style, maker, article type is used as a primary key is always going to be an issue. My own view is to use a populist classification, but allow users a database style search/display system for all users to see things in the way they wish. Not possible at present, except item by item, but with online programming being the coming thing on the internet, that will be the future. Another problem for curators is going to be interactive comment. This is again coming - but will be a nightmare to moderate. Please remember the average guy out there is not very bright.......and half of the rest is by definition worse! IP: Logged

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