Description: A look at the preservation of a box of Wheaties cereal featuring Native American Olympian, Jim Thorpe, how ordinary objects become museum icons, and the problem of food in museum collections.
Description: OverviewConservation for archives, libraries, art, and museums is the application of specialized techniques to examine, document, and treat physical objects. It involves direct inspection, analysis, and/or direct physical and chemical interventions to address problems of function and/or aesthetics - i.e. the object does not perform well and is at risk of further damage through
Description: [caption id="attachment_8083" align="aligncenter" width="336" caption="The mysterious cabinet of curiosities with assorted film cameras perched on top, 2010, by Michael Barnes, SIA."][/caption] Last fall a piece of furniture showed up in the Smithsonian Institution Archives (SIA) reception area. Aside from a few nicks, it is a large, handsome cabinet with drawers and double