Where the Dead Things Are

Recently, Melissa Pearn, our Cataloguer of Natural History collections went on maternity leave. She wrote this blog entry before she left.

As a Natural History cataloguer, I have the opportunity to work with some very interesting specimens. I love that my job involves all three areas of natural history – botany, zoology (mostly entomology), and palaeontology/geology. Having studied pollination and reproduction of Lady’s Slipper orchids for my Master’s thesis, I especially enjoy working with the botanical and entomological specimens. It’s fascinating to get to see some of the plants and insects that I have heard or read about, but have never had the opportunity to see in nature.

I’ve recently been cataloguing an interesting collection of Manitoba insects. The specimens were collected in the 1920’s and 1930’s, in places such as Victoria Beach and Winnipeg (especially Transcona). Not only is the collection fascinating because of its age and local origins, but also because of its diversity. Many of the specimens belong to the Lepidoptera (moths and butterflies), but the collection also includes insects from 11 other groups such as Hymenoptera (ants, bees, and wasps), Coleoptera (beetles), Diptera (flies), Hemiptera (the true bugs), and Odonata (dragonflies), among others.

The collection was assembled by Manitoban naturalist and entomologist George Shirley Brooks. He was born in Wrentham, Surrey, England in 1872 and came to Manitoba around 1913. He was not only a founding member and president (1932-1934) of the Natural History Society of Manitoba, but also co-founder of The Manitoba Museum and author of “Checklist of the Butterflies of Manitoba”. He died in Winnipeg on October 20, 1947 and is buried at Brookside Cemetery.

Older collections such as this one are very valuable for the information that they contain. Because many specimens have a collection date and location, they can help researchers to evaluate and determine population trends over time, or to determine the status of rare species for example. In order to maintain the integrity of these types of collections, proper storage and handling are very important. In Natural History, specimens are stored in a collections room that is controlled to create just the right temperature, light, and humidity conditions. Under less than ideal conditions, or when on display for long periods of time, specimens can become altered, as can be seen with the faded coloring of some of the moths and butterflies in the Brooks collection.

NOTE: Melissa had a healthy baby girl on Feb. 3. She is named Ivy. The Museum staff wish her family all the best.

The Royal Alex was home-on-the-road to musicians who came to play at the hotel or local hotspots such as the Don Carlos night club. Included in the donation is a collection of signed photographs of notable African-American musicians of the era – The Mills Brothers, The Charioteers, Nellie Lutcher and The Deep River Boys. Joe enjoyed a positive reputation among these performers and the service he provided would have been in marked contrast to the discrimination they faced at segregated American hotels in the 1950s. “When you’re in Winnipeg ask for Joe, he’ll take good care of you” was the message passed among the performers. A couple of his sketches suggest that Joe may have had musical dreams of his own.

As new artifacts are added to the Manitoba Museum’s collection, our understanding of the past expands. Donations from families like the Marucas help to give us a glimpse the life of a talented ‘average working Joe’. 

A few weeks ago, as my family was setting up our Christmas tree, I hesitated putting up a small number of glass balls, passed down to me from my grandma many years ago, remnants of my dad’s childhood in Winnipeg’s North End. These ornaments have been a staple on my tree for a decade since striking out on my own –the delicate painted glass balancing out my beloved childhood favourite, an A&W Bear on a green felt sled. This year, however, I am The Mother Of A Toddler. Little, excited hands grasping and pulling at the ornaments I have lovingly toted move after move! Finally, after some encouragement from my spouse, the glass balls were cautiously placed at the top of the tree, where Toddler Hands McStickyfingers can’t reach them, despite her efforts to stand on her toes, arms outstretched, saying “Reach! Reach!” (Nice try, kid.)

Thankfully, safely in the storage room at The Manitoba Museum, our History collection’s complement of Christmas ornaments remains out of the grasp of toddlers. Whenever handled, these ornaments receive the “White Glove Treatment”, meaning we don cotton gloves to protect the artifacts from oil present on our skin. In instances where an object is particularly delicate or small, I prefer to wear blue nitrile gloves, so I can best hold artifacts as I examine them for cataloguing or photographing.

Delving into the collection to photograph Christmas artifacts, a few pieces stood out to me, reminiscent of ornaments –both old and new– decorating my tree at home. Carefully preserved by generations of family members, many of these artifacts were collected to decorate the Urban Gallery each year, featured on the Christmas tree in the dentist’s parlour as part of an exhibit called In Winnipeg at Christmas.

This delicate toadstool and its pair date to the mid-1920s, donated to The Museum along with a few dozen other ornaments of the period, including a hot air balloon, birds and fruit, like these bunches of grapes. Originally, these ornaments decorated the tree of a young Winnipeg couple, married in 1925.

The skiing snowman, made of cotton and pipe cleaners, was donated to the collection after his original owners loaned him to the Manitoba Museum for In Winnipeg at Christmas.

Our Christmas holdings, however, are not limited to the 1920s. For those who prefer the A&W sledding bear over the filigreed glass ball, the collection has plenty to offer. One former curator had an eye for objects that reflected the contemporary popular culture of the 1980s, picking up pieces like a Snoopy squeeze doll –yes, that’s its official name in our collections database– and a staple for most people born in the late 1970s or early 1980s, a Cabbage Patch Kid tree ornament.

As I put these ornaments back in their boxes and return them to their shelves in the storage space, I can’t help but wonder whether one day my ornaments will meet a similar fate, becoming part of an exhibit like In Winnipeg at Christmas in the 1980s, but with a snappier title. Provided I can keep them safe from the toddler ‘til then.

The Nonsuch at the Manitoba Museum is the largest artifact (in size) in the collection. It is unique in that it is an artifact that visitors get to walk aboard, touch and literally step into a piece of history. Another interesting part is that the Nonsuch is a real life ship that was once sailed by a crew and it is because of this that the Conservators at TMM care for it a little differently than other objects in the collection.

One aspect of caring for such a large artifact is following a routine maintenance plan in order to keep the ship in first-class shape. This includes regular cleaning of the decks, captain’s quarters, sails and hold, as well as taking twice-yearly measurements to see if there are any changes or movements to the wooden components. Another part of the maintenance plan is moving and adjusting the rigging. When we talk about the rigging of the Nonsuch we are talking about a lot of different components including the masts, ropes, yards, and sails. One of the reasons why we undo and move the lines as part of the conservation maintenance plan is to allow the ropes to not stiffen overtime. Movement of the rigging also allows the sails to be unrolled so that they do not become stretched from sitting in the same position.

Some other unique things that are done by the Conservation team to keep the Nonsuch as close to working order include tarring the deck seams, repainting the stern carvings, and splicing rope works when needed.

The next step in our maintenance plan, which will hopefully be completed in the upcoming months, includes climbing the ratlines (rope ladders leading up the mast) with our special vacuums and giving the ship a good dusting. This probably wouldn’t have been done in the high seas due to the abundance of wind available but since the ship is permanently stored indoors it does get quite dusty. Part of our training for this task includes taking fall protection training so that we are as safe as possible when geared up in harnesses and climbing the rigging. Stay tuned for a future blog on what it’s like to vacuum a ship 60 ft. in the air!

As mentioned earlier, the Nonsuch is treated differently from other artifacts and needs to be preserved in a way that maintains it in working order to prevent further damage. This is in comparison to our regular collections which mostly stay static in their positions tucked away in storage vaults. Having the opportunity to be a part of the preservation of the Nonsuch is a rare opportunity and also a chance for Conservators to trade in our lab coats for a sailor’s cap every once in a while.

By Kathy Nanowin, past Manager of Conservation

I went to the annual conference of the Canadian Association for Conservation (CAC) this year, as I try to do every year. It is held in late spring in a different location in Canada, alternating between different regions of the country. It is not a large conference, with attendance ranging from 70 or so in the smaller cities, to about 150 or even 200 in larger cities such as Toronto. This is because there are not a huge number of conservators in Canada; we are quite a small profession.

Why do professional associations, or any group for that matter, hold conferences? Aren’t they just an excuse to travel somewhere exotic on the corporate or government dime, and drink wine?

Well, no. Conservators have been compared to doctors; the way we care for objects has many similarities to the way doctors care for people. We “operate” (perform treatments) on objects to repair damage that has been done. We also spend a lot of time advising on preventive measures that will keep objects “healthy”; as in human health, prevention is the most important consideration, to prevent or mitigate damage or deterioration. There are also, as in medicine, many scientists working with practitioners (the conservators) to identify needed areas of research, to add to the body of knowledge in our areas of work. New information is always being discovered, as in medicine. That is why we have professional journals, and why we hold conferences.

I’ve been to many conferences over the years I’ve been a conservator. I find that I always learn something, and I always come back to work rejuvenated, with my enthusiasm for my job renewed. Working in cultural heritage in Canada can make one feel fairly isolated. I don’t have that much contact with the general public; I work in a medium-size museum, so I have a lot of museum colleagues, but not that many fellow conservators to talk to. There just aren’t that many of us.

Going to a different Canadian city every year, getting to see different museums, with their great collections, but also challenging situations, is wonderful. However, the best thing about going to professional conferences, for me, is the face to face contact with people. I can read someone’s article in a journal, but to talk to them in person just can’t be replaced. I learn about new conservation treatments, the latest research, shared problems, and the overall mood of the profession. I catch the giant enthusiasm of new graduates.

I personally am able to pay to attend CAC conferences out of my pocket, but I also try to support the attendance of another conservator from the Museum out of departmental budgets, with grant assistance, whenever possible. This is because I firmly believe in the value of professional development, and especially the value of professional conferences.

By Lisa May, past Conservator

When performing inventory and maintenance in the museum galleries, the collections and conservation staff sometimes discover things which are questionable museum practices.

This month while working in The Sod House exhibit, we discovered some artifacts had a substance resembling adhesive on the bottom of them. After discussions with senior staff it was found that in the 1970s when the exhibit had originally been an open exhibit, not enclosed behind a Plexiglas door, artifacts were glued to surfaces to prevent them from being stolen. Obviously, this was an act executed long ago, possibly by a non-collections staff member, as we are all now aware this is not an appropriate method for securing or mounting artifacts in an exhibit. Conservation knowledge and theory have advanced and changed significantly since this exhibit was installed in the 1970s; we would not glue things down this way today.

Next steps included removing the artifacts from the exhibit and taking them to the conservation lab and, after condition reporting and taking photographs, trying to remove the adhesive without damaging the artifacts. Luckily, as a significant amount of time had passed, the adhesive had dried out and lost its “sticky” properties and with a hammer and chisel (not what we usually consider cleaning tools in conservation), we were able to chip the adhesive off with no damage to the artifacts.

The artifacts were then returned to exhibit and collections and conservation staff continue to perform inventory and maintenance in the galleries, hoping not to find too many other unwanted surprises!

By Kathy Nanowin, past Manager of Conservation

When the Museum receives an artifact or specimen, very often the donor asks or expects that the new acquisition will be put immediately on display. This, more than 90% of the time, is NOT the case. The reasons are various, but mostly it comes down to scarce resources – of staff, time, and money. It takes resources to process the new donation; it takes resources to prepare it for exhibit; it takes resources to plan and develop the exhibit. Having said all that, here is the tale of one object which went from initial acquisition to permanent display in less than a year.

The artifact is a horse watering trough, which would have been a common sight in public spaces up until just over a century ago. TMM did not have anything like this in its collection, so it was approved for acquisition. Normally, once the collections management process is followed, it ends with the artifact or specimen being found a home in one of our storage areas; however, in this case, Curator of History Roland Sawatzky thought that there was an empty area in the Urban Gallery where the horse trough would naturally fit.

We have a formal Exhibit Procedure at the museum, so Roland followed this while the artifact was proceeding to be accessioned, catalogued, photographed, and condition reported. Ultimately, the idea was approved for this unique object to take its place in TMM’s permanent galleries.

The horse watering trough is made of painted steel. It is quite stable, but did need some conservation treatment – a good cleaning – before it was at its best to be displayed.

After the conservation treatment and documentation, the watering trough was brought down to the Urban Gallery on a Monday when we’re closed to the public, and placed in position against the wall between the Proscenium Theatre and Amy Galbraith’s Dress Shop. It took several sets of strong arms and legs to lift and lower it into position.

Again, I have to emphasize that this is a rare case, when a newly acquired object goes on long-term display shortly after it arrives at The Manitoba Museum (yes, eleven months is relatively short in the museum world). In this instance, the artifact fills a gap in the gallery space, and helps tell a story we weren’t telling before – a reminder that horses used to be ubiquitous in the city, before motorized vehicles became common. The next time you visit the Museum, be sure to check it out!

By Kathy Nanowin, past Manager of Conservation

Recently, Collections and Conservation staff spent some time in two of our more unusual storage locations, in order to improve the conditions of artifacts there.

Due to overcrowding in TMM’s climate-controlled collection storage areas, there are artifacts located in less than ideal conditions. Staff worked on several artifacts in these areas, cataloguing, condition reporting, photographing, and finally covering them up with polyethylene after a good vacuuming.

The most important factors in deciding to place these objects here are the materials of which they are made (least sensitive to environmental changes or extremes), robustness of the artifacts, and their size – sometimes there just isn’t room in the other storage areas.

The Manitoba Museum is not unique in having to store collection objects in areas where there is little climate control. It is, of course, incumbent upon us to do the best we can in these kinds of spaces. Although covering the objects with plastic does reduce visibility, and hence the ability to spot detrimental changes in condition such as corrosion, that is offset by the protection against dust, which can be damaging in some cases, as well as disfiguring. Having observed the conditions in these spaces, we know the risk of dust falling on the objects is certain, whereas we’ve not encountered the high humidity that would initiate rust.

We always strive to improve the care of our collections wherever we can. All in all, although these storage spaces are not great, the artifacts are now better protected, as well as better documented.

By Jessica VanOostwaard, Conservation Intern

My time at the museum was not only spent treating the artifacts in the museum’s collection but also helping out with other collection work that needed to be done. Whether it was making mounts for “The World is their Oyster: Marvelous Molluscs” exhibit, venturing down into the secluded sub-basement to help organize Archaeology storage boxes or protecting the artifacts by making boxes and monitoring for pesky insects, The Manitoba Museum provided me with useful experience that will be invaluable in my future career, and for that I would like to thank everyone at the Museum for a wonderful opportunity.

By Kathy Nanowin, past Manager of Conservation

The Collections and Conservation Department conducts ongoing maintenance and inventory activities in the Museum Galleries. Most of this work is done during our winter season, when the Museum is closed on Mondays. Recently, we changed our procedures, amalgamating tasks that formerly were done separately.

Now, when working on an exhibit area, all collections management and conservation tasks are completed at the same time: condition checks, cleaning, photography, cataloguing, and inventory checks. This involves preparatory work: searching the collections database to determine whether any new cataloguing or condition reports are needed; assigning catalogue numbers to objects which previously had none; ensuring that any loan objects have up to date paperwork.

Once in the galleries, the actual cleaning, photographing, and application of catalogue numbers takes place.

As with other aspects of collections management, sometimes the bulk of the work happens after what you see us do. In the case of gallery work, more time is often spent in the entry of new catalogue records, entry or update of condition reports, review and saving of digital images, edits or updates of location records.

Our department is focusing on ensuring we have accurate up to date database records for artifacts and specimens in the galleries. It is becoming more urgent as The Manitoba Museum plans for significant gallery changes in the next few years. Any object moves should go smoothly if our records are all perfect. But it is daunting, as we have nine permanent galleries with over 4000 artifacts and specimens on exhibit. We have just begun implementing our new process, and will continue to work at adding to, updating, and perfecting our collection records, concentrating on objects in the galleries.