Working with objects
Archaeologists and historians depend on artefacts and documents to piece together the history of a place, a person or a time. The 'Small Object Big Story' project will involve participants in making and classifying a collection.
Interpretation: One object, many stories
- Each participant chooses an object from their personal collections, classroom or home.
- Discuss the idea that any object can have a number of different stories attached to it or different ways of looking at it. For example, a shell from a midden could be examined by a zoologist, an anthropologist and an Aboriginal heritage worker.
- Choose an object and use it as an example. Explain that the participants will be adding a perspective (interpretation) to the object of their choice. They can even make something up about their object(s).
- Alternatively, each participant could write Story One about a particular object and then another participant could offer an alternative interpretation in Story Two. This could also be carried out in small groups.
- Participants present their interpretations to the group.
If objects could talk
This task creates a dialogue between objects or between an object and a participant.
Discuss the conventions of written dialogue, then:
- practise writing a dialogue between two people
- create a dialogue between any two objects
- work in pairs to develop a joint dialogue
- perform or read the dialogue to the group
Building a collection
Stage 1: Getting to know the objects
- Each participant brings an object (artefact) from home – for example, a postcard, letter, book, toy, jewellery
- Pairs of participants familiarise themselves with their artefacts. For example, sketch them from different angles, describe them in detail and handle them.
- Participants record the details for their objects (see example below). Then, when ready, they could examine the objects of two other participants.
Example chart:
| Detail | Description |
|---|---|
| Name of object | Hand held manual food mixer |
| Size | Length: 30cm, width: 6cm |
| Fabric | Metal and blue plastic beaters |
| Origin | England |
| Special features | Plastic grip turning handle |
| How it operates | Right hand holds the grip while left hand turns handle |
| Used by | Food/kitchen and use, probably women Beats and aerates cakes, batters, liquids |
| Date | 1950 |
| Modern equivalent | Hand-held electric mixer and blender |
| Why design changed? | Quicker and improves aeration and blending |
Stage 2: Preserving the evidence
When archaeologists and historians find and collect artefacts, these objects often need special care to preserve them. Conservation of objects is also a major concern for museums and their collections.
Using any two objects brought to the group (see Stage 1 above), participants consider how to conserve their objects for the next 100 years using the chart below as a guide:
Example chart:
| Detail | Description |
|---|---|
| Name of object | Souvenir ticket to the Swimming Events, Sydney Olympics |
| Date /Age | Sept 23, 2000 |
| Made from | Paper |
| Fragile parts | Entire ticket is fragile, especially at the edges |
| Best storage method | Store flat between two layers of cardboard |
| Best handling method | Gloves to be worn; object held on flat of palm |
| Potential danger | Avoid moisture, moths & mice |
Stage 3: Making collections
Museums classify and store objects in collections. These activities demonstrate the process.
- Working in groups and using all the objects brought in, participants devise a system of classification. There are several methods:
- by date (e.g. 1950–1960)
- by type of object (e.g. ‘tools’ or ‘personal clothing’),
- by collection type (e.g. Science or History collections, or more specifically History collection – personal letters or History collection – domestic tools).
- Each group records the reasons why they chose their system of classification and defends their system in discussion. After the discussion, the whole class should reach consensus on one method.
Stage 4: Documenting collections
Collection staff working in museums attach tags with the registration information to each object. They also sometimes number the object itself in tiny print. This registration information can be clearly seen on many of the objects in a museum.
For example, registration tag for a Social History collection object:
Bottle opener, 10 cm long, stainless steel. Made in Australia for the 1956 Olympics; bottle opener end in the shape of a running shoe with the words Melbourne Olympics, 1956, engraved along the shaft; souvenir for the tourist market. Registration Number: 27; Collection: Melbourne Events – Souvenir.
On loan from the Kellet family.
- When the categories of objects are finalised, they can be physically grouped into collections, and then labelled and numbered. This activity could be organised in groups. For example, one group makes the labels, another works out the numbering system, the third group writes the labels, and the fourth group tags the objects.
- One group of participants can make an electronic database of the objects using the registration numbers and the object descriptions from the work already completed. (See: Stage 1: Getting to know the objects; Stage 2: Preserving the evidence).