San Diego History Center exhibit unearths rarely seen artifacts, offers education on curatorial process
By Dave Fidlin | SDUN Reporter
Regardless of venue, most San Diego museums feature a rich assortment of artifacts from days long gone with polished displays and accompanying placards. The numerous, laborious steps taken before spectators have an opportunity to take in an exhibit are featured in the San Diego History Center’s (SDHC) exhibit “Local Treasures from The History Center’s Collections.”
SDHC staff is giving visitors an opportunity to understand the organization’s curatorial process that includes acquiring, processing, cataloging and preserving a variety of artifacts through the exhibit. The process is designed to give future generations an opportunity to enjoy and appreciate photographs, a variety of objects and other items from former eras.
“We collect a wide variety of items, and they come from a wide variety of sources,” said Tammie Bennett, registrar with SDHC. “This is a great opportunity for people to get an idea of what we collect and how we go about the process.”
Of the ways SDHC acquires artifacts for display, Bennett said the majority of SDHC’s collection, approximately 99.8 percent, is acquired through donations. The exhibit will showcase newly acquired and previously unseen artifacts donated to the museum to highlight this facet of the process.
Bennett said there are some notable features of the current exhibit, including a swath of images taken by renowned local photographer Edward H. Davis, whose works included depictions of Native American life. The exhibit includes 43 black-and-white images of a 1936 trip Davis took to Baja California.
A sampling of other artifacts include a 1911 high school cookbook, photos depicting the construction of the towering NBC building in downtown San Diego and images of a 1978 flood that ravaged portions of Mission Valley.
At times, an item is willed to the museum. In a few rare instances, the organization will purchase an item.
“All of these items demonstrate an important part of San Diego’s history,” Bennett said.
In addition to the display, those with memberships to SDHC will go behind the scenes with an in-depth explanation of the process by a SDHC docent.
Potential donors can call the SDHC and make an appointment to discuss an artifact. Donations could be declined for a number of reasons, including the size of the object and its condition. If the SDHC already has a similar item in its collection, staff members refer donors to a different organization.
If museum staff believes an item is a good match for SDHC’s collection, the offer will go before an acquisitions committee for final approval.
Bennett said the process isn’t taken lightly since the SDHC is ultimately responsible for the item once the organization assumes ownership.
“If we take something, we do so with the intent it will be preserved for future generations,” she said.
With preservation in mind, all items in the SDHC collection are stored in a climate-controlled environment that is low in humidity and away from direct sunlight. Lighting in storage areas is filtered through ultra-violet technology. Potential contaminants – including dust – are examined routinely.
“We take many steps to make sure all items are being taken care of properly,” Bennett said.
Once an object is in the SDHC’s collection, staff members go through a cataloging process that includes assigning a numerical designation to ease the process of locating a particular item.
Most items in the museum’s collection are intentionally displayed sporadically – again, with preservation in mind. A majority of the objects in the current exhibit have been acquired within the past five years and have not been on display within the SDHC in the past.
“Local Treasures from The History Center’s Collections” is scheduled to run through May 31, though Bennett said it is possible the exhibit could be extended for a longer duration with other items rotated into the display as others are put back in storage.
At a Glance
WHAT: Exhibit, “Local Treasures from The History Center’s Collections”
WHEN: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily
WHERE: San Diego History Center inside Balboa Park, 1649 El Prado, Suite 3
