Significance Assessment - bmcc.nsw.gov.au

SIGNIFICANCE ASSESSMENT

A workshop utilising

S IGN I F ICANCE : A guide to assessing the significance of cultural heritage objects and collections

A book produced by the Heritage Collections Councilwritten by Kylie Winkworth and Roslyn Russell with Linda Young

To d a y

• A quick look at museum policies and their importance

• What is significance?

• History of significance?

• What is a significance assessment?

• Step by step process workshop

• Statements of significance

W h a t i s a m u s e u m ?

Mac quarie dic tionary

• Collec t /ke’lεkt/, v t 1. To gather together; assemble. 2. To accumulate; make a collection of. […] 10. To gather or bring together books, stamps, coins etc., Usu. As a hobby.

• Museum /mju’ziem/, n. A building or place for the keeping’ exhibition and study of objects of scientific, artistic and historical interest. [ L, from greek mouseionseat of the muses, place of study, library] second revision 1987

W h a t i s a m u s e u m ?

The dictionary does not carry the term collection as we

in the museum business think of it.

We use the word to describe to sum of the objects held

in the museum or the sum of objects held under a

particular theme such as the military collection or the

cement works collection if all the objects are associated

with a particular person or entity.

M i s s i o n S t a t e m e n t

• A short statement outlining the main purpose

of the museum. There should be a clear

relationship between the mission and the

collection policy.

K ey T h e m e s

• These are the themes intended to be

presented by the museum and its collections.

• When deciding on your museum’s theme’s

consider including a paragraph describing

the scope of each them.

C o l l e c t i o n Po l i c y

COL L E C T ION POL IC IE S

• Statements of principle and commitments to good

museum practice. These policies guide the way the

museum acquires and uses the collection for public

benefit. Everything a museum does should be

consistent with what is in its policies.


• The museum only acquires objects that are

provenanced to the area, or that help interpret

themes, places and people of the district.

Rethinking the collection – collection policy template explanatory notes: Kylie

Winkworth with mgnsw


• Museums hold collections in trus t for the

community for their benefit and enjoyment

W h y h a v e a C o l l e c t i o n Po l i c y ?

• It provides a ethical framework for making sound decisions

• A constant guide for the members of the organisation to ensure consistent operation and growth

• It is impossible for a museum to hold or develop collections unless there is a written, formally approved policy that is used in day-to-day work of the museum.

W h a t d o e s i t d o ?

PUBLIC DOCUMENT

• Guides development

• Provides the why, what, where and when the museum

collects.

Rethinking the collection – collection policy template explanatory

notes, Kylie Winkworth

P r o v e n a n c e

Provenance is the stories attached your objects.

It should be taken into consideration when ac quiring

objec ts and certainly all effort should be made to

record as much provenance as possible on the object

file.

It can be added to as more information comes to light.

P r o v e n a n c e

IT S HOUL D INC L UDE HIS TORY OF THE OBJE C T

• Its use

• Who owned it?

• Who used it?

• How it was used?

• Its meaning and context

S i g n i f i c a n c e

Significance is the historic, aesthetic, scientific and social values that an object has for past present and future generations.

How the provenance of the object relates to

• Your museum’s Collection Policy

• To the region

• To the state

• Nationally

W h a t i s S i g n i f i c a n c e ?

Significance incorporates the elements that

contribute to an object’s or collection’s meaning. Its

• Context

• History

• Uses

• Social or spiritual significance

H i s t o r y o f S i g n i f i c a n c e

• With the establishment of the Heritage Collections Council

(HCC) in 1996 and the development of Australian Museums

on Line (AMOL).

• A recognised need for a set of standardised criteria for

presenting collection data to the wider museum community.

• Recognition that a key goal for all museums is to assess the

significance of their collections.

H i s t o r y o f S i g n i f i c a n c e

• Kylie Winkworth and Roslyn Russell with Linda Young researched different models and adapted the model used by the Australian Heritage Commission and the Australian International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS).

• The assessment criteria were extensively workshopped in museums around Australia.

Reasons why S ign i f i cance Asses sments are very usefu l i n the museum env i ronment

• They can provide well reasoned arguments why an

object should or should not be in a museum

collection.

• Essential for the deaccessioning process.

• Enhances the understanding of the object and the

collection.

Re a s o n s w h y … .

• They can be used to justify expenditure on conservation,

interpretation and display

• Essential when asking for grants for conservation,

interpretation and display.

• They can help the museum involve the community in

their significant objects, and engender support for the

museum

W h a t i s a S i g n i f i c a n c e A s s e s s m e n t ?

A significance assessment is the process of studying and understanding the meanings and values of objects and collections.

It involves 3 simple tasks:

• Analysing the object

• Understanding its history and context

• Identifying its value and meaning for the community

T h e C r i t e r i a

Four primary c riteria

• Historic

• Aesthetic

• Scientific

• Social or spiritual

H i s t o r i c S i g n i f i c a n c e

• An object or collection may be historically

significant for its association with people, events,

places or themes.

• They can range from objects associated with

famous people and important events to objects

used in every day life by ordinary people.

A e s t h e t i c S i g n i f i c a n c e

• An object may be aesthetically significant for its

craftsmanship, style, technical excellence, beauty,

demonstration of skill and execution.

• It may include innovative or traditional objects from

indigenous or folk cultures or high art.

• May be unique or mass produced

Scientific or Research significance

• Potential for further scientific research or

examination.

• Archaeological collection.

• Biological geological and archaeological artefacts

and collections.

• Documentary collections/archives.

S o c i a l o r S p i r i t u a l S i g n i f i c a n c e

• Objects held in community esteem.

• How it may contribute to a community’s identity and

social cohesion.

• Social significance is only for living contemporary

value; if the value has ceased to exist it is of historical

significance.

C o m p a r a t i v e C r i t e r i a

Five comparative criteria to evaluate the degree of

significance

• Provenance

• Representativeness

• Rarity

• Condition, completeness or intactness and integrity

• Interpretive potential

P r o v e n a n c e

• Chain of ownership and its context of use

• Central to establishing historic and scientific

significance

• History of the object

• Ownership of the object

• Use of the object

Re p r e s e n t a t i v e n e s s

• An object may be significant if it represents a

particular category of object, or activity, way of life or

historical theme.

Ra r i t y

• An object may be significant as a rare, unusual or

particularly fine example of its type.

• An object can be both rare and repres entative .

C o n d i t i o n , i n t a c t n e s s a n d i n t e g r i t y

• An object may be significant because it is unusually

complete, or in sound, original condition.

• These objects are said to have integrity.

• Changes and adaptations to an object do not

necessarily diminish significance and can also be

considered an important part of its history – history of

use

I n t e r p r e t i v e p o t e n t i a l

• Objects can be significant as they have the

capacity to interpret and demonstrate aspects of

experience, historical themes, people and activities.

• Links to particular collection and display themes.

C o n s i d e r … .

You should consider all criteria when assessing

significance. However it is not nec es sary to find

evidenc e of all c riteria to justify an objects

significance.

An object may still be highly significant even if only

1 or 2 criteria apply

A s t e p - by - s t e p S i g n i f i c a n c e A s s e s s m e n t

1. Compile a folder containing all available details about the objec t and its his tory

If the object is already accessioned into the collection this information should be on the object or accession sheet. It would also include any photographs and reference material pertaining to the object.


2. Researc h the his tory and provenanc e of

the objec t

Include photos of the object in use, notes on the

owner or the place where is was used, when it

was made or purchased and general history.


3. Talk with donors , owners , users and

relevant community assoc iations

to ensure the context, provenance and potential

social values are understood.


4. Unders tand the context of the objec t

Consider the object’s relationship to other

objects, where it was used, the locality and how it

relates to the history and geography of the

area. Where ever possible record the object in

the context of its use and original location.


5. Analyse and rec ord the fabric of the objec t

Document how an object works, what it is made

of, its manufacture, patterns of wear, repairs and

adaptations. Record the object’s condition (this

process will be part of your cataloguing

procedures).


6. Cons ider comparative examples

Check to see if online databases list other similar or related objects. Check reference books and talk with colleagues and other museums. Judge whether the object is common or rare, in good condition or intact, and if it is well provenanced and documented by comparison to similar objects in other collections.


7. Assess s ignific anc e agains t main c riteria

The main criteria are historic, aesthetic, scientificand social values. Determine the degree of significance by assessing against the comparative criteria – provenance, rarity, representativeness, condition and integrity, and interpretive potential. The criteria will help you analyse and define the object’s significance.


8. Write a suc c inc t S tatement of

S ignific anc e

• It should encapsulate the object’s values and

meaning.

• Do not just say the object is significant – explain

clearly and succinctly why and how it is significant.

S t a t e m e n t o f S i g n i f i c a n c e

Example:

Fong Lee and Ling Collection, 1935

Oxley Museum Wellington NSW

The collection consists of goods left over when Fong lee & company’s store, closed in 1935. Alice ling, wife of the store’s owner William Suey Ling, packed a selection of goods to take with her on a trip to china, which did not eventuate. All the goods were then stored in a warehouse, which remained in Ling family ownership. In 1993 Alice ling’s grandniece, Carol Gass opened the packages. The collection includes shoes, clothing, calendars, mail order catalogues, medicine, groceries, kitchenware and ledger books. The Fong Lee and Ling Collection has historic significance as a rare selection of mixed Chinese and European shop goods, representing the nature of consumption in rural Australia in the 1930s and the role of the Chinese families in early 20thc retailing.

S t a t e m e n t o f S i g n i f i c a n c e

Cabbage tree hat - Illawarra His toric al S oc iety

This cabbage tree hat is a fine, well provenanc ed example of a charac teris tic item of bush dress in the 19thC .

As a group they are signific ant as the only dis tinc tive item of Aus tralian dres s entirely made of Aus tralian materials . The hats have a spec ial plac e in the developing egalitarian mythology of bush life, desc ribed by authors suc h as Henry L awson. Writers noted that the wealth and status of wearers could not be determined under their battered and sun darkened cabbage tree hats . They were worn by convic ts , shepherds , squatters , miners on the goldfields , explorers in the outbac k and larrikins in the inner c ity.

This cabbage tree hat and its his tory helps tease out the relationship between people and the environment in the Illawarra, linking the lands c ape with the settler ’s skills , their exploitation of loc al materials and informal ways of supplementing inc omes . Cabbage tree hats c learly demons trate the adaptation of traditional British skills to the raw materials available in the environment, driven by c limatic needs . This example is signific ant for being provenanc ed to a partic ular loc ality, with the capac ity to interpret the dis tinc tive his tory and charac ter of the region.

Thank you

[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

Documents

Significance Assessment - bmcc.nsw.gov.au