Blog Post #6: A Critical and Caffeinated Eye

Blog Post #6: A Critical and Caffeinated Eye

            I was so happy I could dance. After a month, I was finally doing something where I could drink coffee and work at the same time. Some who are not chained to the caffeinated beast will not understand the struggle, but those that are in such a position know my plight. (We regret nothing.) At the very start of my internship, I was working at Ft. Condé on the second floor. On this floor was a coffee pot. It was beautiful. Because the fort serves as the welcome center for the city of Mobile, the coffee pot is normally on for the volunteers who work on the first floor. This meant that my fix was only a couple of feet away whenever I needed it during the day. Once I went over to the main building, all of that changed. While there was coffee in the kitchen, circumstances prevented me from getting any to drink during my time in my next two sections. In Collections, I felt it best not to bring coffee around some 100+ year old artifacts, especially with my klutzy self. While working in Exhibits, it was difficult to even find a moment to stand still, let alone drink a cup of coffee. Now, I am not complaining about my time in either of these sections. I enjoyed my time in both tremendously; I am only saying I like having my cuppa joe. When I first walked into Scotty’s office on Tuesday, and we finished chatting about his responsibilities in the museum, he asked me something that almost made me burst into happy-tears.

            “You wanna get some coffee?”

I kid you not, it was like that man had a halo over his head.

            My time with Scotty was very enjoyable and perhaps the most comfortable time I’ve had so far. I had two large tasks that stretched over three days. First, I was to go through both of the permanent exhibit halls and write down what I like and didn’t like about them. Second, I was given the manuscript for Scotty’s biography of Roderick Mackenzie that is to be published near the opening of the India exhibit. (Hint Hint: You people need to come buy it when it comes out.) I say that I was comfortable doing these things because as a history major, I’ve been doing stuff like this since the beginning. Doing the exhibit critique was just like doing a large book review. First, I examined the flow of the exhibit to see how visitors would experience it. Next, I looked at each of the sections and examined how they fit into the story as a whole. Finally, I looked to see how the exhibit was put together and executed. After I finished my critique, I read through Scotty’s manuscript as another proofer in the long line of editors that have raked over its pages. If there is one thing that History majors can do, it’s read books. Suffice to say, I felt right at home working with Scotty. Sadly, my time with Scotty will be short. He was lucky enough to be selected to stay in a secluded writer’s cottage in northern Georgia for two weeks to work on his book. In other words, he is living every historian’s dream. This means that I am intern-orphaned for the next week. I am very curious to see how it turns out, but I’m sure it will be fun. (I just hope there is coffee.)

So with more to come,

Seth Kinard

Blog Post #5: The Magic Bull Moose Technique

Blog Post #5: The Magic Bull Moose Technique

          While thinking to myself about what this blog post’s theme should be, (because that is how I’ve always written anything ever) I was inspired by my go-to muse, Walt Disney and Disney World. Over my many years of being educated, I have often been called upon to do these things called “assignments.” I dislike them, but I suppose they do make me learn things and get grades along the way. When I get assigned something that is specific—book reviews, text specific essay prompts, short answer—I have no problem creating a beautiful masterpiece that makes my teachers/professors cry great tears of joy. (I hope none of them read this.) When it comes to the more open-ended assignments such as research essays, speeches, and briefings, my mind hits a roadblock. There are just too many topics out there; I have trouble deciding on exactly which one to pick. (It’s like walking into a candy store to find that everything is on sale, you don’t know what to get first.) During the spring semester of my freshmen year, I discovered an answer: Disney. When called upon to do an assignment where the topic was entirely up to me, I would always go with something to do with Walt Disney or Disney World. It was genius. A biographical speech on Walt Disney’s life and a briefing on his leadership qualities are two applications of my super-secret technique. (You have all consented to a non-disclosure agreement by reading this blog post. Feel free to email me at tellno1@imjustkidding.com for your 500 page word document.) Once I got a bit further along at Troy, I had to amend this technique to include the prospect of legitimate historical research so I added Theodore Roosevelt to the mix, officially making it the Magic Bull Moose Technique. I have written this rather long intro in order to keep all of you, my dear readers, from thinking that I am a wackadoodle.  (I may or may not have succeeded.)

            Working in Exhibits is like Disney World: You don’t get to sit down much, you end the day feeling very tired, and even though you spend all day doing stuff, there is always something else that still needs to be done. Also, it is awesome. I spent my two weeks in Exhibits doing a variety of work, never repeating what I’d done before. Whether it was making mounts for an artifact, (Cheston made the mounts, I was his trusty assistant) deciding the arrangement of artifacts in the cases, or taking a field trip somewhere to run an errand, I had a blast.

            The best part of Exhibits was the fact that I got to learn something new every day. I’ll be honest; I would not be the most helpful employee at The Home Depot. Sure, I like to watch home repair and woodworking shows as much as the next guy, but I have no experience doing anything like what Jacob and Cheston do down in the shop. These two weeks changed all that. I got to do all sorts of stuff: make mounts, frame pictures, sand plastic, and improvise. (There was a lot of that last one.) Of all the toys in the shop, I have to say the plastic bender is the coolest. It is used to bend pieces of plastic into different angles so they can be used (or reused) for a specific artifact. One reason why I like it is because of the broke college student mentality of reusing things instead of buying new ones. The other reason is because it is a long metal rod that melts plastic enough that you can bend it into different shapes. (How is that not cool?!)

            Another great part about Exhibits is the designing of cases. Whenever you go into a museum exhibit, you never think about the work that goes into making that exhibit a reality. Most just look in the cases and never think of the thought and time spent on each case. Well, let me tell you something: A lot goes into making each case look just right. (Including a lot of bent plastic.) Take a look at an exhibit during artifact installation (image below).

Exhibit during installation

This is what it looks like after the cases have already been crafted and installed. Imagine the chaos during that adventure.  Jacob and Cheston taught me a lot during my time with them. One of them was the importance of Novus.

Novus - plastic cleaner and polish

I was very acquainted with this bottle. Novus is a plastic cleaner and polish that helps repair slight scratches in the surface of plastics. You can imagine how handy this stuff is considering almost every one of the mounts and all the cases in the exhibit are made with a clear plastic.

            The first two cases I had a hand in designing were the armor case and the camera case. The armor case included an arm brace, a shield, and a helmet. These items were moved around in the case several times before the three of us came to an agreement on their current position. The camera case was fun to do because we got to arrange it in such a fun way. Jacob pointed out the different ways to bring people’s focus to a case. (Unfortunately, I can’t tell you, the Museum Code and all.) The camera case is pointed toward the visitor as they walk towards it, immediately catching the visitor’s attention. Perhaps the most interesting thing about this case is the way the clear mount was used to make the camera appear as if it is floating above the slide holders.

Armor case

Camera case

            One of the most troublesome cases we did was the hunting case. This case included my precious Katar, a helmet, a real boar skull, (killed by a relative of Jacob) and a double barrel shotgun. There is also a picture by Mackenzie called Pig Sticking. The trouble with this case was getting the gun to fit. Jacob wanted the gun to be opened (it was a breech loading gun) similar to a photograph used close by. This presented problems making it fit within the confines of the plastic case. Although after seeing the finished case, it is easy to say that is was worth it. What do you think?

Hunting case

      Another important lesson that Exhibits taught me is that everybody’s thoughts matter when trying to figure something out. Jacob and Cheston always included me on the planning of cases. One of my favorites that all three of us had a hand in is the magic lantern case. This case is cool because it showcases the creativity that can go into an exhibit. The lantern projector—or one similar to it—was used by Mackenzie during his lecture series on India to showcase his slide photos. This case includes two of those hand tinted slides. Above the case is a new projector that will be showing images of Mackenzie’s other slides on the wall across from the case. This will make it look like the magic lantern is once again showing off the beautiful photographs of Mackenzie.

Magic Lantern case

            I had a great time these past two weeks. It really was like a theme park. I had a lot of fun going on the different “rides” of Exhibits, each one different but moving toward the overall completion of the India exhibit. I learned a lot of things during my time here. With half of my internship now over, I am beginning to see an issue with this whole “finding out which aspect of museum work I like best” thing. It’s like the kid in the candy store all over again. I don’t think the Magic Bull Moose Technique will work on this though…

Keep an eye out because next week I’m with fellow Troy Trojan, Scotty Kirkland, Curator of History!

So with more to come,

Seth Kinard

Blog Post #4: Alabama Jackson and the Mackenzie Treasure

Blog Post #4: Alabama Jackson and the Mackenzie Treasure

            He had finally found them, The Last Crystal Temple of the Ark…of India. (LCTA…I) Their organization’s name had always struck Alabama Jackson (my Indiana Jones-esque alter ego) as vaguely familiar, but he decided not to question it further lest he delve into the world of copyright infringement. A bullet lodged itself into the tree near his head.

            “Sweet Roderick Mackenzie!”

Jackson darted from his hiding place, annoyed at the persistence of his pursuers. Why did they have to try to kill him? All he did was pry into the secrets of their organization, fly to the backwoods of the Indian subcontinent, trek through the forest for three days, raid their giant warehouse of Roderick Mackenzie artifacts and make off with said artifacts in the dead of night. They were making a big deal out of nothing.

            As their shouts grew louder, Jackson ran towards the water and hoped that Cheston, museum attendant and trusty sidekick, was finishing up. He doubted they had much time left. As he entered the clearing surrounding the river’s bank, he saw him quickly loading the Mackenzie artifacts into his boat. Their plan was a good one. Since the LCTA…I’s compound was by the river, they could utilize that for their escape. While Jackson had slogged through the dense forest for days, Cheston had quietly floated downriver with a boat. Once he had gotten his hands on the artifacts, Jackson had placed them safely on an inflatable raft and sent it downstream to where Cheston waited to load them up. He would then distract the henchmen by leading them through the forest to keep the heat off of Cheston while he got the raft. After a set amount of time, he would make his way back to the river bank and the two of them would return to Mobile and deliver the goods to Dr. Brooks and the Museum.

           

And that is exactly (maybe?) how the artifacts for the Ark of India Exhibit were procured.

            I might be embellishing just a bit, but that is precisely how I felt in Collections these past two weeks. I worked with historical artifacts and that is enough to make every history geek feel like Indiana Jones. My first day started with a tour of Collections by my new mentor Curator, Holly Jansen. The best part was the museum’s weapon collection. They had swords, pole axes, guns and even Samurai armor. Suffice it to say, I was in heaven. My time in Collections was spent writing condition reports on the artifacts to be used in the India exhibit. For these reports, I examined the artifact for any markings, discoloration, damage, and other issues that would affect the appearance and overall "health" of the artifact. (I did a lot of these…)

            I practiced completing reports under the direction of Lori McDuffie, Museum Registrar, on the crowns and scepters of the royalty of Mardi Gras past. This was really cool to do because I got to look and handle artifacts that had such a deep tie to my hometown of Mobile. (We did Mardi Gras first, people. Forget about New Orleans.) These crowns were really impressive, though I will say checking to make sure all of those rhinestones were secure got a bit taxing on the eyes.

Mardi Gras crowns and scepters from History Museum of Mobile collection

            After I got my feet wet with those, I began to work on the India Artifacts. This was pure awesomeness. There are different categories of artifacts, including: Textiles, 2-D, and 3-D. I spent my time doing the 2-D and 3-D artifacts, because the thought of touching hundred year old brittle fabrics makes me (and probably the museum) a bit antsy. The 2-D artifacts included letters, paintings, copper etchings, photographs, and glass slides. These pieces were beautiful. My favorites were the glass slides taken by Mackenzie during his time in India. (To help my wonderful readers envision the awesomeness of Collections, I’ve taken pictures this time around.)

Various artifacts that will be in Ark of India exhibit. From History Museum of Mobile collection

Roderick MacKenzie glass slide from History Museum of Mobile collection

     After finishing the 2-D items (which took a very long time) I began to work with the 3-D artifacts. These items are more varied and included: 2 shields, a sword, a dagger, a camera and its accessories, a projector, a 5 ft. tall hookah, and large and ornate tray. These were the things that really made me feel like Indiana Jones. One thing in particular proved to be the inspiration for my Indiana Jones themed post: a Lingam Stone. It is a sacred stone from the Narmada River in India. It is said to be an embodiment of Shiva. When I first learned this, my mind immediately went to the Sankara Stones from Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. (My thanks to Scott Corcoran, Collections Technician, for reminding me of what those things were called.)

Various artifacts that will be in Ark of India exhibit. From History Museum of Mobile collection

Lingam Stone from the Narmada River in India from History Museum of Mobile collection

Ornate tray from History Museum of Mobile collection

         Another interesting artifact in the India exhibit is a dagger called a Katar. It is no secret that I am a weapons guy, and considering I’ve gushed about this thing to anyone at the museum who has asked me about it, I don’t think it will be a surprise to anyone that it is my favorite.( Just look at it and all of its glorious awesomeness!

Katar from History Museum of Mobile collection

            On my last day in Collections, I helped Lori move the artifacts to the exhibit hall so Jacob and Cheston (And me!) can begin to place them in the display cases next week. It was a pleasure to be a part of this department for two whole weeks and I enjoyed every minute of it. It has really made me consider focusing on this aspect of museum work in the future. Because of that, it was with excitement, a bit of sadness, and 156 condition reports behind me that I left Collections to move onward to Exhibits.

So with more to come,

Alabama Jackson

(Seth Kinard)