#curatorial files

[decorativehistory]

Object Files

Object files, or curatorial files, contain all the research the museum has collated on their object. Ideally, it’s the one-stop-shop for curators preparing exhibits, so everything you read on the exhibit label or internet entry is derived from this file.

Inside a well-prepared object file you should expect to find photographs of the object, its provenance (history of ownership prior to the museum), published references to the object, similar objects (both in the same collection and other collections), unpublished research, conservation records, and insurance values. Note, however, that the museum will remove any confidential information, such as the insurance values and deeds of gift.