The Smithsonian Forum on Material Culture held its 96th meeting on Thursday, April 3rd, 2014 at the Donald W. Reynolds Center for American Art and Portraiture to celebrate the longevity of Smithsonian collections. This Forum was the second of a three part series focusing on the theme of “longevity” – the longevity of Smithsonian buildings, collections, and staff.
Building on the success of the May 2013 Forum on the lifespan of Smithsonian buildings, the April meeting explored how collections acquired in the distant past, some more than 150 years ago, have been recently reinterpreted and reexamined resulting in new discoveries and information based on additional research, analysis, and the use of new technologies.
The evening began with a gallery tour led by Tiarna Doherty, Chief of Conservation at SAAM, and Amber Kerr, Conservator at SAAM.
Kim Sajet, Director of the National Portrait Gallery, and Bill Tompkins, Director of the National Collections Program, introduced the evening.
Presentations and Discussions included:
“The First Smithsonian Collection: the European Engravings of George Perkins Marsh,” by Helena Wright, Curator of Graphic Arts at NMAH.
“The Longevity of Polynesian Barkcloth from the US Exploring Expedition and Its Use in Research and Analysis,” by Adrienne Kaeppler, Curator of Oceanic Ethnology at NMNH.
“The Freer’s Cosmic Buddha: Laser Scanning as a Research Tool,” by Keith Wilson, Curator of Ancient Chinese Art at FSG.
“Aircraft Fabric Reconsidered,” by Carl Bobrow, Museum Specialist at NASM.
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