Collections Inventory Commences at the Nichols House Museum

Nichols House Museum Inventory Team Members, left to right: Ashley Jahrling, assistant to the director; Emma Welty and Lauren Reddy, fall semester interns.

An important part of a museum’s mission is to preserve its collection, whether it be of fine art or dinosaur bones, for future generations’ study and enjoyment. This month, the Nichols House Museum began an important part of the ongoing preservation process—the collection inventory.

Led by Assistant to the Director Ashley Jahrling and Boston-area student interns Lauren Reddy, a graduate student at Tufts University’s Museum Studies program, and Emma Welty, an art history major at Mass College of Art, the inventory process confirms each object is displayed in the correct location and is recorded in the museum’s collection database.  A museum’s collection database, or catalog, contains individual records about each object owned by the museum, recording information such as who owned the object in the past, how it was created, and its location in the museum. By completing an inventory every five to 10 years, in accordance with the American Alliance of Museum’s “Best Practices” recommendation, the Nichols House Museum will confirm the objects in its care are safely preserved for visitor enjoyment.

Curious about the Nichols House Museum’s fine art and antiques collection? The museum’s catalog can be found online at www.nicholshousemuseum.org.

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