De-installation

This week, Lauren (the Archives Assistant) and I worked on de-installing the exhibit The Working Drawings of Tom Lovell which has been on display at The Petroleum Museum since September 2009. It was a great exhibit, showing the working process of the artist as well as his relationship with George T. Abell, museum founder who commissioned the fourteen paintings hanging nearby. We were lucky enough to borrow several items from a private collector in Denver, CO, as well as from the Abell-Hanger Foundation. I hope you had a chance to see the exhibit!

De-installation is a museum word that encompasses much more than just taking pictures off the walls. For instance, shipping had to be arranged for those items returning to Denver. I hope this "photo essay" will demonstrate exactly what that word means!


Above: The gallery prior to de-installation. Notice the wooden boxes or crates (we call them coffins) in which most of the drawings are housed.


Above: First, we condition report the items we borrowed. In other words, we compare the drawing's condition now to what it was when we first got it. Luckily, none of the items in this exhibit had any major damage!










Above: For those items we borrowed and then framed, we had to unframe. We carefully took apart the frame, removing the mat. We then removed the object, wrapped in Mylar, from the mat. Then, using white cotton gloves to handle them, we removed the items from their Mylar envelopes. Ta dah!

Most of the objects in the exhibit were from the Museum's permanent collection. They are stored in their frames in the crates.






Above: After condition reporting the drawings, Lauren returns them to their respective crates. Notice the dark gray foam which cushions each frame and protects them from damage.

But we aren't done! After removing the section and object labels, we then have to remove the hardware from the walls.






Above: Lauren works on removing the hardware while I take a moment to catch her in action!

After removing the vinyl lettering from the walls, facilities will prep the galleries for the next exhibit. Hopefully, I'll have a chance to blog about the flip-side of de-installation -- INSTALLATION!