Two steps forward

I spent my onsite day this week mostly going through some files that the librarian believed were part of the Brundage archive that had been removed but not re-filed. The files were in bad shape with paperclips rusting onto the paper and multiple copies of newspaper articles. All of which made me suspect that no archivist would have left them in this condition. This was confirmed when I tried to match it to the finding aid, which are really pretty good, and they just did not match. So, so I cleaned up the files and we determined that they were likely from some vertical file not related to Brundage which had never been processed. It was interesting from the point of gaining information about the museum in general but a waste of time from my specific mission.

I received approval from the site supervisor on my proposal and forwarded it to Pat. I also had to run the proposal by HR who were afraid I was doing an unsanctioned internship. But that has all been smoothed over. I managed to get contact information for the curators and as soon as I formulate my questions I can start setting up interviews.

Refining the process

This week has been spent refining my proposal and forwarding it to both Pat and my site supervisor John at the Asian Art Museum (AAM). I re-rad the finding aids at the Brundage archive to help me narrow down the boxes that I think are most likely to be desired by the curators.
The boxes have been divided into three sections:

• The Art Files - files related to the acquisition by Brundage. Includes correspondence, dealer invoices, and foreign asset control. These comprise the first 41 boxes of the collection.
• Museum Files -  files relate to the formation of AAM these are contained in boxes 42-62. Includes: 
• memos
• notes & clippings
• subject correspondence
• appraisals
• agreements & inventories
• minutes & reports
• miscellaneous
• museum boxes
• Later files- related to the move to the new building at Civic Center>
  I suspect that the the Art Files will be the most desirable items> but the appraisals and agreements & inventories may also be desired, Now I need to meet with the librarian and begin to formulate my questions for the curators.

small steps

    I have made little progress this week. Partially because I am out of state. But I have been emailing the librarian at the AAM trying to work out a schedule. I am planning to go in for a half day each Monday. Which is fine with him except that the next monday is Labor day So all I can manage is to go in on my lunch break a couple of times next week.
     My initial thought for the project was to find out what sort of items the curators would find most useful from the Brundage archive and make those available digitally through a program similar to the one we use to put images from the collection. But since I made a visit to the Chevron Corporate archives last month I have been considering other options. At the Chevron Archives the archivists present a more finished report the filtered facts rather that giving requestors the raw materials.
     So I have begun to wonder if it might be more useful to create a database of provenance. A sort of family tree for the collection pieces. What I need to do is formulate a questionaire for the curators and find out which type of format would be most useful to them. I have never tried to compose a questionaire, so this will be my first challenge.