Bad writing in Museums

The Field Museum used to have a couple of howlers. The label for the Arctic fox was remarkable, hedging all of its bets yet still producing a marvellous, flowing cadence: 'Does not turn completely white when there is but little snow.'

Then there were the lions of Tsavo, made famous in the recent film 'The Ghost and the Darkness.' Yes, the Museum has them on display. The label attempted to make a distinction between the railroad workers killed by the lions

There are also many museum writers who confuse contractions and possessive prononuns... David Haberstich

'A murder is only an extroverted suicide.'

And I'm caught with my stuttering finger again. Actually, there are people who can't tell the difference between real nuns and

That was just...painful. Someone should rap your knuckles with a ruler.

The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum used to have a label by the prairie dog exhibit that said: 'a family of prairie dogs can eat as much as a cow.' I heard more than one visitor say: 'I didn't know they were carnivorous!'

David, don't you mean protonuns? I believe that's what both Sally Field and Julie Andrews have been.

At 10:41 AM 6/30/98 EDT, you wrote: Katherine Steiner Stocker 'If the world were a logical place, men would ride side-saddle.'

Was this an example of bad writing or bad reading (or both)?

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In England, some early stationary steam engines have domed boilers; these are popularly known as 'Haystack Boilers', because of the shape. A friend of mine was walking through a display of early steam engines in the Science Museum when she overheard a family group discussing one of these exhibits, including the comment: 'I wonder why anyone should want to boil a haystack.'

best wishes and 'there but for the grace of God go all of us',

fp Frances Palmer, Keeper of Musical Instruments The Horniman Museum & Gardens 100 London Road, London SE23 3PQ

I would strongly suggest you read the New Museum Registration Methods section on Risk Management, including the chapter on Insuranc by Sean Tarpey. This will give you a better idea of whether or not you SHOULD undertake an object-by-object appraisal for your collection rather than establish a probable maximum loss level of coverage and insure your collection for fair market value at time of loss, rather than a predetermined appraisal ('scheduled value' that will need to be updated on a regular basis.

Janice Klein Registrar, The Field Museum

Unfortunately, if you insure with a 'last scheduled' value, unless it specifically states otherwise in your insurance policy, you are reimbursed for that value, no matter how much more the object may be worth at time of loss. Adjustment after loss only applies if it is in your insurance policy, not as a matter of course.

Janice Klein Registrar, The Field Museum

At 11:55 AM 7/14/1998 -0400, you wrote: