historic house museums

I am on the board of a historic house museum and have also been a museum professional for the last 15 years. I would like to correspond with staff or board members of historic house museums as a way of sharing information and moving our institution forward.

First question for discussion: what do you do about donor acknowledgments. We don't want to stick plaques all over the period rooms for things like funding a painting restoration or paying for new wall paper. However, as you know, donors like their recognition. Do you put up a single plaque with multiple names in a central location? Do you use mulitple plaques in situ? Or do you have a different method? Many thanks for your help

I, too, would be interested in such discussions, as I also not only work for an organization that runs historic sites around the country, but I also serve on the board of a local site. (However, there was no address with the initial message, so I don't know to whom to respond!)

In dealing with all the Trust's sites, we do not allow plaques in the period rooms. It really detracts from the interpretation! However, we have often had a donor 'wall' where we post lists of donors (and also memorials to others for whom something is given), not only of objects, but also of cash for the purchase and/or care of objects. The wall is usually in a public area where visitors see it - introduction area, museum shop, etc. At the Trust, we actually have a statement in our collections policy that says that we do not use markers and other such things to note donations of objects.

At house museums where I have worked in the past, however, we had a silver engraved plaque on each of the door jambs that announce that there has been a specific donor to the restoration of an individual space. It was fairly unobtrusive, but I don't think it would be continued today - again, the interpretation issue. Is the plaque more important than the room?

Melissa Heaver Director-Museum Collections National Trust for Historic Preservation

I believe that there is an AAM Professional Interest Committee (PIC) focusing on Historic Houses; check with Pat Williams at 202 289-9111. Alternatively you could contact Mary Ellen Conaway, Chair of the AAM's Small Museum Administrators Standing Professional Committee. She is Director of the Racine Heritage Museum and can be reached at 414 636-3926.

Janice Klein Registrar, The Field Museum

As an under-employed Historic House museum volunteer/intern/staffer, I would like to think that you may actually hire one of us to help with this conundrum, but I know you would rather pick our brains. So here goes; At the places I worked we thanked donors with vey flattering articles in our NEWSLETTERS. Yes, thats right, everybody likes to see their name in print especially with photos, photos, photos. The newsletters also served as public relations pieces, fundraisers, and visitor info pieces. You could even produce it right from your desk, maybe with some help from INTERNS and VOLUNTEERS?

jac chin