Events

GHHN's full-day workshop, held at Museum Village and presented by conservators Rachael Arenstein and Kerith Koss Schrager, will focus on the identification of and safe management of hazardous collections. An array of quiet dangers may be contained within collections housed in museums, archives and historic homes. Some items may be inherently dangerous, like radioactive materials and other items may have been treated with hazardous chemicals over the years like heavy metal pesticides applied to taxidermy. These materials are not always obvious, but they can pose serious risks for collection care and the people caring for collections. Whether a curator, collections manager, registrar or conservator, this workshop will arm participants with the essential tools and knowledge to tackle the hidden dangers that may be lurking in your collection—while ensuring the safety of staff and visitors. The workshop will use the exhibits at the host museum as well as examples from the participants to discuss real-world scenarios commonly seen in cultural heritage contexts. The collection at Museum Village includes taxidermy, natural history specimens (including a mastodon), and the Vernon Drug Store, which holds collections that cover a brief history of medicine in the early 20th century, which are still contained in the pharmaceutical bottles on display.