The Nichols House has stood atop Beacon Hill since 1804 displaying its
beautiful architectural design elements to the outside world. During the
residency of the Nichols Family from 1885 to 1961, the house was filled with a
diverse art collection, and was occupied by accomplished and significant
owners, making it an important house that has earned a place in the pages of
Boston’s history. Since 1962, the Nichols House Museum has preserved the home
and the collections within “as an historic house museum reflecting the domestic
life of a typical family of Beacon Hill at the turn of the last century.”[1] The house museum’s collection includes fine
17th to 19th century furniture, art, tapestries,
sculpture, and other pieces of decorative art from both America and abroad.[2]
Everything in the museum’s collection was owned and collected by the Nichols
family and Rose Standish Nichols, the last family member to reside in the
house, specified in her will that the house shall remain open for public
viewing thus creating a historic house museum.
Ashley Jarhling
Bannon, the Head of Stewardship and Interpretation, was interviewed for this
paper so that further data could be gained regarding the museum’s institutional
priorities, environmental controls in place to protect the overall conditions
of the collections, and the policies in place for preservation and disaster
planning. Ashley was an excellent source of information and provided facts that
were not readily available online or at the museum.
Characteristics
Governance
Structure & Institutional Priorities:
The
Nichols House Museum is overseen by a 19-member board of governors and run by
an executive director; the current executive director having taken up the
position in spring of 2015. Three additional employees are listed on the museum’s
website: the Head of Stewardship and Interpretation, a staff member in charge
of visitor services, and a Curatorial and Administrative Specialist. The
museum’s institutional priorities, or strategic plan, contain four main points
that act as goals for which the museum is striving to achieve in the future.
The main points are:
1.
Enhance visitor
experience by expanding educational programs and creating specialized tours
2.
Become an accredited
museum in 2016 through the AAM's accreditation program
3.
Maintain and preserve the
1804 building structure and its contents
4.
Maintain financial
strength
Progress towards reaching these goals can be
found throughout the museum’s annual reports; the last two are made available
to the public on their website, 2013-2014 and 2014-2015. Additional sources
containing institutional information are the newsletters, also available on the
website, and information regarding preservation projects can be found under the
“Preservation” tab nestled under the “House & Collection” drop down menu.
Despite
the presence of these institutional documents on the museum’s website, the
Nichols House Museum’s efforts to appear transparent to the public have been
limited over the past few years. The “Preservation” page on
nicholshousemuseum.org features project descriptions and images for only four
of these undertakings, the last of which was completed in 2010. This page has
not been kept updated and in order to find discussions on more recent
preservation efforts one must comb through the annual reports and newsletters,
and the information within those are often just brief updates rather than full
project descriptions, making it difficult to gain a full understanding of what
exactly each project described. The newsletters provided on the website also do
not seem to be have been updated recently as the last one posted was from
October 2015; the timing for the release of newsletters is unclear and is not
consistent.
Characterization of site in terms of collections:
Elaine Heumann Gurain suggests
in her article exploring the meaning of objects preserved in museums, historic
sites, museums, and similar institutions of memory are “the tangible evidence
of the spirit of a civilized society.”[3]
This statement holds a particular truth when considering the collections
preserved by the Nichols House Museum. The historic house, the art objects in
contains, and the historical documents relating to the house and its prior
inhabitants can be characterized as tangible objects that contain the spirit of
the Nichols family, particularly Rose Standish Nichols, and the 20th
century Bostonian society in which they lived. As Gurain also suggests, it is
not the objects themselves that evoke the essence of the museum or characterize
their collections; instead, she proposes that essence of a museum is found by
thinking of the museum as being “a place
that stores memories and presents and organizes meaning in some sensory form.”[4]
That being said the Nichols House Museum should be characterized as a place
that makes use of the original objects collected by Rose and the other members
of the Nichols Family to tell the story of their lives and the lives of those
who lived atop Beacon Hill in the early 1900s.
Services
offered & functions served:
As explained above, the objects
found within a museum do not characterize the institution, instead, the
characterization comes from what is accomplished using the objects. Gurian
states, “For it is the story told, the message given, and the ability of social
groups to experience it together that provide the essential ingredients of
making a museum important.”[5]
This suggests that the visitor’s experience at a historic house museum should
be treated as one of the most important priorities; therefore, a museum’s audience
should drive the creation of rich services and public programming. Vagnone and
Ryan also stress this concept in their Anarchist’s
Guide to Historic House Museums as they consistently point out throughout
their chapters the importance of collaborating with visitors on the type and
quality of programming provided and connecting the site with the community
surrounding it.[6]
Obviously, the main services
offered to the visitors of the Nichols House are guided tours by knowledgeable
docents. The guided tours cover topics such as, American and European Antiquities,
American History, Beacon Hill or Boston History, and Women’s History. As
suggested in the newsletters, the themes of these tours are consistently in
flux with new thematic tours emerging every so often. The creation of these
specialized tours follows the museum’s strategic plan for expanding their
educational programs and visitor experiences. Other public programs include
lectures by prominent museum professionals and a book club that has focused its
reading list on the private library collected by Rose Standish Nichols. Upcoming
public programing and various museum events are consistently posted on the
museum’s website and on their social media pages. Themes for guided tours,
however, are not publicized widely, and are only occasionally mentioned in a
monthly newsletter.
Apart from public programming
and the services provided by the museum to visitors who are capable of
physically visiting the house, the Nichols House museum is also striving to
reach audiences through the web and thereby providing greater accessibility to
their collections. However, meeting the demand of museum audiences for greater
accessibility to their collections is not as simple as digitizing collection
records and images of the collection objects and creating a link to the image
repository from their website.[7]
And yet, as of now, this is exactly what the Nichols House has done. Their
collections management system, PastPerfect, is made publically available online
to help further educate those interested in learning about specific pieces in
the collection.
For a small house museum, their
online system and amount of collection images available to view seems fairly
robust though lacking in standardized metadata and proper descriptive titles
for collection objects. Central to image cataloging, and particularly important
in a digital environment, are complete descriptive information and subject
cataloging records attached to each image of an object. This is because it is
the cataloging of the image that makes images available for search and
retrieval.[8]
For example art objects within their collections management system appear to be
given titles that are truly just identifiers for what type of object is it;
such as, drawing, tapestry, bowl, etc. This lack of descriptive titles for each
individual object may result in inaccurate search retrievals when a user is
trying to locate one specific tapestry, or one specific drawing. Coburn and
Baca state that “access to collections should be data driven” and that by
standardizing metadata and adhering to best practices for descriptive
cataloging the museum is increasing access to collection records to diverse
audiences with varying needs, both in and outside of the museum.[9]
Environment
Controls
in place:
Environmental
controls are set up to protect the objects in the museum’s collection from
potential damage or harm. Ashley Bannon,
pointed out that as a historic structure, the building envelope is not a
perfect seal and there are fluctuations in temperature and humidity; however,
these are the conditions the objects are used to, and they expand and contract
with the seasons. At the Nichols House there are data-loggers in every room
that are recording the temperature and relative humidity which are downloaded
every two months so that the data may be analyzed. The windows are covered with
UV filtering panels, and the house has heat and A/C. There is also a
dehumidifier in the cellar which helps a lot in the summer months, and bug
traps which are checked twice a year. Additionally, security and safety systems
throughout the house have been upgraded to include the protection of important
objects in our permanent collection.[10]
Pressing
environmental concerns:
Ashley
Bannon stated that the most pressing environmental concern currently facing the
physical art collection is light damage, and the most pressing projects are the
reproduction of the third floor curtains and the front portico restoration
project.
Preservation & Disaster Planning
Disaster
Plan:
Ashley Bannon provided the fact
that the Nichols House Museum does have a disaster plan in place through the dPlan website program, and just like other institutional plans and policies, this plan is
not made publically available. The Online Disaster-Planning Tool for
Cultural and Civic Institutions is a free online tool and template that was
created to simplify and assist in the process of writing a disaster plan. The
disaster-planning template was prepared by the Northeast Document Conservation Center (NEDCC) and the
Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC) and the development of the
template was funded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and
the National Center for Preservation Technology and Training (NCPTT).
Institutions only need to enter information about their institution into the
fill-in-the-blank template and once completed, dPlan generates a printed
disaster plan specific to your institution. “The resulting plan contains
contact information for staff and key personnel, preventive maintenance
checklists, salvage techniques, and much more.”[11]
Preservation
Efforts:
The museum makes an effort to
provide the public with information on preservation projects through their
website which contains a page detailing several past projects and through their
newsletters and annual reports which can also be found on their website. As
stated previously, the “Preservation” page, however, appears fairly outdated
with the last project documented having been completed in 2010. More recent
preservation projects can be found discussed in newsletters, the last published
in fall of 2015, and in the museum’s annual reports. The 2013-2014 annual
report states that a Historic Structures Report was completed during that year
which provides the outline for a long-range Preservation Project Plan for the
Museum.[12]
The following information collected describes preservation efforts and projects
by the Nichols House Museum.
In terms of the art collection
and other artifacts displayed throughout the museum the following preservation
procedures have been undertaken and completed. Reproductions of all the prints
are on display, while the originals are stored away; the same goes for the
Parents’ bedroom bed hangings and all original rugs which were cleaned and
stored away, with replacements now in the rooms, with the exception of the
parlor rug, that original rug is still the. The tapestries throughout the house
and Rose’s original bed hangings have been cleaned and stabilized. All wooden furnishings,
a total of 27 pieces, have been conserved and stabilized; a project funded
through a grant from the Conservation Project Support program of the Institute
of Museum and Library Services and carried out by the conservation team from
Robert Mussey Associates.[13]
In 2013, the museum received a
generous grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services towards the
conservation of all 42 prints in the Museum’s collection.[14]
The conservation was conducted by the Northeast Document Conservation Center and
efforts proceeded in two rotations so as not to remove the entire collection
from the museum at any one time.[15]
The prints returned from the Northeast Document Conservation Center in February
of 2015.[16] With
the work completed, the original prints are now in archival storage and
archival reproductions are on display, and labeled as such, in accordance with
the strong recommendation of the NEDCC.[17]
These preservation efforts of
the art collection have resulted in the displaying of reproductions, rather
than the original object, and it must be considered whether the display of
reproductions dilutes the visitor’s experience. Gurain points out that museums
have frequently displayed copies of their holdings and that historically, these
reproductions are treated with the same respect accorded to the real thing and
though there are differences between the original object and its reproduction,
both have a place within a museum’s walls.[18]
As a historic house museum the
Nichols House is not only responsible for the care and preservation of their
collection holdings, but also of the historic Bullfinch designed townhouse that
was constructed in 1804. With the support of grants from the Massachusetts
Historical Commission and various private foundations, and with the fundraising
efforts of board members, the Nichols House Museum has been able to undertake
several major preservation projects that address some critically needed work on
the historic house museum’s structure. Images documenting these preservation
efforts and projects undertaken by the museum can be found on their website on
their “Preservation” page.
The first of these projects was
completed in 2005 and involved the complete replacement and restoration of the
slate roof, which had not been replaced since its construction in 1804.[19]
The next major preservation effort was completed in 2008 and entailed the
conservation and rehabilitation of two rear utility sheds, or urban
dependencies, which were used for storage and as a kitchen and laundry space in
the hot summer months.[20]
In 2013, the George B. Henderson Foundation for the City of Boston awarded the
museum a grant that will provide for the preservation of 27 of the museum’s
historic window frames and sills.[21]
The 2014-2015 annual report stated that the project is slated for completion by
the end of 2015.[22]
Conclusions
The most conclusive assessment I
was able to discern from my research into the Nichols House Museum was an
inconsistent use of online technologies with limited or poor quality information
being provided to the public regarding:
·
The institution
and its governing plans and policies
·
Public
programming offers and upcoming events
·
Metadata attached to objects records
in the public collections management system
·
Up to date resources discussing
preservation efforts and projects
There is a distinct lack of consistency of
information the museum shares across its many online platforms and information
sources; including, its own website and blog, the online accessible annual
reports and newsletters, social media, and other user experience rated sites,
such as Yelp or Trip Adviser.
Bibliography
Coburn, Erin and Murtha Baca. “Beyond the
Gallery Walls: Tools and Methods for Leading End- Users to Collections Information.”
Bulletin of the American Society for
Information Science and Technology 30, 5 (2004): 14-19.
dPlan: The Online Disaster-Planning Tool for
Cultural and Civic Institutions. “About dPlan.” Accessed April 16, 2016, http://www.dplan.org/aboutdplan.asp.
Gurian, Elaine
Heumann. “What is the Object of this Exerice? A Meandering Exploration of the
Many Meanings of Objects in Museums.” Daedalus
128, 3 (Summer 1999): 163-183.
Pearman, Sarah Jane. “From Lantern Slides to Slide
Libraries to Image Collections.” In Art
Museum Libraries and Librarianship, edited by Joan M. Benedetti, 118-123.
Maryland: Scarecrow Press, Inc., 2007.
Vagnone, Franklin
D. and Deborah E. Ryan. Anarchist’s Guide to Historic House Museums. Walnut Creek, CA: Left Coast Press, Inc., 2016.
[1] “A Brief
History of the Museum,” Nichols House Museum, 2010-2016, http://www.nicholshousemuseum.org/.
[2] Ibid.
[3] Elaine
Heumann Gurian, “What is the Object of this Exerice? A Meandering Exploration
of the Many Meanings of Objects in Museums,” Daedalus 128, 3 (Summer 1999): 163.
[4] Ibid,
165.
[5] Gurain,
182.
[6] Franklin
D. Vagnone and Deborah E. Ryan, Anarchist’s Guide to Historic House Museums (Walnut Creek, CA: Left Coast Press, Inc.,
2016).
[7] Erin Coburn and Murtha Baca, “Beyond the
Gallery Walls: Tools and Methods for Leading End- Users to Collections Information.”
Bulletin of the American Society for
Information Science and Technology 30, 5 (2004): 14.
[8] Sara
Jane Pearman, “From Lantern Slides to Slide Libraries to Image Collections: The
View from the Cleveland Museum of Art,” in Art
Museum Libraries and Librarianship, ed. by Joan M. Benedetti (Maryland: Scarecrow
Press, Inc., 2007), 121-122.
[9] Coburn
and Baca, 16.
[10] The
Nichols House Museum, “Annual Report 2014-2015,” 3.
[11] “About
dPlan,”accessed April 16, 2016, http://www.dplan.org/aboutdplan.asp.
[12] The
Nichols House Museum, “Annual Report 2013-2014,” 2.
[13] “Preservation
of the Nichols House Museum: Roof Restoration,” Nichols House Museum, 2010-2016,
accessed April 16, 2016, http://www.nicholshousemuseum.org/preservation.php?content=roof05.
[14] “Annual
Report 2013-2014,” 2.
[15] Ibid,
5.
[16] The
Nichols House Museum, “Spring 2015 Newsletter.”
[17] “Annual
Report 2014-2015,” 6.
[18] Gurain,
170.
[19]
“Preservation of the Nichols House Museum: Roof Restoration.”
[20] Ibid.
[21] “Annual
Report 2013-2014,” 2.
[22] “Annual
Report 2014-2015,” 3.
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