When the Collections Are Not What They Seem

A blog post by Collections Manager Joanna Church. To read more posts by Joanna click HERE.

Researching a new exhibit can have unexpected side benefits, including the opportunity to learn even more about our collections.  The “more product, less process” method of archival work means we do our best to get at least minimal access to our archival collections as quickly as possible, but it also means that researchers – including museum staff ourselves – need to dig a little deeper when our records tell us the collection contains something of interest.  This can be frustrating, in a world where so much content is instantly available at your fingertips… but it’s also very fun.  (And, of course, our further investigations are recorded, so the next person has a slightly easier task.)

As we prepare for next summer’s Just Married! exhibit, it’s been my happy job to delve into the archives and take a closer look at everything wedding-related.  Whenever our previous catalogers noted a “bridal book,” “wedding sermon,” or “engagement card” calling out for more specific description, there am I, like a superhero researcher… okay, that metaphor doesn’t really work.  But nevertheless, thanks to the heavy lifting of the initial catalogers, I know where to look for the goodies, and I can swoop in and finish the job.

There have been lots of great discoveries in this process, and a few disappointments as well.  Here’s one of the latter: a fun piece in itself, but not quite what I was expecting…

Outside:

Inside:

Fake-out! It’s not a delightful wedding announcement card, as it appears at first glance; it’s delightful advertisement for the work of Baltimore artist and designer Samson Feldman (1900-1983). So, in a sense, this ad did exactly its job: it drew my attention – promising one thing, then, surprise! it turned out to be something else – and it was memorable, since it was the first thing I thought of when it came time to write this blog.  The work of Samson Feldman (1900-1983) will likely be featured in Just Married!, along with several other Maryland artists who produced ketubahs, invitations, and the like.  But this particular piece is not quite what I was hoping for.