Storify: Researching Ownership Histories at the Toronto AIA, 2017

A twitter thread from #aiascs Session 7I: Researching Ownership Histories for Antiquities in Museum Collections, Sunday, January 8, 2017. I blogged about the panel last year, but with the demise of Storify, I have decided to archive the tweets here: 

I livetweeted this session in order to highlight some of the key points that were made during the workshop. Because each of the talks turned out to be quite captivating, I was rather minimalistic in my thoughts.

Interested in the long lives of antiquities? Come to Session 7I: Researching Ownership Histories at the #aiascs tomorrow, 8 am, City Hall.

— Jacquelyn Clements (@peripatesis) January 7, 2017

The opening remarks were given by David Saunders, Associate Curator of Antiquities at the J. Paul Getty Villa:

@GettyMuseum has been fortunate to be able to invest so much in provenance research. How can museums w/ less resources follow suit? #aiascs

— Jacquelyn Clements (@peripatesis) January 8, 2017

Focus of this panel will be on objects already in museum collections, rather than acquisition policies #aiascs

— Jacquelyn Clements (@peripatesis) January 8, 2017

Next came the series of speakers, followed by an open floor discussion.
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1) Paul Denis, Royal Ontario Museum, "Verifying a Provenance"

Paul Denis from @ROMtoronto is first on recent acquisitions and verifying provenance. #aiascs

— Jacquelyn Clements (@peripatesis) January 8, 2017

Denis states the importance of having auction catalogues in museum libraries for verifying provenance. #aiascs

— Jacquelyn Clements (@peripatesis) January 8, 2017

If an auction piece can be viewed sufficiently ahead of time, one can research fully & properly before purchase, says Denis #aiascs

— Jacquelyn Clements (@peripatesis) January 8, 2017

(a couple of interjections of my own thoughts)

Digitized online archives are a rich resource for researching provenance. #aiascs

— Jacquelyn Clements (@peripatesis) January 8, 2017

What's the ratio of museum professionals vs archaeologists in this audience? #aiascs

— Jacquelyn Clements (@peripatesis) January 8, 2017

2) Seth Pevnick, Tampa Museum of Art, "The Tampa Poseidon & The Shugborough Neptune"

2nd speaker, Seth Pevnick, on the @TampaMuseumArt and J.V. Noble collection #aiascs

— Jacquelyn Clements (@peripatesis) January 8, 2017

Specifically, Noble's research into purchase of a statue of Neptune. #aiascs

— Jacquelyn Clements (@peripatesis) January 8, 2017

Again, provenance research is aided by online collections, now those of the @britishmuseum #aiascs

— Jacquelyn Clements (@peripatesis) January 8, 2017

Provenance research is diligent about going back far more than the 1970 UNESCO standards. #aiascs

— Jacquelyn Clements (@peripatesis) January 8, 2017

Find as much history as possible. Close the gaps. #aiascs

— Jacquelyn Clements (@peripatesis) January 8, 2017

3) Ann Blair Brownlee, University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, "Collectors of Greek and Etruscan Vases in 19th Century Philadelphia"

3rd speaker Ann Brownlee on @pennmuseum collections. #aiascs

— Jacquelyn Clements (@peripatesis) January 8, 2017

Brownlee taught a grad seminar on collectors and donors to explore issues of provenance in the collection. #aiascs

— Jacquelyn Clements (@peripatesis) January 8, 2017

Was Beazley the 1st provenance researcher? On a Berlin P vase @ Penn that he traced its history. #aiascs

— Jacquelyn Clements (@peripatesis) January 8, 2017

The answer is no - but perhaps he was the most prolific:

(Probably not, but it would be a fun historiography project!) #aiascs

— Jacquelyn Clements (@peripatesis) January 8, 2017

4) Judith Barr, J. Paul Getty Museum, "The Pitfalls and Possibilities of Provenance Research: Historic Collections and the Art Market in the 20th Century"

Judith Barr from @GettyMuseum is next on possibilities for provenance research #aiascs

— Jacquelyn Clements (@peripatesis) January 8, 2017

Challenge of researching objects sold together that do or don't belong together #aiascs

— Jacquelyn Clements (@peripatesis) January 8, 2017

Barr illustrates the remarkable difference before and after provenance research for filling in the gaps. #aiascs

— Jacquelyn Clements (@peripatesis) January 8, 2017

Barr emphasizes the careful consideration, patience, and serendipity of provenance research #aiascs

— Jacquelyn Clements (@peripatesis) January 8, 2017

5) Phoebe Segal, Boston Museum of Fine Arts, "'Said to be From': best practices for using unscientific find-spot information"

Phoebe Segal from @mfaboston on best practices for findspot terminology is next! #aiascs

— Jacquelyn Clements (@peripatesis) January 8, 2017

has its own Provenance Curator - are there other museums that have one? #aiascs

— Jacquelyn Clements (@peripatesis) January 8, 2017

What is our obligation to share info about provenance and how should it be done? In installations? In outreach? #aiascs

— Jacquelyn Clements (@peripatesis) January 8, 2017

6) Amy Brauer, Harvard Art Museums, "Refining Provenance: Harvard's Road to Transparency"

Next is Amy Brauer from @harvartmuseums on responses to illicit trade and evolution of practices in transparency post-1970.

— Jacquelyn Clements (@peripatesis) January 8, 2017

Harvard's yearly publication, "Gifts & Bequests: A Policy Statement" led to a need for set of rigorous guidelines. #aiascs

— Jacquelyn Clements (@peripatesis) January 8, 2017

Guidelines are down to the precise date of UNESCO - November 17, 1970. Not just the year. #aiascs

— Jacquelyn Clements (@peripatesis) January 8, 2017

Brauer demonstrates how TMS is used for text strings of provenance that can be filled in fully before any acquisition #aiascs

— Jacquelyn Clements (@peripatesis) January 8, 2017

Everyone agrees on the need for standard, consistent language of provenance and documentation in research #aiascs

— Jacquelyn Clements (@peripatesis) January 8, 2017

I agree, an ontology is vital for consistency. Not to mention RDF and LOD models so this info can be accessible. #aiascs

— Jacquelyn Clements (@peripatesis) January 8, 2017

7) Caroline Rocheleau, North Carolina Museum of Art, "The Stratigraphy of Provenance"

Penultimate speaker, Caroline Rocheleau, on Egyptian antiquities research. #aiascs

— Jacquelyn Clements (@peripatesis) January 8, 2017

I had to duck out of the room for a few minutes, and after I returned, I was slightly distracted in trying to find the twitter handle for the North Carolina Art Museum (my bad), so I unfortunately missed a large part of Caroline's talk:

Rocheleau is from @ncartmuseum

— Jacquelyn Clements (@peripatesis) January 8, 2017

Emphasis for provenance info to be available beyond scholarly catalogues #aiascs

— Jacquelyn Clements (@peripatesis) January 8, 2017

8) John Hopkins, Rice University, on the Collections Analysis Collaborative (without a powerpoint to look at, I found it a bit easier to tweet this talk):

Last but not least is John Hopkins from @RiceUniversity on the Collections Analysis Collaborative (CAC) at @MenilCollection #aiascs

— Jacquelyn Clements (@peripatesis) January 8, 2017

Hopkins stresses the CAC's role as both research but also educational - 2 universities + 1 museum collaborative #aiascs

— Jacquelyn Clements (@peripatesis) January 8, 2017

All are on the same side - academics AND museums, despite what the rhetoric sometimes suggests. #aiascs

— Jacquelyn Clements (@peripatesis) January 8, 2017

An MOU was drawn up early as part of the process of collaboration and transparency #aiascs

— Jacquelyn Clements (@peripatesis) January 8, 2017

The CAC as the 1st time for museum professionals and academics to speak openly, frankly, and positively about orphaned objects #aiascs

— Jacquelyn Clements (@peripatesis) January 8, 2017

There is a mutual understanding of the work that can and needs tone done. #aiascs

— Jacquelyn Clements (@peripatesis) January 8, 2017

I ended with a couple more thoughts of my own:

Curators demonstrate phenomenal care for specific objects. I love, love, love this field. #aiascs

— Jacquelyn Clements (@peripatesis) January 8, 2017

I have more to write re; "Researching Ownership Histories;" I took notes by hand during the discussion. It was an enlightening panel #aiascs

— Jacquelyn Clements (@peripatesis) January 8, 2017

And this is where I stopped tweeting in order to concentrate on the open floor discussion. For more thoughts, visit my blog post about the session here. 

But, wait! Most of the papers from this panel have just been published, so you can now read them in full, in addition to two other panels from the AIA Toronto, all pertaining to the history of collecting and provenance of antiquities.