Malcolm Chapman, Head of Collections Management, The Hunterian

1. A quart into a pint pot…
or how to fit five football pitches into one store
Malcolm Chapman
Head of Collections Management
The Hunterian, University of Glasgow

2. 1
The Hunterian, University of Glasgow
• Founded in 1783
– Bequest of Dr William Hunter,
Physician Extraordinary to Queen
Charlotte
• Over 1.5m objects and specimens
– Acquired over 200 years
– Research and teaching
• Recognised as a Collection of National
Significance by Scottish Government
• A leading UK university museum
• Student engagement
– 1778 on courses using collections
– 195 post-grads on collections-based
programmes
– 179 engaged in collections research
A quart into a pint pot: or how to fit five football pitches into one store

3. The Hunterian 1807 – 1870
• Designed by William
Stark
• Scotland’s first public
museum
• First purpose built
museum and art gallery
in UK
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4. The Hunterian 1870
• Located on campus in
Victorian Gothic building
• Design by Sir George Gilbert
Scott
• Collections and collection-
based teaching at heart of
new university campus
3A quart into a pint pot: or how to fit five football pitches into one store

5. The Hunterian 1900 - 1980
• Fragmentation of
collections
–Physical
–Intellectual
• 1902 – Anatomy
• 1923 – Zoology
• Both embedded within
teaching departments
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6. The Hunterian 1980 - 2016
• 1980 – Art Gallery
• 1990s – stores development
off-campus
• 2000s – commercial storage
• 9 locations in and around
city
5A quart into a pint pot: or how to fit five football pitches into one store

7. The Hunterian in Glasgow
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8. The case for moving…
• Remote stores
• Building fabric and
maintenance costs
• Security
–Vandalism
–Fire
• Access to collections
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9. The case for moving…
8
• Collections outgrowing
stores
• Over-full cabinets
• Cramped storage
A quart into a pint pot: or how to fit five football pitches into one store

10. The case for moving…
9
• Inappropriate
• Ad hoc
• Make-do-and-mend
• Access problems
• Environmental conditions
• Collections at risk
A quart into a pint pot: or how to fit five football pitches into one store

11. The case for moving….
“We are now seriously short of space. On
the one hand, Dr S_______ has been
accumulating items in his own room at
No.1 University Gardens, to such an extent
that he is having difficulty in getting in and
out of it….”
Letter to Secretary of Court, 1989
10A quart into a pint pot: or how to fit five football pitches into one store

12. The Kelvin Hall Partnership
11
A quart into a pint pot: or how to fit five football pitches into one store

13. Kelvin Hall
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14. Kelvin Hall
13
• Built 1927
• Former exhibition centre
• Former international
athletics stadium
• Former home of the
Transport Museum
A quart into a pint pot: or how to fit five football pitches into one store

15. Hunterian Collections Study Centre
• Co-located collections storage
• Co-location of staff
• Research and teaching labs,
conservation studios
• Search rooms, seminar rooms
• Dedicated PG study space and
conference suite
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16. Research and Teaching
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17. Research and Teaching
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18. Conservation
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19. Collections Store
• Not open storage
• Efficient storage
• Mixed collections
• Standardised units
• Collection stored according
to needs
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20. Collections Store
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21. Don’t count your chickens
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22. How to move?
• "to be well and carefully packed up and safely conveyed to Glasgow…"
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23. Collections Decant - Planning
22
• Storage plan
–Pack into final ‘holder’
• Processes
–Packing requirements
–Quarantine
–Freezing
• Health & Safety
–PPE
–Training
A quart into a pint pot: or how to fit five football pitches into one store

24. Collections Decant – Where to start?
23
• At risk
–Environment
–Security
–Fire
• Research and teaching
• Loans and exhibitions
A quart into a pint pot: or how to fit five football pitches into one store

25. Collections Decant - Implementation
24
• Expansion space
• Fit-out
• Equipment
A quart into a pint pot: or how to fit five football pitches into one store

26. Expect the unexpected
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27. Documentation – pre-decant
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• Unaccessioned
• Uncatalogued
• Poorly catalogued
• Misleadingly catalogued
• Spreadsheets

28. Documentation – post-decant
27
• Catalogued
– Skeleton
– Inventory-level
– Photographed
• Barcodes
– Objects/specimens
– Boxes/trays
– Shelves/Rooms
• Findable!
A quart into a pint pot: or how to fit five football pitches into one store

29. Documentation - enhancements
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• Relocate in real-time
• Document impact/use of
collection
• Object History Files
–Rationalised
–Scanned
–Attached

30. Lessons learned…
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31. Lessons learned…
• Do not rush
• Do not be rushed
• Check, check and check again
• Collections
–Storage needs
–Condition
–Quarantine
–Documentation
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32. Lessons learned…
• Do not rush
• Do not be rushed
• Check, check and check again
• Resources
–Staff
–Consumables
–PPE/specialist equipment
–Removal contractor
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33. Lessons learned…
• Do not rush
• Do not be rushed
• Check, check and check again
• Timescales
–Yours
–Your partners’
–Architect’s
–Building contractor’s
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34. Lessons learned…
• Do not rush
• Do not be rushed
• Check, check and check again
• Building plans
–Your requirements
–Architect’s interpretation
–Building contractor’s interpretation
–What’s been built
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35. …and the football pitches?
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105.156 x 68.5 (115x75yds) = 7,203.186 sqm x 5 = 36,015.93 sqm
e: malcolm.chapman@glasgow.ac.uk
t: +44 (0) 141 330 1983
@malcolmchapman