Manchester College African Art Collection: Photographic Record
Size
One DVD
Location
Large Box 188 - Archives' Office - Bottom Shelf - North Wall Shelving Unit
Citation
Manchester College African Art Collection: Photographic Record, MC2010/81, Archives and Brethren Historical Collection, Funderburg Library, Manchester College, North Manchester, Indiana.
Access
Researchers are responsible for determining copyright status of archived materials where this is relevant to their intended use of the materials.
A partial photographic inventory of the Manchester College African Art Collection. Other images are found in the file, African Art and Museum Photo Record by J. Wine, located on the Archives, Scanned Images Drive. These photo records do not document the entire collection. There are frightening wooden masks with moveable jaws that were not able to be photographed before the eviction date.
Date of Accession
01 September 2010
Bio History Note
The collection was previously housed in the basement of the old Communications building and was photographed and packed for storage in the Fall of 2007 by Jeanine Wine as the building was being closed down for demolition.
The African Art collection was primarily donated by:
Faye Moyer
Mr. and Mrs. Kessler - Liberian Art
Claude Rupel
It is also possible that some items were donated by Robert Zigler, Jr.
Archivist Note
The basement of the Communications building housed the old College Museumand the African Art Collection. Many objects had previously been carefully boxed and accessioned by Sarah Smith. Objects related to Manchester College and ethnographic artwork (the African Art Collection), that had not been boxed or thoroughly accessioned, were in a state of disorder, dust, and insect infestation. There had never been temperature and humidity controls in the space and the room reeked. This odor was probably intensified by the composition of the ethnographic pieces that were primarily made of wood, fiber, leather and metal.The College asked that the objects be immediately removed. Dr. William Eberly took the objects in the Museumto the Manchester Center for History where they currently reside (2011) on long term loan. A committee of three, Thelma Rohrer, David Waas and myself, Jeanine Wine, thought the African Art Collection to be of significance and the College agreed to store the collection until a later date when plans for a display might be generated. It was late in the Fall and the temperature was cold and the building had no heat. I improvised a preparation area and photo space and shot as many objects as I could under great time restrictions. The objects were brushed off and dusted and/or vacuumed, wrapped in tissue paper (until the tissue ran out), and stored in plastic garbage bags. I used the attachment of a vacuum cleaner to suck air out of the bags while closing. David Friermood and his team of workers moved the objects to Holl Kintner.
Note: When working with the African Art Collection in the future, be advised that the objects might have been treated with pesticides or chemicals prior to shipment to the United States or by previous owners. Check for frass and insect activitiy.
Description prepared 1 September 2010 by Jeanine M. Wine and updated 21 April 2011.
With the renovation of Holl-Kintner the African Art Collection was moved to the North Manchester Center for History where it is currently being stored in the basement. J. Wine, updating on 24 April 2013.
