In May 2007 Mount Vernon Archaeology hired a collections manager, Jen Bryant, to help manage the artifacts and records from more than 20 years of fieldwork. Periodically Jen and her staff will report on their work with the archaeological collections.

Collections Chat #2 August 2007

By Abbi Huderle

Welcome back! These last few weeks of summer have been so much fun, but really busy too! We finally got all of the boxes inventoried and moved half of them to our offsite storage facility, and it’s amazing to realize how much more space we have without boxes stacked everywhere. Our biggest collections project after the move was to identify, and properly store the Mansion shutters that were removed in 2000 and 2001 when more accurate shutters were installed.  Some date to 1797, or the early 19th-century, whereas others only to 1932; with such a vast range in ages, we had to be very careful moving them around. The differences in how well they have stood up over time and exposure to the elements is important to us as we are caring for them because it is evidence of the craftsman’s construction methods and skill. Surprisingly, many of the early nineteenth century pieces are in much better shape than those made in 1932.  

The 1932 shutters are in poor condition.

The early 1800s shutters are in good condition.

As these pictures show, newer does not always mean better!

Since our goal is to preserve them to the best of our ability so they all last as long as possible, we needed to identify when each shutter was constructed and learn how to keep them safe for the future. We did a lot of research on the internet and at Mount Vernon’s library, where we found many pictures to document the addition of new or replacement of old sets of shutters by a variety of people including Bushrod Washington, George’s heir, the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association, and George Washington himself! Once we had everything identified, it was time to document the shutters, which for us meant photography… and lots of paperwork! It is important for us to have photographic records, especially digital ones, because technology changes very quickly and our records must be able to keep up with it. After spending three days photographing, we tagged each shutter with identification numbers and individually wrapped each in 100% polyester fleece to protect them and keep them clean while they are being stored at the offsite facility.

We’ve had an incredible time and have learned so much in the short time we’ve been here! We’re waiting on new shelving (hopefully compact shelving) to reorganize storage completely, so be sure to check back to see how it works out!

Collections Chat #1 July 2007

by Allison Powell

This summer, two interns are assisting in the reorganization of the archaeological collection and also learning about how archaeological research contributes to a historic house museum. The interns, Abbi Huderle, an undergraduate from the University of Kansas and Allison Powell, a history graduate student at American University, are learning a lot and gaining valuable hands-on experience in collections management. The first two weeks was spent deep in a hole, covered in dirt and nursing blisters on their hands as part of an incredible opportunity to participate in an archaeological dig at Mount Vernon’s Slave Memorial Arch and the excavation at the site of the Blacksmiths' Shop. The excavation experience was designed to provide a context to see how archaeologists find artifacts and how they record each step of the excavation process, thereby creating a collection. Interns learned how to lay out a square, take elevations, and the proper techniques for digging and screening soil. Mount Vernon’s professional archaeologists also helped interns take soils samples and record the discovery of artifacts. Graduate intern Allison Powell said of the excavation at the Slave Memorial Arch, “the best part of the dig was the opportunity to interact with visitors and to answer their questions about what we were doing and the importance of Mount Vernon’s archaeological work. Kids and adults alike were really interested in what we were doing and they asked great questions.”

The very crowded archaeological storage area.

Not only have the interns had opportunities to work in the field but they also stayed a bit cleaner and cooler by working with the archaeology collections. Mount Vernon is in the process of completely reorganizing their collection to store it more effectively and to better preserve the artifacts. Because the most important part of managing a collection is to have a clear understanding of what items are in the collection, the interns assisted in completing an extensive inventory and the move of some artifacts to an off-site storage location.

Stop by in a couple of weeks and we'll provide more details of the big collections reorganization and move.