Returning Loaned Artifacts

As most people may or may not know, the National Museum of Civil War Medicine has a vast collection of Civil War Medical artifacts that extend beyond those currently on display.  Some items we display have been loaned to the museum and additionally, we also loan items out to other museums and historic sites.  It is a great way to build partnerships, to help fellow museums, and to showcase our name and artifacts.

Kyle, helping to put away some of the returned artifacts.

When the exhibits have run their course the items are then returned and then they start the process of coming back to the museum’s collection.

 And they move down these hallways where we store all of our old exhibit panels.

Items cannot simply be placed right back into the collections room. The first step is to place them into quarantine.  The reason for this is to ensure that items have not been exposed to materials that may cause damage to the artifacts in the collections room.  The most common concerns may include bugs and mold.  While the artifacts are in quarantine, they are checked for anything that could damage not only themselves but other artifacts.

The cart on the right has boxes filled with returned artifacts.

Once the artifact's time in quarantine is up, they can return to the collections room, into the storage drawers where they are housed.  This procedure was followed last week with items that were out on loan, and with the items that came back from our location at the Pry House Field Hospital Museum, which closes down for the winter months.  This procedure is not limited to those items that leave the building, but also with artifacts that come out of the collections within the exhibits here at the National Museum of Civil War Medicine.

The Fitzpatrick items were some of the artifacts on display at the Pry House.

What is great about this process is not the paperwork, but that you can see in one room how awesome the collection is in its entirety.  There is everything from splints to books, from amputation kits to a Civil War Condom.  It is very fascinating to see these artifacts that are well cared for by the staff at The National Museum of Civil War Medicine.

The sword returned from the Fitzpatrick exhibit.

Thomas Frezza

 Photos courtesy of the National Museum of Civil War Medicine, except where otherwise noted.

A new frontier: The first Skype outreach for the museum

On Tuesday, January 13, 2015, the National Museum of Civil War Medicine took another step into the future of outreaches.  Tom Frezza conducted a Skype outreach with students from Sioux City, Iowa.  They were from a career academy where 11th graders interested in the medical field study American History and English through the medical lens.

Tom was able to talk to them for about an hour about the museum, and the history of Civil War Medicine, and why it still matters today.  Using reproduction items, photos, and demonstrating techniques, the students were able to learn about operations, ambulances, and Dr. Johnathan Letterman.

By doing outreaches using technologies like computers with Skype, the museum is able to branch out and connect with students who may not have the means to visit the museum in person.  This offers a great opportunity for the interpreter and the students to maintain a face to face dialogue, even though they may be hundreds of miles apart.  The students were able to ask some great questions and Tom was able to respond and use reproduction items just like with a traditional outreach.  He was not only able to talk about the items, but hold them up to the camera, and students were able to see them in real time.

This type of outreach has great potential.  Students from all across the country will be able to learn the truth about Civil War Medicine and how it still affects them today.  And instead of using reproduction items, the National Museum of Civil War Medicine has the ability, with advanced notice, to bring artifacts out of the collections room to help tell the story.  Items that even the general public cannot see!

So, if you would like to schedule a Skype outreach for your classroom, please contact the National Museum of Civil War Medicine at:

Tours and Bookings

Katie Reichard

301-695-1864, Ext. 1010

bookings@civilwarmed.org

Thomas Frezza

 Photos courtesy of the National Museum of Civil War Medicine, except where otherwise noted.