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![The museological method
• ensures objects are assessed using uniform
methods of analysis
• Significance (2001) aim:
‘to eventually have all museums [now
collecting organisations] in Australia use
a common system and language to
describe and assess the significance of
the country’s collections’
Heritage Collections Council, Significance (2001)](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/sichgintrotosaoct2016fornlawebsite-171008222732/75/Significance-Assessment-and-Significance-2-0-an-introduction-Veronica-Bullock-of-Significance-International-6-2048.jpg)
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Significance Assessment and Significance 2.0: an introduction - Veronica Bullock of Significance International
The document discusses the significance assessment process for heritage collections in Australia, emphasizing a uniform approach to evaluate and articulate the values of items and collections. It outlines 'Significance 2.0', which is a guide aimed at standardizing the assessment of collections and highlights the importance of understanding the meanings and values over time and perspective. Additionally, it provides a step-by-step process for writing a 'statement of significance' and criteria to assess the historical, artistic, and cultural importance of objects.
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Significance Assessment and Significance 2.0: an introduction - Veronica Bullock of Significance International
- 1. Community Heritage GrantWinners Workshop Canberra 25 October 2016 Significance Assessment and Significance 2.0: an introduction
- 2. Values compilation byWaller
- 3. Whose significance? European Australia 1788 -‐ Aboriginal Australia 60,000 -‐
- 4. Do values change? Yes, with ;me (diachronic), and with perspec;ve (synchronic)
- 5. Significance 2.0 Significance 2.0:a guide to assessing the significance of collections (2009) ‘significance is the sum of all values’ hGp://arts.gov.au/resources-‐publica;ons/industry-‐reports/significance-‐20 hGp://pandora.nla.gov.au/pan/112443/20101122-‐1236/significance.collec;onscouncil.com.au/ index.html
- 6. The museological method • ensures objects are assessed using uniform methods of analysis • Significance (2001) aim: ‘to eventually have all museums [now collecting organisations] in Australia use a common system and language to describe and assess the significance of the country’s collections’ Heritage Collections Council, Significance (2001)
- 7. What is significanceassessment? ‘Significance assessment is the process of researching and understanding the meanings and values of items and collections’ ‘The purpose of significance assessment is to understand and describe how and why an item is significant’ …using a stepped process and criteria
- 8. What can beassessed?
- 9. What is a‘statement of significance’? ‘a statement of significance is a reasoned, readable summary of the values, meanings and importance of an item or collection’ ‘it is an argument about how and why an item or collection is of value’ writing a ‘statement of significance’ is the aim of significance assessment ! ask why? why? how? why? and what can it contribute to society or culture?
- 10. Significance 2.0 SummaryCard 1. Collate a file 2. Research/Review 3. Consult 4. Explore the context 5. Analyse and describe 6. Compare 7. Iden;fy places 8. Assess significance 9. Write statement 10. Ac;on
- 11. The significance assessmentprocess
- 12. Significance criteria -primary historic artistic or aesthetic research or scientific social or spiritual
- 13. Significance criteria -comparative provenance rarity or representativeness condition or completeness interpretive capacity
- 14. John Marsden’s dress- primary • associations with a prominent colonial family • poignant keepsake of a domestic tragedy • example of an everyday child’s dress, worn in Australia • early date - just 16 years after European settlement in Australia Primary criterion: historic significance
- 15. John Marsden’s dress- comparative provenance: • chain of ownership to John Marsden’s family by a note verified by other sources • from family executors to the Royal Australian Historical Society • gifted to the Powerhouse Museum in 1981 condition: • darned, stained and faded in places; shows wear and tear of daily life rarity: • a very rare example of an everyday child’s dress
- 16.
- 17. A helpful materialsresource Chris Caple Objects: reluctant witnesses to the past Routledge, 2006, Oxford
- 18. Evidence - Caple howto investigate archaeological and historical objects ‘object biographies’ scales of objects • bespoke – complex, hand-crafted • crafted – occasional – coins, jewellery • mass produced
- 19. Evidence - Caple • importance of physical / visual examination • develop your observational skills • your magnifying glass is your ally • responsibility
- 20. Evidence - Caple biasof objects material survivals recent past bespoke objects use wear bias of interpreters access existing knowledge and experience
- 21. Evidence - Caple objectsas part of collections collecting is a ‘highly biased cultural activity’ dual role of objects: historic documents of • when created and used • when collected (period, culture)
- 22. Insignificance • It isperfectly acceptable to find low or no significance based on currently available information and write your signed, dated and evidenced SOS accordingly • Sample low significance SOS:
- 23.
- 24. Step 10 -Applications
- 25.