THERE ARE MANY FACTORS THAT LEAD TO MISTAKES IN MUSEUM COLLECTIONS, DATA BASES AS WELL AS DISPLAYS. FIRST AND FOREMOST THEY ARE RUN AND MANAGED BY HUMANS SO PERFECTION IS NOT POSSIBLE.
SOME ITEMS MAY BE DONATED TO THE MUSEUM LIKE THE DAGGER PICTURED IN A PISTOL SCABBARD TOGETHER WITH THE WRONG INFORMATION. THE FELLOW MAKING THE DISPLAY MAY KNOW VERY LITTLE ABOUT WHAT HE IS MAKING A DISPLAY OF BUT JUST PICKS OUT THINGS HE THINKS WILL LOOK NICE. SOMEONE MAY EVEN HAVE PUT THEM TOGETHER BECAUSE HE FOUND THEM IN THE SAME STORAGE BOX.
CURATORS HAVE CERTAIN FIELDS WHERE THEY HAVE SOME EXPERTISE BUT CERTAINLY NEVER KNOW EVERYTHING. THEY OFTEN HAVE TO DEAL WITH FIELDS THEY KNOW VERY LITTLE ABOUT SO OFTEN TRUST WHAT LITTLE INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE ON ITEMS AND PERHAPS DON'T HAVE OR TAKE THE TIME TO RESEARCH EVERY ITEM FULLY.
ONE BIG PROBLEM WITH MUSEUM MANAGEMENT IS OFTEN POLITICS GET INVOLVED AND THE DIRECTOR MAY NOT BE THE TYPE OF INDIVIDUAL WHO REALLY CARES OR HAS THE KNOWLEDGE TO PROPERLY DO THE JOB BUT LIKES THE PRESTIGE OF THE JOB TITLE. THIS LEADS TO PROBLEMS FOR THE CURATORS AS WELL AS THE MUSEUMS REPUTATION. CURATORS WILL OFTEN DISPLAY WHAT THEY SPECIALIZE IN AND EXCLUDE OR NEGLECT OTHER FIELDS. IF IT WAS ME THE MUSEUM WOULD NO DOUBT HAVE TOO MANY CLUBS ON DISPLAY.
THE MAIN THING IS THE MUSEUMS ARE PRESERVING AND KEEPING THE COLLECTIONS TOGETHER AND ADDING TO THEM. PERHAPS OVER TIME IT WILL ALL GET SORTED OUT.
