The Specimens Box: A Case Study in Cataloguing at George Eastman House

Abstract

This paper considers the theoretical and practical implications of cataloguing with The Museum Systems database. Using the Specimens Box as an example, a box containing a unique group of objects related to the history of photographic process located at George Eastman House photographic collection, the paper covers areas of archive theory, object arrangement, and the responsibilities held by the cataloguer. It is broken into three sections: Description, which provides the background of the Specimens Box; Analysis, which shows the various trajectories of meaning as objects enter an archive and are cataloged: and Methodology, which details my steps taken to understand and catalogue the Specimens Box.

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