How To Access The Art Museum'S Architectural Collection

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1 Access and Architecture at The Art Institute of Chicago: A Case Study Mary Woolever and Lori Hanna Boyer Both public and private organizations of various types and sizes face the many challenges and responsibilities associated with providing access to architectural records on a daily basis. Access can also vary within a single institution. At the Art Institute of Chicago, the architectural collections are decentralized and reside within two different entities: The Ryerson and Burnham Libraries and the curatorial department now known as the Department of Architecture and Design. The mechanisms by which researchers and patrons access documents and drawings in these collections intrinsically differ. This presentation will examine the ideology and policies that shape access privileges, determine methods of access, and address specific problems and solutions within the context of a public institution. Access challenges and opportunities will be discussed in terms of spatial issues and security, both physical and virtual; staff size and hours of operation; the inherent size of the architectural documentation or objects and the safety issues related to their handling; the relationship between monetary support and accessibility; and the importance of cooperation and dissemination of information and resources. At the Art Institute of Chicago, the Department of Architecture and Design is one of ten curatorial departments. Among these ten, we are the youngest department at the museum. The department of Architecture was founded twenty-six years ago in 1981 and the original collection was formed out of the Ryerson and Burnham Libraries' holdings. Today the department has expanded not only its name (Design was added two years ago),

2 but also its collection. We currently hold the largest curatorial collection of objects, a quarter of a million and counting. The bulk of the architectural collection is made up of drawings, models and fragments. The department cares for a few photographs and letters, but the majority of these kinds of materials, as well as slides, specifications, correspondence and ephemera are housed at the Ryerson and Burnham Libraries. Researchers and patrons face a unique challenge accessing the architectural resources at our institution because they have to navigate two collections. To that end, we present a broad variety of ways to access the collection and try to make accommodations for the multivarious methods and needs of patrons and researchers, from the casual museum visitors to students, authors and scholars, to architects and contractors restoring or repairing extant buildings, and to property owners and the general public. (This includes architecture gurus, groupies at large and fans). Access has a direct relationship to dissemination of collection information. Patrons are able to access architectural records and confirm museum holdings electronically through telephone inquiries, s, old-fashioned letters, faxes, word of mouth, publications and by searching the Internet. They can also obtain access physically by visiting the galleries or the department by appointment to see catalogue records and objects. Once it has determined that the object resides in the department's collection, patrons can receive copies of the catalogue records via , fax or mail and this can facilitate additional access if required. The Art Institute is committed to increasing its collection presence on the web. At this point in time, there is a new initiative by the museum's director to publish collection records currently only available on the museum's internal proprietary database

3 called CITI. CITI is an acronym for Collection Image and Text Inventory. Every quarter additional collection records from each curatorial department are added to the museum's website: So in August for example, the Department of Architecture and Design will publish approximately 250 additional catalogue records on their collection page: This information is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Physical access to our architectural resources is provided publicly through our exhibitions. During the 362 days of the year that the museum is open, visitors have access to over fifty windows, stone, terracotta, plaster and cast iron architectural elements in a permanent exhibition entitled "Fragments of Chicago's Past" designed by former curator Pauline Saliga. They can also view a handful of Adler and Sullivan's stencils for the Chicago Stock Exchange, as well as a reconstruction of the Stock Exchange trading room. In addition, an exterior arch from the Stock Exchange is normally on view on the northeast corner of the museum campus 24-7, but is currently cloaked during the construction of the new Modern Wing building. The Department also organizes four to five rotating exhibitions throughout the year in two galleries, which together present approximately 3200 square feet of space. Not all of these shows feature works from the collection, so access in these venues is intermittent and temporary. At any given time, public access is provided for less than 1% of the department's architectural holdings. Physical access to the majority of the collection, which consists of architectural objects not on view, can be arranged by private appointment only. Providing private

4 access is subject to the limitations of staffing resources and obligations, as well as the physical nature of the works. Currently there is only one staff member who receives all collection inquiries, disseminates catalogue records and information, schedules appointments and locates and prepares objects for viewing. This staff member is not dedicated to collection access alone, but performs many other duties within the department. Another staff member was just recently hired and is being trained to assist with collection access, but this person also performs additional duties for the department. Unlike larger curatorial departments in the museum that have a heavier volume of access needs, the Department of Architecture and Design does not employ a study-room monitor who is solely dedicated to the oversight of the collection during patron visits. Due to such limited staff resources, not only are appointments for private access generally limited to 90 minutes per day, they also usually require a minimum of two weeks lead time. Appointments are made Monday through Friday between 9:30 am and 3:00 pm. In this context, every effort is made to clarify the patron's purpose for viewing architectural objects and in some cases, the 90 minute period can be extended, for example, to serve the requirements of school tours or visiting scholars. The inherent safety of the architectural resources is considered for each access request. The department works to preserve the objects in its collection by minimizing the number of times the objects are removed from their housing and handled. To that end, patrons are provided images, publication citations or microfilm resources if they will suffice for the individual research circumstances. Having said that, there are some advantages to patrons for working with such minimal staff. The staff members, although caretakers of a legacy collection, are usually

5 the same personnel who have processed and catalogued the objects and have either created or maintained all the department's databases and records. This provides a breadth and depth of knowledge not only of the collection, but also of the items previously exhibited, photographed, published or currently on view. The staff will also know which works are out on loan, about to go out on loan, or in conservation for treatments. Thus, the staff plays a pivotal role as a kind of central clearing-house for questions related to the architectural records within the collection, and very often, for things that are not. The architectural records reside in three vaults that are situated on opposite sides of the museum complex. Uber-oversized objects and crated works are housed off-site. Because the location and preparation of drawings is so labor-intensive, patrons must specify what they would like to view and the Exhibitions and Collections Manager must determine if the items can be studied within a 90-minute period, what condition the objects are in, their size and the physical requirements to handle and view them safely. All requested items are brought to the study area and prepared prior to an appointment. Sometimes this involves the movement of artwork on carts through two freight elevators, across a long crowded corridor and down a steep ramp. Drawings cannot be pulled concurrently during a scheduled visit due to the decentralization of storage locations and the requirement of the staff to remain with the patron and the works at all times. Space to view the records is also an issue. Objects in good condition and small in size and quantity are generally not problematic. Oversized, heavy or delicate objects, however, present a technical challenge. For example, to provide access to the huge and heavy Plan of Chicago drawings to a class of twelve recently, it was necessary to keep the framed drawings in their bins and for two people to pull them out one at a time so the

6 students could see them. This particular group also wanted access to some Plan of Chicago drawings that are hung on the walls of a small vault. The students had to divide into groups of two to see these objects. The department has no volumetric viewing space available to show multiple oversize drawings to a group of twelve. Objects that are particularly unwieldy and cannot be safely handled by two staff members, such as models, require the assistance of the museum's art installation department. Access is then dependent on the synchronization of schedules between the two departments. Therefore, the logistics and physicality of viewing architectural works directly impacts access to these objects. Another issue to consider when allowing access to architectural collections is security. The safety of the collections and staff is of the utmost importance at the Art Institute and access to collections will be denied if there is any concern that this safety could be compromised. Patrons who are not members of the museum are required to check in at the security desk upon arrival. All patrons must read and sign the Study Room Guidelines prior to accessing the works in the department. The Guidelines sheet not only outlines appropriate procedures for viewing objects such as use of pencils only, no tracing of drawings, et cetera, but also serves as a record of visitors to the collection and the objects requested. Generally objects are viewed in the study center located near the department's offices. This room is relatively small and holds two six-foot tables. Objects too large or heavy to be seen in this space must be accessed in a larger vault, which is situated in a very isolated area of the museum. If an unknown patron has requested access to objects that cannot be brought to the study center due to size limitations and must be seen in this larger space, every effort is made to schedule

7 appointments when there can be two staff members present. There is also a direct relationship between monetary support and accessibility. The Department of Architecture and Design only provides access to catalogued objects. To allow access to works that have not been inventoried not only provides logistical problems in terms of locating drawings or objects, but also creates a tremendous liability for a collection particularly vulnerable to theft when the objects have not been formally accounted for. For items that come into the department individually or in small groups, processing can be done fairly quickly and access can be granted in a relatively short period of time. Large collections, however, can remain unavailable for extended periods due to the limitations of staff resources, space issues and lack of appropriate archival housing. The Department has been fortunate to secure support for three of its largest and most significant collections that otherwise would remain inaccessible. These collections represent the works of David Adler, Bruce Goff and Bertrand Goldberg. Private funding allowed both the Ryerson and Burnham Libraries and the Department of Architecture and Design to process the collections and publish the information in various finding aids. There are catalogues in print for David Adler and Bertrand Goldberg, available by request and free of charge; finding aids for both the Bruce Goff and Bertrand Goldberg collections also reside on the Ryerson and Burnham Libraries' website at and and the Bertrand Goldberg records are available free of charge by request on a cd-rom. Additionally, these catalogue records can be viewed in binders in the department by appointment. All web accessible records are available in the currently universally readable and free Adobe.pdf format.

8 Large collections are generally processed at job or project-level; individual objects can be done at item-level. There is a special circumstance when the department makes uncatalogued collections accessible. This service is provided to donors of architectural objects, usually in the context of collection appraisals. Though appraisers working on behalf of donors are still required to visit by appointment, they are allowed access to the donor's entire gift but remain under the supervision of department personnel. Access to architectural objects at the Art Institute of Chicago is a tightly controlled environment due to the delicate and rare nature of the objects, as well as the museum's obligation for preservation of its collections. In general, objects in the Architecture and Design department cannot be handled by patrons, nor can they be traced, photographed or photocopied. Only hand-written notes or sketches in pencil are allowed. All duplication requests are at curatorial discretion and are managed by the Photo Rights department. On very rare occasions, architectural drawings may be scanned by a museum-approved outside vendor with appropriate department personnel serving as couriers and escorts. Costs for this service are significant and must be funded entirely by the requesting patron. Access to collections is guided by departmental policies related to the issues of staffing, space, type and care of objects, as well as the goals the patrons or researchers are trying to achieve. Each request is evaluated on an individual basis, and a series of judgment calls on the part of the Art Institute's staff is a constant in each instance. The key to successful access is the ability of an institution to maintain vigilance and safety for its collections and to distribute information to patrons and researchers in a clear and

9 effective manner. It is also important for staff to stay informed of both historic and contemporary resources that may benefit patrons, as well as to look for ways to keep abreast of emerging methodologies and technologies designed to improve access to collection records for the public at large. At the Art Institute of Chicago, patrons who wish to access architectural records are greatly aided by the ability of the Ryerson and Burnham Libraries and the Department of Architecture and Design to correlate and communicate.