Date of Award
2026
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science in Textiles, Fashion Merchandising and Design
Specialization
Historic Costume and Textiles, Textile Conservation, and Cultural Analysis
Department
Textiles, Fashion Merchandising and Design
First Advisor
Karl Aspelund
Abstract
Local history organizations are a vital part of historic preservation efforts within communities, and they do so under significant financial limitations. This thesis research takes an ethnographic approach to studying collections care in local museums and historical societies across Rhode Island and eastern Connecticut through interviews with those who care for collections and observations of their collections’ infrastructure. The goal of the research was to investigate how resource limitations affect the use of collections objects and how the resulting strategies of use employed facilitate continued preservation of material culture. Contributions to the field of preservation are suggested through viable methods of nontraditional, community-oriented attitudes about what conservation means in this context.
Through qualitative data analysis of interview and observational data, it is determined that local history organizations define effective use of collections objects as the ability to tell stories through active engagement with the public. This may conflict with conservation recommendations that objects be placed in storage to prevent damage. Collections care infrastructure is discussed in the use of physical spaces, recordkeeping, and policies and procedures. In response, it is found that local history organizations prioritize a form of “peoples-based” conservation theory. This is manifested through considered touch, human-centered interpretation, and use of supplementary objects beyond accessioned collections. Ultimately, community is the most important resource available to local history. The preservation of collections objects in this context is found to be dependent not upon adherence to best practices, but upon the willingness of community members to maintain their collections in ways that work best for them.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 4.0 License.
Recommended Citation
Koch, Kieran Rae, "WHAT’S THE USE? OBJECT INTERACTION FOR THE CONSERVATION OF LOCAL HISTORY COLLECTIONS" (2026). Open Access Master's Theses. Paper 2709.
https://digitalcommons.uri.edu/theses/2709