COLLECTIONS
People collect objects for a wide variety of
reasons. Lots of psychologists have analyzed
why people collect what they do and the
reasons are as diverse as people’s
collections! Reasons include: the need to be
an individual, to fulfill unfulfilled needs, to
meet personal tastes, to connect with a period
of history, and to have fun.
Whatever the reasons we collect or save
objects, the things we choose to keep says something about us. For this project, you will
look closely at three items in your possession. Then you will write about them to be part
of a classroom museum day. Your writeup will be part of your display – the museum
plaque that describes what the object is.
Note: You do not need to have a “collection” to
participate. It can be any object in your possession that
has value to you.
The objects that you bring in should be diverse. For
instance, if you have a popsicle stick collection, you
should only bring in one – not three.
Each writeup should include the following:
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Name of object (If it has an official title, it should
be included. If you need to name it, describe it as a
museum would. Remember conventions – italics or
quotation marks.)
Material – If applicable. This will probably only
apply to art pieces as most names will describe the
object sufficiently.
Year of creation – Copyright date if applicable. Estimate if necessary.
Place of creation / Company – If applicable.
Photo – Helps to keep track.
Artist/Author/?? Name – Name of person responsible for creating the item.
Acquisition date/place – When/where did the item come to be in your possession?
Story – This part should be separate from the other information. This should be the
most detailed section (75-125 words in length). Describe what the object is in as
much detail as you can. What is the history of the object? Does it have value? Is it
one of a kind? Is it part of a larger collection or set? Also, why is it important to
YOU? Why do you keep this object? Does it remind you of a certain time in your
life? Is it part of a larger collection? Was it given to you by someone special? This is
the part that will make this really the “Museum of You.”
Each “plaque” should be put on some form of card stock – index card would work.
You must be prepared to present ALL of the items, although you will only present
about ONE. Your classmates will decide which object is the most interesting to them
and ask you to present in greater detail about it. At this point, you may need to
elaborate on your ideas and may need to field questions.
IMPORTANT – Have fun! Show a different side of yourself that perhaps you haven’t
before. You never know the connections you may make with other people by
revealing your likes, interests, and talents.
Are You Experienced?
© 1967, Track Records
Acquired 1999, Ardmore, PA
Performed by The Jimi Hendrix Experience
(Jimi Hendrix, Mitch Mitchell, Noel Redding)
This debut album from the Jimi Hendrix
Experience was also the first album ever released
by Track Records. It featured some of Hendrix’s
best-known songs like “Purple Haze,” “Foxey
Lady,” “Hey Joe,” “Fire,” and the title track “Are
You Experienced?” (11 songs in total.) Rolling
Stone Magazine named it the 15th best album of
all time. It has also been preserved as part of the
Library of Congress.
I became a Jimi Hendrix fan in high school
becoming attracted to his hard blues style. I began collecting albums during my time as a
DJ, but I was really looking for albums that I thought were special and had history to
them. I found this in a bin in Plastic Fantastic, a record store in Ardmore that is no longer
in business. Although it is worn and apparently belonged to “Joe,” I still purchased it for
a few dollars so that I could hold on to an important piece of rock history.
MUSEUM DATE: ____________________
25 points
3 items present
6 points (2 points each)
Sufficient writeup
15 points (5 points each)
(Conventions, required elements, length, professional look)
Presentation
4 points
(Familiarity with object, not reading, ability to field questions)
The Incredible Hulk #254
© 1980, Marvel Comics
Acquired 1982, Brooklyn, NY
Written by Bill Mantlo
Illustrated by Sal Buscema
In this story, the Incredible Hulk meets up with
new villains the U-Foes (minor villains who
never really gained fame). While the story may
not feature anything other than the usual “Hulk
smash” format, it is important to me as this was
the first superhero comic that was ever given to
me. My mother purchased it (with others – but
this was the first one I gravitated towards), and it
was this first book that hooked me into reading
comics and reading in general. Now with a
collection boasting over 2,000 books, I credit my
mother for starting this strange but wonderful
collection.
The Molded Man
Fired & polished clay statuette
Created 1970, Brooklyn, NY
Acquired 2006
Artist: Judith Langin
Judith Langin (my mother) was a great artist. She did
not draw or paint, but she could create. She was
trained in many different skills but was self-taught in
many other – woodworking, pottery, ceramics,
decoupage, calligraphy, crocheting, and more. This
was one of her earliest attempts at pottery, and I was
always drawn into the man’s look – his faceless, yet
not expressionless, thought-provoking gaze. I have
always kept the piece as a reminder that just as my
mother crafted this figure with our own hands so do
we craft our own selves and futures.