RAMM’s Collections Review: Our Approach
With nearly a million objects to consider, RAMM’s collections review has been a major task. We
needed to create a structure that would allow us to handle large volumes of material in a
practicable way.
Other organisations that have carried out collections reviews, such as University College London
and the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, have divided their collections to be reviewed into
‘Review Units’. Although RAMM’s collections are larger and more diverse than those reviewed at
either of these two institutions, our approach has been the same: We have divided our material into
122 ‘Review Groups’ of related or connected material.
The key to doing this has been our comprehensive electronic database. Between 2003 and 2012,
RAMM carried out a retrospective documentation project. As a result, our database now contains
data on all the objects identified in the backlog project, at least at inventory level. This has allowed
us to use this database as the tool for creating the ‘Review Groups’. These are based around a
structured series of database searches, determined in consultation with our curators. The results of
each search became a ‘Review Group’.
The design of the review groups has an impact on the results of the review. We found it critical to
spend time, at the beginning, on getting this part of the process right. Each review group needs to
be as coherent as possible as a unit. For example, we divided our Ethnographic material up on
geographical criteria, rather than by function. We also needed to make sure that the underlying
database searches were based on database fields that were filled in fully, correctly and
consistently – if they are not, objects end up in the wrong review group.
It was impossible to review every object in review groups which may contain thousands of
database records. We took a sampling approach, selecting 50 evenly-spaced database records
from each review group to assess.
An illustration: Collections Review Groups used for RAMM’s Collections Review
Antiquities
Collections Review Group
1. Exeter Archaeology: pre-1945
2. Exeter Archaeology: 1945 - 1969
3. Exeter Archaeology: 1970 - 1989
4. Exeter Archaeology: 1990 - 2012
5. Devon Archaeology: pre-1945
6. Devon Archaeology: 1945 - 1969
7. Devon Archaeology: 1970 - 1989
8. Devon Archaeology: 1990 - 2012
9. British Archaeology
10. Foreign Archaeology
11. Numismatics: Devon
12. Numismatics: Not Devon or Unknown
13. Architectural Fragments
14. Social and Industrial History: Devon
15. Social and Industrial History: Not Devon or Unknown
16. Publications
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Art: Fine Art
Collections Review Group
17. Paintings
18. Drawings: no date
19. Drawings: 1500-1799
20. Drawings: 1800s
21. Drawings: 1900s
22. Prints: no date
23. Prints: 1500-1799
24. Prints: 1800s
25. Prints: 1900-2012
26. Miniatures
27. Silhouettes
28. Sculpture
29. Photographs
30. Collections History Archive
31. Museum History Archive
32. Documents
33. Publications
Art: Decorative Art
Collections Review Group
34. Silver
35. Metalwork
36. Woodwork
37. Furniture
38. Horology
39. British Ceramics
40. Foreign Ceramics
41. Studio Ceramics
42. Glass
43. Main Garments: Dress
44. Main Garments: Non-Dress
45. Outerwear and Protective Wear
46. Underwear, and Foundation Garments, Nightwear and Dressingwear and Sportswear
47. Accessories: Worn: Head and Face
48. Accessories: Worn: Above Waist or At Waist and Below
49. Accessories: Worn: Arms and Hands
50. Accessories: Worn: Legs and Feet
51. Accessories: Carried, Attached or Used in the Care of the Person or Clothing or Miscellaneous
52. Uniforms
53. Personalised publications
54. Periodic publications
55. Books
56. Fashion illustrations and patterns
57. Personal Objects
58. Textiles: Non-Lace
59. Textiles: Lace
60. Equipment and Materials
61. Firearms
62. Arms and Armour
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63. Personal Ornaments
64. Musical Instruments
65. Scientific Instruments
66. Toys, Dolls and Games
67. Decorative Objects
68. Publications
Ethnography
Collections Review Group
69. Africa: Area Unknown
70. Africa: North
71. Africa: Southern
72. Africa: East
73. Africa: West
74. Africa: Central
75. America: Area Unknown
76. America: North
77. America: South
78. America: Central
79. Asia: Area Unknown
80. Asia: North
81. Asia: South
82. Asia: South East
83. Asia: East
84. Asia: West
85. Asia: Central
86. Pacific: Area Unknown
87. Pacific: North
88. Pacific: South
89. Pacific: West
90. Pacific: Polynesia
91. Pacific: Melanesia
92. Pacific: Micronesia
93. Pacific: Australia
94. Europe
95. Unknown
Natural History
Collections Review Group
96. Plants
(also includes Blue-Green Algae, Bacteria and Fungi)
97. Animals Unknown or Mixed
98. Birds
99. Mammals
100. Reptiles
101. Amphibians
102. Fish
(ie not tetrapod)
103. Invertebrates
(not including Echinoderms, Molluscs, Arthropods)
104. Molluscs
105. Arthropods
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(not including Insects)
106. Insects: Lepidoptera
107. Insects: Coleoptera
108. Insects: Others
(all insects excluding Lepidoptera and Coleoptera)
109. Echinoderms
110. Rocks
111. Minerals
112. Fossils: Unknown Period
113. Fossils: Cambrian, Ordovician, Silurian
114. Fossils: Devonian
115. Fossils: Carboniferous
116. Fossils: Permian, Triassic
117. Fossils: Jurassic
118. Fossils: Cretaceous
119 .Fossils: Palaeocene to Holocene
120. Microscope Slide Preparations, Slides, Negatives, Photographs
121. Scientific Instruments
122. Publications
© 2012 Royal Albert Memorial Museum & Art Gallery, Exeter City Council
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