CACHE AND CARRY MUSEUMS: HOW TO BUILD A SUITCASE MUSEUM

By Stephen H. Paschen

Local History Notebook, March / April 1988

Do you want to increase your institution's audience? A silly question, of course, but do you rely only on visitors coming into your museum? Maybe you need to think of ways to take your museum to your audience. One way is to prepare temporary exhibits for sites outside your museum--in libraries, public spaces, or even in shopping malls. In these locations, your artifacts must be protected, either by docents or locked cases, which cost money and staff time. A better way may be to build suitcase museums, much less expensive and portable vehicles for getting your interpretive message into the community.

A suitcase or trunk may be taken to audiences not able to come to your museum. I originally developed the Summit County Historical Society's trunks for the schools, but have since found that many local groups, from Scout troops to retiree organizations, have used them because they are self-contained historical programs that may be borrowed as easily as a book from the library and cost the borrower nothing.

Taking into consideration strained school budgets, the large number of artifacts in our storage, and the students' natural urge to touch, we set out to create portable museums with concise interpretive material and artifacts which may be handled. We called them Discovery Trunks. Also, the trunks have provided a limited forum for covering interpretive material that doesn't fit into our museum's interpretive goals.

On the surface, it may seem easy to select the artifacts for one of these suitcases--just pick out some "old stuff" and put it into a box with a handle. It is also tempting, with certain collections in mind, to focus your message to fit the artifacts. But to create a trunk with the best educational value, choose an interpretive theme--a concise message--that the audience may derive from the experience.

The subject of your interpretive theme is up to you, but you need a clear mission statement in order to build a strong interpretation, and it will make it easier to market the trunk later. For example, the mission statement around which we build our Victorian women trunk ("The Victorian Woman: The Ideal American Woman at the Turn of the Century") is this: "The term 'Victorian' is often used even today, but what does it mean? The objects in this trunk help define the 'ideal' woman as the popular writers of the late 19th and early 20th centuries pictured her. Although women were not strictly ruled by such definition, there was certainly much evidence of these ideals. The 'proper' woman was the keeper of purity - wife and mother." Only after the mission statement was cemented into place did we begin to think about gathering the material.

For the museum's trunk on mail-order consumerism ("Send No Money: The Creation of the American Consumer") our mission statement reads: "Rapidly advancing technology, mass manufacturing methods, efficient postal service (due in part to a growing railroad system), and the extra cash of prosperous times all contributed to the establishment and success of mail-order catalogues at the end of the 19th century. Today's mail-order consumerism really began with the catalogue and goods faithfully delivered by the Sears Roebuck & Co., capitalized at $150,000 in the 1890s and valued at $100 million by 1910.

Choosing Your Container

After your theme has been researched and clearly written down, it's time to pick the artifacts, right? Wrong. First, determine exactly what container you are going to use. Keep in mind if you can't get it into the average automobile, no one will use it. If your container is too big, too heavy, or even too small, it may compromise the purpose of the whole project. Also, choose a container that is square or rectangular, since rounded corners make construction of the compartments much more difficult. I chose a small, inexpensive ($15) footlocker that is carried by many discount stores. This lockable trunk is made of sturdy fiberboard with metal corners and edges. It is relatively lightweight, but still big enough to hold artifacts of varied sizes and shapes.

Filling The Trunk

After choosing the trunk it's time to pick the artifacts. The artifacts ought to be lightweight, small, durable (or expendable), and fit into the mission statement while being interesting and unusual. I think the most effective mix of objects includes mechanical devices, items of clothing (to be tried on), historical photographs, household items, objects that reflect the contemporary technology of the time, and artifacts specifically reflective of interpretive themes.

Most of us won't want to risk using fragile or one-of-a-kind artifacts like textiles, pottery, or artwork. We collect these artifacts because of their unique qualities, making many of them irreplaceable. Don't think necessarily that you can just walk into your storage and take the artifacts right off the shelf (remember, there is always the chance that these objects might be lost or broken). Even though I have more than 5,000 to pick from, our historical society has begun to collect artifacts specifically for the trunks (sometimes duplicates of artifacts already in our collections) and in some cases I have used reproduction artifacts (authentic reproductions, like corn husk dolls and wooden crafts, chosen very carefully). Make sure all the artifacts chosen are permanently marked and catalogued, and keep an inventory file listing all artifacts used.

Once you have selected a container for the suitcase museum, you need to build compartments into the case to protect and inunobilize the artifacts. The compartments serve a couple of purposes. They keep the artifacts from crushing each other while imposing an organization within the trunk. Also, it helps the borrower know whether something is missing when packing the artifacts back into the trunk.

The tools you'll need to make the compartments are a utility knife ($3-$5), a steel straightedge ($8), a measuring tape, and some scrap mat board or other material to protect your worktable's surface.

The compartments should be made of strong, but lightweight materials. The best materials are the styrofoam-core boards that are popular for mounting exhibit photographs. Gator foam board is more expensive ($45 per 4' x 8' x l/4" sheet), must be cut with a utility knife (because its plastic surface is harder, but somewhat brittle), but it holds up longer. Foam core board is not so costly ($3.50 per 30" x 40" x l/4" sheet), easier to cut with a utility knife, and less durable because of its paper surface. I have constructed the compartments from both types of boards, and recommend the Gator foam because of its greater durability. The compartments can be glued together with any number of good glues, but I prefer a quick-setting product called Quick-Grab (it sets in 15 seconds, so you don't have to stand there holding the pieces together!). It is sold for $5.50 per tube at hobby and miniaturist stores.

The first step in building the compartments is to determine the layout of the artifacts. I begin by arranging the artifacts in the trunk without any compartments, allowing enough space between them for the interior walls. The structure needs to have some interlocking parts to be strong enough to support the artifacts. Take care to provide this structural detail because the materials are not inherently strong and you can't depend on the strength of the glue alone to hold the compartments together. Another hint: locate the heaviest artifacts to the back of the trunk so that when the trunk is being carried the heavy artifacts will be on the bottom. Try a few different layouts until you are satisfied that you have the best possible layout. Also, it is a good idea to have more available artifacts than you really need in the trunk, giving you some flexibility in determining the layout. Leave the artifacts in the trunk while you take your measurements to build the compartments.

To build the compartments, remove the artifacts and measure the bottom dimension of the trunk so the floor section may be cut out first. To cut the foam board, the dimensions are marked off and the straightedge is used as a guide for making straight cuts. Make sure that you always use a sharp blade (change blades frequently for the best results). When you are making the cuts, be careful, the razor sharp blades will cut humans as easily as they cut foam board (I speak from experience, having left a piece of my finger at the emergency room not long ago.)

Don't glue the floor piece into the trunk because if it is damaged it will be too hard to replace, and you may want the compartments to be removable. The floor is slid in and the artifacts put back into the trunk in their correct positions. Measure, cut, and fit only one wall at a time. It will keep the errors to a minimum. Before you glue the walls together, do a final check that all the artifacts fit into the compartments, and the compartments fit well together. Do not forget to glue an envelope to the inside lid of the trunk to hold your accompanying documents. And even though it is quick-setting glue, allow it to set overnight before putting the artifacts into their compartments.

Making History Educational

Now you have a trunkful of neat old stuff, but so what? The written documents included in each trunk need to contain an introductory statement explaining why the trunks were developed (and for whom), check-out and return procedures including guidelines for handling artifacts and keeping the trunks locked. Include also accurate descriptions of the trunk's contents, a historical background narrative that puts the interpretive message into context with national and world history, an inventory plan of the contents that shows how to get the artifacts back into the trunk (without this, it's a little like the Christmas present you got that wouldn't fit back in the box once you unfolded it). Include a suggested lesson plan if schools are in your audience.

The introductory statement and check-out and return procedures are standard for every Discovery Trunk that we offer. These two pages have been developed over time taking into account our open hours, available staff time (for construction, handling, administration, and maintenance), frequency of use, and visibility of the program.) When you build your suitcase museums you need to carefully scrutinize your resources and audiences and then be able to alter the procedures when it's necessary. For instance, we have one trunk heavier than the others so we often deliver it.

The historical background piece for each trunk is written for secondary level students. Teachers can use this 2-3 page narrative as is (for secondary level) or condense and simplify the material for younger students. By writing the material for this level, you can get across the message without losing adult audiences. Many teachers have told me that writing for this level is the most useful because there is enough material there for teachers at any level to make use of the trunks. Even so, I also include a suggested lesson plan that provides a teaching objective, several possible classroom activities, and a list of vocabulary words. My qualifications for writing lesson plans are pretty slim, but teachers have encouraged me to continue including the plans because the material can be quickly translated into their format.

The inventory plan not only tells you how to get the old stuff back into the trunk but provides a brief description and interpretation of each artifact. In this way, the trunk as a whole carries a message, but each item's significance is also stressed. Elementary school teachers often play down the interpretive themes that are perhaps too sophisticated for the younger students, but still hold their attention by explaining the function of all the artifacts.

The last document to include is a questionnaire asking for comments, suggestions and new interpretive themes. Not everyone responds to this, but some very good ideas have come from teachers looking for more effective ways to accomplish their course objectives.

Getting To The Audience

So now your suitcase museum is complete. The next question on your mind should be: How can we get the people (the audience; in the Summit County Historical Society's case, the schools) to know about our trunk and to use it?

We approached this marketing problem in two ways. Our organization has teachers on the Board of Trustees, retired teachers in our volunteer service group, and we often consult with active teachers on educational programming and special events. Though these teachers all thought the Discovery Trunks were wonderful ideas, our contact with the schools was mainly through the curriculum offices. Frankly, our trunks often got lost in the deluge of educational materials in these offices. So the second approach we took was to call the school principals and teachers at specific schools to try to schedule the trunks for a week at a time. Even though we have just begun to use this marketing technique, it shows promise.

I cannot stress enough that the most important consideration in all this is to define and know your audience, and then work to find the best way to make the suitcase museums available to it. We spread the word through teacher in-service days, speaking engagements (including television and radio appearances), in our newsletter, and through the local newspaper. Other good ways to get the word out might include mailing flyers to clubs, civic groups, scout troops, service organizations, and many other potential audiences. Fortunately, once people see these portable museums, they usually like and remember them.

The irresistible urge to touch unfamiliar objects from the past makes a trip to the museum tantalizing because visitors almost never get to "sit on the furniture." Suitcase museums allow our audiences to pick up and feel the artifacts' weight, volume, and texture - tactile sensations that help bring alive the past. The museum goes to the audience, and the historian comes along in the form of written materials that make the suitcase a self-contained inexpensive exhibit. And through these portable museums, those of us in the business of disseminating history have a chance to deal with special topics that don't fit into our normal definition of our institutions' interpretive goals. Everyone knows we are the keepers of the old stuff, and suitcase museums give us the chance to share our heritage with audiences that they never get to our museums.

Stephen H. Paschen is the education curator at the Summit County Historical Society. The Summit County Historical Society's Discovery Trunks won the 1987 OAHSM Award for educational program.

Other Suitcase Museums

The Summit County Historical Society has suitcase museums available on four topics:

1. "Akron Over There," an assortment of World War I equipment, uniform articles, and photographs from an Akron soldier's 1918 combat experience in France.

2. "The Victorian Woman," with everyday items illustrating the "ideal" American woman at the turn of the century.

3. "Lighter than Air," tracing the airship industry in Akron and includes a videotape, books, uniform articles, and airship supplies.

4. "Send No Money," a presentation of the mail-order consumer business with products sold through the 1897 Sears & Roebuck catalogue.

These Discovery Trunks may be reserved by contacting the Summit County Historical Society, 550 Copley Road, Akron, OH 44320, (216) 535-1120.

If you would like more information on organizations in your area which offer suitcase museums, or if you would like to create your own suitcase museum, contact the OHS Local History Office.

The Local History Notebook is edited and published by the Ohio Historical Society's Local History Office in order to bring useful information to people working in the local history field. The selection of subjects and authors is based on inquiries to the Local History Office and on the editor's determination of issues which are timely in nature and lasting in scope. The reference inserts are copyrighted 1988 the Ohio Historical Society. Reprints are available; please specify volume and number. For further information, contact: