No matter the size or status of a museum, they all have one problem in common - safe and efficient storage of non-display exhibits
No matter the size or status of a museum, they all have one problem in common - safe and efficient storage of non-display exhibits. This was certainly the case with the Cambridge & County Folk Musem, converted as it is from a 17th century inn, and thanks to storage specialists Lista and a Heritage Lottery Fund grant the situation has been greatly resolved.
The Museum was founded in 1936, and reflects the complete social history of Cambridge and the Fens. What this also means is that the overall collection is truly eclectic by nature and size, embracing items as diverse as clothing, crafts and trades, kitchen implements, and toys and games.
A particular challenge for Assistant Curator Becky Proctor was that the newly built collections store area was triangular in shape and not easy to access. Architects were called in to prepare plans - followed by all of the storage companies in this field.
What impressed about Lista was that they were the only company who saw a viable alternative to the plans, in the form of not only static shelving around the perimeter, but a very clever mobile unit whereby sixteen bays of cabinets are mounted on tracks laid into the floor and the bays are simply wheeled open or shut as desired - all from Lista’s durable and cost-effective M10 range.
As Becky observes "Lista offered excellent service and ingenious solutions. They were very attentive, and we now have a single, purpose built storage area which has also gained us a third extra space against original concepts. The cabinet shelves are easily adjusted and are very strong at the same time, much better than the old wooden system. The majority of items are housed within a large series of specialist boxes, easy to get at and identify by virtue of tailored shelves. This new system was also a significant aspect of the museum being long-listed for the prestigious Gulbenkian Prize for museums and galleries in 2006".
Aside from the above, within the office area, Lista also supplied one of their unique protective cabinets - in this case to the museum’s collection of rare books - also in modern light grey and with special viewing windows to reduce the need for opening the hinged doors and exposing the contents to the elements.
For complete Lista details call 01228 560911