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:

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 RecordsAcquired 1999, Ardmore, PAPerformed 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 ComicsAcquired 1982, Brooklyn, NYWritten by Bill MantloIllustrated 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 ManFired & polished clay statuetteCreated 1970, Brooklyn, NYAcquired 2006Artist: 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.