Mysteries of the Vault

Have you ever wondered how curators and collections managers learn about a museum’s collection? How does decoding logos and abbreviations help us determine how old an object is? What can colors and patterns tell us about where an object was made? What’s the trick to effective newspaper research? And what answers are harder to find than you might think? 

Mysteries of the Vault draws back the curtain on behind-the-scenes object research in museums. Using real case studies from the COMU collection, visitors will gain insight into rarely seen collection objects and new acquisitions. You may even be invited to help us solve some persistent mysteries!

This exhibition is generously supported by the Landrum Educational Endowment Fund.