South Florida Collections Management Center
Re:Collections
Spring 2012
What’s New . . .
Long-time museum supporter Oron “Sonny” Bass, Jr. recently contributed more to the museum collection than his usual boxes of government records and science data. Sonny donated historical objects associated with the park’s history and local culture. The donation included: two c. 1960s wooden field crates from the former tomato fields in the Hole-in-the-Donut; a set of adjustable cast-iron marsh horseshoes (also called rock or mud horseshoes), owned by his father; a c. 16-foot long bamboo "Jewfish pole" which belonged to Lloyd Deitz, Sonny’s great-uncle; and a hand-woven hat made from coconut palm fibers. The hat was made by George Avery, a self-taught and respected botanist and former employee of Everglades National Park. Sonny remembers his great-uncle catching 350 lb. Goliath grouper with the Jewfish pole back in the 1960s. Thanks, Sonny
NPS Web Catalog Update
The NPS has re-vamped the Web Catalog! Check out the new interface and find out what is in your collection at http://museum.nps.gov/ParkIndex.aspx
SFCMC Staff Spotlight
Meet Amanda Gonzalez
Amanda joined the SFCMC as an archives technician in January 2012. A native of Miami, she has a BA in International Studies from Barry University and a Graduate Certificate in Museum Studies from Florida International University (FIU). She is currently pursuing a MA in Public History at FIU.
Amanda has an interest in not only archives but also museums and historical preservation. Her previous experience has been with HistoryMiami, WSVN-Channel 7 & Vizcaya Museum and Gardens. She has also been volunteering as an archivist with the City of Coral Gables Historical Resources Department since October 2011. At the SFCMC, she is currently working on processing and arranging BISC’s science records.
BICY Artwork on Exhibit at Miami Area Museums
Select pieces of artwork from the BICY museum collection are on exhibit at the Biscayne Nature Center in Key Biscayne through May 7th. Following this exhibit, the artwork will travel to The Swenson Gallery at the Bakehouse Art
Complex in Miami where it will be exhibited through June 7th. The venues were
arranged courtesy of previous BICY artist-in-residence Jacqueline Roch, with assistance of another artist-in-residence, Deborah Mitchell. SFCMC staff facilitated the exhibit. The artists and BICY staff are pleased that the artwork is being seen by a wider public, including students of Miami-Dade County schools and beyond. The art on exhibit represents a variety of media – painting, drawing, woodcut print, and sculpture. Artists represented by the works include Ailyn Hoey, Karen Glaser, Deedra Ludwig, Mark Goodenough, and Mollie Doctrow.
Conservation Corner
The SFCMC has received FY12 Cultural Cyclic Program funding for conservation of a Dan Feaser mural in the DESO museum collection. Created in 1969, the painting was believed to be the only accurate depiction of the clothing and equipment worn by De Soto’s men in the U.S. at the time. The treatment will implement recommendations from a 2009 assessment of the mural.
DRTO Cannon Project Update
2012 marks the 5th year of the cannon project at DRTO. In March staff from Tuckerbrook Conservation in Maine was back to conserve the Rodman gun on bastion 6 and to mount the 25-ton Rodman on bastion 4. One Rodman was mounted on a full reproduction carriage in 2010 but it is cost prohibitive to mount all six Rodmans on full carriages. Instead, an Alternative Cannon Mounting Plan and Mini-Value Analysis was prepared and a non-historic mount developed. The prototype mount as installed is pictured below. It allows for cannon preservation and maintenance while improving the cultural landscape and visitor understanding. The mounted gun is lifted and placed back in the center of the bastion, rather than lying on granite blocks and aiming at the fort’s wall. To date, 8 of the 10 large guns have been conserved. In September, the 482nd Civil Engineers Squadron will construct two more platforms for the next phase of gun mounting.
Archives in Action
The archives recently received a request for historic images of Everglades National Park from the Broward County, City of Sunrise, Utility Administrative Center to use at their booth at a Relay for Life® event this spring. The city office hopes to display water resource related images and provide information to race participants about water use and how it impacts the nearby Everglades. Brochures and outreach information about the park were provided to the City of Sunrise by the Community Outreach Office for the South Florida National Parks.
The historic images from The Everglades museum collection include subjects such as dredges, water control structures, canals, and this charming image of a young boy fishing in the park.
Herbarium Inventory
As part of the SFCMC’s ongoing efforts to improve accountability of natural science specimens at non-NPS repositories, an inventory project of National Park Service specimens housed at Miami’s Fairchild Tropical Botanic Gardens was recently completed. To complete the project, SFCMC Museum Technician Adel Pena worked at the herbarium one day a week for several weeks. The work consisted of inventorying over 800 specimens from BICY, BISC, and EVER. For Adel, a botany student, it was also a great opportunity to observe the everyday operations of a botanic garden. She also got to interact with the Garden’s friendly staff and observed how, together with their large volunteer force, they work to maintain the herbarium’s large collection.
BISC Archives Backlog Cataloging
The archives team is busy working on the BISC Natural Resource Management Program Records. Some of the subjects included in the 100 linear feet of this material include: fisheries monitoring; water quality; staff biology and botany projects; program management; and permitted research. The SFCMC is looking forward to making this exciting collection accessible for research and resource management decisions in the park.
Last updated: March 28, 2024