By Kasey
One of the (many) great things about the heritage field is that there is always something new to learn. Last Friday, Sarah and I had a training day at the Royal Pavilion in Brighton. It was held by the Sussex Museums Group and the Money & Medals Network, and focused on the care, display, and interpretation of numismatic objects (coins, medals, tokens etc).
This was an important course for us to attend because we house numerous military medals.
We learned how to properly mount medals for display and how to care for them in a way that will ensure their longevity. Medals are not as hardy as I initially thought. In fact, they're actually quite vulnerable if mishandled. As tempting as it might be to polish them until they shine, I learned that it's much better practice to clean surface dust and dirt only. Any sort of polishing is abrasive and over time the finer engravings on the medal are at risk of being lost. It's also important to wear gloves, as oils and dirt on the hands can have the same damaging effect.
The course also made me realize just how extraordinary medals are because they memorialize both a historical event (i.e. a war or battle) and a personal experience. Illumining both stories as part of a museum's interpretive plan makes medals a more intriguing site for reflection, and this is something we have tried to do in our Waterloo display.
The Waterloo medal is an incredible token from a very tumultuous time in history. Following The Battle of Waterloo in 1815, commemorative medals were given to all participants in both the battle itself and the campaigns leading up to it (the Battles of Quatres Bras and Ligny, respectively) - an honour previously reserved for officers only.
These medals, seemingly insignificant at first, symbolize the transcendence of bravery over status. They recognized all participants as equals and essentially changed the way we memorialize those who have served. For objects so small, they certainly have a lot to tell us. You can discover more stories like these when we open on March 21.
One of the (many) great things about the heritage field is that there is always something new to learn. Last Friday, Sarah and I had a training day at the Royal Pavilion in Brighton. It was held by the Sussex Museums Group and the Money & Medals Network, and focused on the care, display, and interpretation of numismatic objects (coins, medals, tokens etc).
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| Not a bad place to have training (Photo by Henry Flynn, Project Curator, Money & Medals Network, The British Museum) |
This was an important course for us to attend because we house numerous military medals.
 |
| A small sample of our numismatic collection (and yes it is still that cold in the museum) |
We learned how to properly mount medals for display and how to care for them in a way that will ensure their longevity. Medals are not as hardy as I initially thought. In fact, they're actually quite vulnerable if mishandled. As tempting as it might be to polish them until they shine, I learned that it's much better practice to clean surface dust and dirt only. Any sort of polishing is abrasive and over time the finer engravings on the medal are at risk of being lost. It's also important to wear gloves, as oils and dirt on the hands can have the same damaging effect.
 |
| It's so important to wear gloves when handling medals (and preferably ones that fit, unlike mine) |
The course also made me realize just how extraordinary medals are because they memorialize both a historical event (i.e. a war or battle) and a personal experience. Illumining both stories as part of a museum's interpretive plan makes medals a more intriguing site for reflection, and this is something we have tried to do in our Waterloo display.
 |
| Part of the Waterloo display here at The Redoubt |
The Waterloo medal is an incredible token from a very tumultuous time in history. Following The Battle of Waterloo in 1815, commemorative medals were given to all participants in both the battle itself and the campaigns leading up to it (the Battles of Quatres Bras and Ligny, respectively) - an honour previously reserved for officers only.
 |
| Here we have two Waterloo medals, one awarded to Private Thomas Moran, and one awarded to Private Peter West.Both men were involved in protecting the road to Brussels at Hal, and like all soldiers given these medals, were henceforth known as 'Waterloo men.' |
These medals, seemingly insignificant at first, symbolize the transcendence of bravery over status. They recognized all participants as equals and essentially changed the way we memorialize those who have served. For objects so small, they certainly have a lot to tell us. You can discover more stories like these when we open on March 21.
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