Subject

The visual collections are subject based and form an important access point for material.

Context

In 1936, former conservator Peter Johnston-Saint wrote ‘in a Research Institution of this kind we are not primarily concerned with the artistic or commercial value of a print or drawing. The subject is of first importance to us, and it may be that a certain illustration, the commercial value of which is negligible, would serve our purpose by providing us with the information which we require better than a drawing of high artistic merit and value.’

The visual collections are subject based and form an important access point for material - sometimes this was the only way to delve into the uncatalogued collections. These subject classifications can be found on the ends of shelving/mobile units in stores, as well as on container labels. A digital list can also be found here: Subject lists (by store)

The digital subject classifications were imported into QB into a separate table, so can be selected from this list in the artworks table. If the subject on your container/label cannot be found in the existing list, you can create one in the subject table itself.

Documenting these subject classifications allows us to record the intellectual arrangement of material so if material is physically moved or separated in the future, we know how this was organised historically.

Procedure followed from April 2019 to March 2020.

This field only applies to uncatalogued items, except for the Solander store, where we will record the subject/classification for everything.

The list of subjects available on Quickbase has been created based on location subjects and themes from the old Solander location document available on Sharepoint. We are also allowed to create new subjects, should this be required. Subject fields do not allow for multiple choice, but we can use up to four of them.

Please always make sure that there is no suitable term already on the list, before creating a new one.

Procedure adopted from March 2020 onwards.

Following a team meeting on 3rd March 2020, we have agreed that:

Subjects should reflect catalogued and uncatalogued material/containers.

Subject 1 – Select your container subject from the given list, these broadly map to the subjects on solander boxes/drawer store chests. Additionally, these subjects broadly map to the collection files. If no matching option is available in the list, please create the subject.

Subject 2 – If in your container/location there are sub-folders or groupings of material under different subjects you can create this in subject 2. This may be a narrower term or grouping or it may be completely different to what the subject container reflects.

Scenario: Solander box labelled PHO/A/Antiquities Egypt. Some photographs in the same box are of ‘Churches in Italy’.

1. record PHO/A/Antiquities Egypt in Subject 1, for all items, even the ones representing churches in Italy.

2. in Subject 2 create a value for ‘Italian Churches’. Apply this value only to the appropriate items.

Subject 3 and Subject 4 columns were initially created to support further subject choices, and QB used to cap the 'list' at certain number. These can still be used if needed as an access point to the collections. In July 2025 we removed 'subject 4' from the artworks table due to lack of use and to accommodate revealing the physical description column/data.