Shelf by Shelf: A multi-year inventory of the collection

In the storage rooms of the Magnes, a meticulous review and inspection of the collection is taking place. Shelf by shelf and box by box, the museum’s staff is conducting a comprehensive inventory that bridges 64 years of analog history with a new digital future. Leading the effort are Andrea Calderon, Registrar & Collections Manager, and David Sullivan, Head Preparator. Since last summer, the duo has been working their way through the various storage areas at the Magnes, with the goal of auditing every single item in the collection.

“The idea is to identify the base-level work that needs to get done [and] build a foundation to do all the cross-referencing work.” — Andrea Calderon, Registrar & Collections Manager

Calderon explained during a recent walkthrough that conducting an inventory is standard museum practice and essential for a collection as expansive as the Magnes. Over time, some information transferred to the digital database may have become incomplete or inconsistent, necessitating this thorough review of the records. At the same time, the project is an opportunity to assess the museum’s physical holdings. Sullivan and Calderon are checking that every object is in its assigned location and that the physical labels—some dating back to the 1960s—match the digital records.

As they move through the collection, the team is also identifying which artifacts require better storage containers to ensure their long-term preservation. Sullivan pointed out a 1919 photograph and silk mat that require new acid-free barriers, noting that space optimization is a key part of the process. In some cases, a single box might contain twenty items wrapped in tissue. They will move these objects to custom trays so that collections staff and researchers can view each item without having to handle them individually, which protects them from damage.

This thorough inventory process highlights the wide array of holdings at the Magnes, from delicate textiles, paintings, and ritual objects to more eclectic pieces like a collection of masks and puppets, carved shells, and political ephemera. Sullivan noted that one of the more exciting parts of inventorying the collection is discovering things that likely haven’t been seen since the museum was on Russell Street. ”It’s a great way to get to know the collection,” he added.

“Part of stewarding the collection is checking in on the pieces every once in a while.” — David Sullivan, Head Preparator

One of the more complex tasks involves the Western Jewish History Center (WJHC) collection. While the Bancroft Library now holds the paper archives for these collections, the Magnes retains the associated physical objects. Many of these items carry legacy “WJHC” identification numbers that do not follow current museum standards. Calderon’s goal is to reconcile these different numbering systems, ensuring each object has a unique accession number while still honoring its historical origin. This reconciliation is vital for the museum’s ability to track its acquisitions and understand the full scope of its holdings.

The team expects to finish the first of two onsite storage areas by the end of 2026 and will then move on to the second followed by off-site storage. This major undertaking coincides with other initiatives for the Magnes, including the launch of a new online collections catalog, the processing of the Roman Vishniac Archive, and the search for the Magnes’s next senior curator. Together, these initiatives will result in more robust documentation of the Magnes’s collection, making it more accessible for researchers, students, and the community than ever before. As Calderon noted, this work is a critical component of stewarding the collection into the future.