Episode 24: Not So Hidden Research Gems – Museum Exhibition Catalogues

Ii-wey! After following the news last week about the fire that gutted the National Museum in Rio de Janeiro, it gave me pause to think about the significance of museum exhibition books as valuable resources for documenting collections and artifacts. 

I like collecting books from exhibitions I have attended since they are physical reminders of the objects I enjoyed looking at and reading about. I believe my first exhibition book is from the Tutankamun traveling exhibit in the late 1970s, which seems appropriate given my deep interest in Egyptology. Over the years, I have had the pleasure of looking at antiquities from all over the world and gazing at my bookcase, seeing all of the museum catalogues lined up on the shelves, many fond memories come to mind. Titan. Da Vinci. Botticelli. Mucha. And numerous sculptures, jeweled eggs, and many other fine objects. 

In studying about mummies from the around world, I have found exhibition catalogues are helpful as reference materials. Books covering older exhibits might showcase artifacts that may have not been on display for some years. For example, the 1970s Tutankhamun exhibition book has a few overlapping pieces with this year’s exhibition, but I would imagine that each tour’s catalogue taken altogether would yield a reasonable representation of pieces from the original discovery that have been viewed in museums and on traveling tours over the intervening decades (which actually would still be a fraction of the 5,300+ artifacts Howard Carter found). The books also document a long past exhibit or one that is too far away. And, in the case of last week’s fire, a catalogue of photographs may be the only record left of destroyed and/or lost objects. 

Current exhibition books are easier to purchase nowadays because museums often have an online retail presence in which to purchase catalogues. Yet, I have noticed that not all exhibitions are created equal. For instance, the current Tutankhamun tour has not one but two official books. Each book covers the objects from different angles, so naturally, I picked up both books. Regrettably, there are some exhibits that don’t have an official catalogue. For past exhibits that do have books, check the used bookstores. Museum books are usually shelved with the art books and are often reasonably priced. Other vendors that may be helpful for finding an elusive catalogue are Abebooks, Amazon and eBay. 

I have found these catalogues helpful with research, be it nonfiction or fiction writing, so don’t overlook the exhibition catalogues covering topics of interest. They are packed with great reference materials – text and photos. What exhibition books do you have in your collection? 

Senebti! 

Banner photo taken by author.