n.a box or cabinet with transparent sides, often made from acrylic or glass, that protects archival resources while on displayO’Connor 1984, 160It is even more important that document exhibit cases be maintained at a constant and moderate level of relative humidity (RH).O’Toole 1993, 250–251By the 1920s, both the Constitution and the Declaration [of Independence] were on display at the Library of Congress, but the dedication of the National Archives building in 1933 touched off a twenty-year tug of war between the two federal agencies for the rights to possess and exhibit them. When the library finally gave them up to the National Archives in 1952, the transfer was accomplished with all the pomp and solemnity of a medieval procession of saintly relics. . . . Once at the archives, they were greeted by the president and chief justice and installed in exhibit cases, appropriately called the “Shrine of Freedom,” specially built to hold them.Lacher-Feldman 2013, 61Although space considerations often appear especially critical, archivists should not ignore the related issue of exhibit cases. These display vehicles can be expensive, whether they are custom made or purchased from a vendor. Oftentimes they can be unwieldy and unattractive. Many repositories are saddled with cumbersome and inappropriate cases that have been maintained within the institution for years or decades but that are neither secure nor well-suited for special collections use. Evaluate equipment on a regular basis, and institute a long-term replacement plan for inadequate cases.NEDCC 2020a, 4Exhibit cases and mounts should be constructed using materials that are chemically inert and are not known to offgas.
Notes
An exhibit case is also called an exhibition case, a display case, a showcase, or a vitrine.
