Page:The museum, (Jackson, Marget Talbot, 1917).djvu/184

154 If the museum is cramped for space glass shelves must be used because many more objects can be shown with them, but the fact of their transparency makes the effect of the case confusing. The museum visitor sees everything in the case at a glance, and in order to see any individual thing must focus seriously upon it. Where the inside of a case is fitted with wooden shelves in pyramid form this is not the impression and the arrangement in groups is greatly facilitated.

For small objects cases made all of glass without wooden framework are often used. These are best held together with a special kind of cement. Where this cannot be obtained nickeled clamps at the corners may be substituted. Care should be taken that this type of case is not too commercial in design. A glass bell or convex glass corners on a museum case distort the objects within and should never be used. Storage cases should be of wood rather than metal because, should a fire occur, the metal conducts the heat to such an extent that the contents of a metal case are often charred, whereas if the case were of wood the fire might be controlled before any damage was done to the inside of the case.

.—In labelling minor arts the director has much latitude. It is usually customary to place upon the outside of a case a label telling