Uncommon ground: aviation collections and the lack of standardized collection management practices

Abstract

It is the hypothesis of this thesis that there are no standardized collections management methods for aviation collections. Moreover, this thesis will verify that the lack of standardized collections management policies is due to lack of attention to the special needs of aircraft collections (especially in the areas of conservation and restoration). This thesis will be substantiated by presenting different collections management issues relevant to aircraft and demonstrating the varying means by which aviation museums respond to these issues, as well as the factors that influence each museum's response. The thesis is divided into four chapters. Due to the integrated nature of collections management, many of the sections will have a degree of overlap.