Stabilise fragile, damp or adhered objects before cataloguing
Describe damage by direction and distance, then record the support needed for each fragile, damp or adhered object. Its storage and handling note must carry the object number.
Order the evidence fields
Place complete form, edges, base and damage photographs in the image field. Keep the batch list, file names and storage location in a separate records field.
Compare like fields during review and leave an unsupported entry blank. State when a package or adhesion prevents a safe view.
Names, places and transaction stories do not identify the objects. Concentrate this file on repeatable photographs, measurements, condition and handling limits.
Use batch views to count, not to identify
Separate a mixed household group into metal, paper, stamps, porcelain and other materials before applying any observation. Record enclosure limits on the individual files.
A batch photograph establishes quantity and arrangement. Each object still needs its own form, dimensions, weight where relevant, package and mapped damage.
Keep sources outside the visible-evidence field
Retain original boxes, sleeves, certificates, receipts and old labels exactly as found. Link them by number rather than opening packaging for a cleaner view.
Store family history as context, while visible features, unresolved questions and document wording occupy separate fields. A nearby attachment is not automatically a match.
Give each material an appropriate evidence set
Assign a unique number to the complete outline, front, back, edge, base and raw measurement photographs of every object. Record any obstruction beside the relevant view.
Support each material group independently. Metal, paper, stamps and porcelain have different moisture, abrasion and impact risks and should not share one handling method.
Leave uncertain identity and material open
Photographs can record wording, designs and obvious damage, but alloy, hidden cracks, paper structure and fine restoration may still require direct examination.
Mark uncertain names, dates and materials as provisional. Completing a form with a guess makes later comparison less reliable, not more complete.
Build the handover around traceable evidence
First match complete form, edge, base and damage photographs to dimensions, weight, instrument and raw unit. Only then add comparison or attribution notes.
Confirm the object number before filing the batch list, image name and storage location, then verify that metals, paper, stamps and porcelain remain in their intended groups.
Separate the first observation from later judgement. Raw images and readings stay distinct from market names, provenance accounts and unresolved research.
If photographs and readings conflict, repeat the same measurement on the same object. A persistent discrepancy becomes an open item for the relevant specialist.
Separate object, package and attachment numbers
Use an M-series for physical objects, a P-series for boxes or sleeves and an A-series for certificates, receipts or labels. A single object may have several packages, and an attachment may remain unmatched; preserve those relationships as open links.
Keep measurement fields reproducible
Record dimension or weight with instrument, raw unit and reading position. Copy a document weight or spoken material claim into the source field, never over the physical reading.
Write storage risk into each box list
Isolate damp paper, support fragile objects beneath their bodies and bases, and keep coins, bars and jewellery in their own packages. Each outer box list names the object numbers, count, compartment and no-touch areas.
At handover, trace each object from the box list to its complete photograph, package and attachments rather than relying on the carton total. Leave surfaces and seals as found while adding missing material-group images or current documents.
