Each month, we ask a museum staff member to answer five questions about their position at The Walt Disney Family Museum, their fondest Disney memories, and personal tidbits. This month, we're asking our very own Harvey Newman... what do YOU do??
What is your title and what do you do here at The Walt Disney Museum?
I am the Conservation Technician, which is a part of the Collections Department. In collaboration with the Collections Staff, I find the best solutions for preservation of the artifacts on exhibit and in storage.
Some of the highlights of my position have been creating custom housing for artifacts, treating objects that are about to go into the exhibition, testing the stability of materials (Oddy Testing) as well as monitoring temperature, humidity and light levels in the galleries and artifact case interiors to ensure stable environments for our treasures.
One of my most recent projects has been creating facsimiles of Cels that were too fragile for exhibition—but were too stunning to leave out of our upcoming Silly Symphonies rotation.
What is your favorite gallery at The Walt Disney Family Museum—and why?
My favorite gallery in the Museum is Gallery 5. The art of Bambi and Fantasia is amazing, and was a huge shift in artistic style. The letter from Diego Rivera to Walt Disney is a fascinating projection into the future, and the notebook of Herman Schultheis is an intriguing collection of studies.
How does your job communicate and interpret the legacy of Walt Disney?
As a part of the Conservation team, I am preserving the artifacts of Walt Disney’s legacy. The majority of the art created in the studios was for one purpose—to make a film. These artifacts were pieces of the process, and not looked at as individual pieces of art, as they were never intended to live past the production of the film. Many of the materials used to create the film are lost forever, but there are many still in existence. The Walt Disney Family Museum collection has gathered a great body of work, and it is now being cared for and treated, so it may live on for future generations to appreciate and enjoy.
Describe your workspace for us.
The Conservation workspace is a lab where we bring the art for evaluation, treatment and documentation. Our space is something of an examination room, similar to a doctor’s, where the art is our patients. If the patient is ill, we will discuses possible treatments, but sometimes it is better to leave them "as is" and create a good environment for them to rest.
We are the only work space besides the kitchen/break room with a sink, microwave, and oven. But we use these devices to run tests, make adhesives and clean our tools. (Unfortunately, I can’t bring any food or drink into the space because of the fear of attracting bugs.)
Tell us a little known fact about you.
I am a new owner of an Android® Smartphone, and I am obsessed.
Images: 1) A three-year old Harvey with his parents at Disneyland! 2) Nice hair, Harvey! (L: Harvey in 2010. R: Harvey, today)