Peter McMurray, “Archival Excess: Sensational Histories Beyond the Audiovisual”

Peter McMurray’s article explores the sensory experiences and objects that do not fit the typical narrative or categorization of an archive. McMurray’s idea of archival excess connects to Liang’s discussion of the residual with his idea of the marginal, or boundary object. He gives an example of a gusle instrument. The instrument is pushed aside in the collection, but it acts as a symbol of nationalism and heroism, and it represents an archive within an archive. The article raises the question of what material forms and should form the identity of an archive.

McMurray also argues that sensory experiences beyond the audiovisual change the way materiality in archives should be written about. The sense of smell is discussed as a form of connection that links personal experience over time. For the sense of taste, McMurray uses the same quote from Michelet as Liang does to discuss the inhalation of archival dust. However, he extends this to describe an aspect of consumption, in which a visitor to the archive unintentionally tastes living beings and objects in that archive. McMurray also extends the idea of an archive as an active force as the archive producing humanness. Interactions between humans and archives are discussed with regard to object existence and permanence. He talks about how humans are ephemeral compared to things, but objects also face time as an agent of decay. The article also explores whether objects exist if they are not being engaged in a sensory experience with a person.

The Jewish Life in Berlin project is web-based, which limits some of the sensory experiences that may come with a physical space. However, the website could include some features to mimic the experiences of a physical archive. For example, documents can be obscured with some form of visual representation of “dust” that the user has to sift through in order to access its materials. One can also place figures on the website in place of the users. Users can watch these figures navigate through physical materials in the archive, experiencing the materiality of these objects through a proxy.

Taylor de Klerk, “Ethics in Archives. Conscientious Collection Curation”

Taylor de Klerk’s article highlights the complex process of curating material for archives. The focus is on collecting material that holds scholarly and historical value. The assessment of the value of archival material by curators, donors, and university employees determines the materials that are acquired in an archive. In terms of active archives, this article explores more of the other side of what makes an archive participatory: the donors involved in this conscientious curation. The article emphasized the large impact donors have on selecting what materials go into the archives. To me, the article raises the question of whether user participation is considered in this process. What I liked about this approach is that the institution avoids discarding historically valuable material that is not suitable for a certain collection. Instead, they attempt to find another collection that they believe will fit the object better.