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Powerhouse Museum collection
Food safe (bush pantry),
wood/ metal, unknown maker, Queensland, Australia, c 1925
The collection of some 400,000 objects is managed in three major collecting areas, each necessarily broad, and each overlapping with and informing the others. The three major collecting areas are science and technology; decorative arts and design; Australian history and society.
Each of the three major collecting areas covers a number of collection fields. In the case of some objects, for example, a specimen of penicillin mould, it clearly belongs in the category of health and medicine - a collection field within the collection area of science and technology. However, there are other objects, for example, coins, stamps, clocks, arms - which may have elements of science and technology, decorative arts and design, and Australian history and society. The Museum attributes such objects to one collection field, in order that there is efficiency and curatorial consistency over a category of objects.
If you are looking for an object on this website and you don't find it in the category in which you look at first, it may be in one of the other categories.
Decorative arts and design - fashion, ceramics, furniture, musical instruments, coins
Australian history and society - domestic life, leisure, migration, popular culture
Engineering and design - agricultural, biological, manufacturing, power technologies
Information and communications technology - computers, VR, counting devices
Sciences - physical sciences, astronomy, timekeeping, navigation, health and medicine
Koori history and culture - oral histories, contemporary design, musical instruments
Transport - planes, trains, automobiles, space technology, bicycles, ship models
Each object acquired into the collection has, whether individually or in association with other objects, historical significance, reflecting important changes and innovations, themes, or processes in material culture in one or more of its following aspects:
design - the object is notable for an innovative, efficient and/or aesthetically pleasing design and/or the influence and reputation of the designer or researcher.
making - the process used to construct, assemble or manufacture an object is significant.
ownership and use - the history of the object, its owners and users, operation, function or location is significant.
cultural meanings - the object has symbolic status which can be linked to historic or social changes in Australia and/or illuminates the customs and lifestyles of Australians.
Each object now acquired into the collection has a ‘statement of significance’ prepared for it; a reasoned summary of the values, meanings or importance of the object. The four key factors of significance are: historical; aesthetic; scientific, research or technical; social or spiritual.
The degree of significance is determined by considering provenance; representativeness; rarity; condition, completeness or intactness; interpretative potential.