Temporary and Permanent Display Case Guidelines Developed Through Interdepartmental Collaborations at The Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Metropolitan Museum of Art (The Met) recently developed three guidelines that bring greater transparency and efficiency to the acquisition of display casework and meet the highest conservation standards. The first document is intended for outside vendors who are building permanent gallery display cases. These display cases, typically made with archival materials such as glass and metal, are expected to function for at least 30 years. The second and third documents were written for borrowers at other institutions or in-house designers, respectively, and define additional materials for cases intended for “temporary” use (up to six months). The overarching goals of these documents are to ensure the preservation of collections through the use of appropriate construction materials, establishing a more cost-efficient procurement process, and clearly defining The Met’s display expectations. A wide range of departments at The Met contributed to the generation of these documents, including Scientific Research, Conservation, Registrar, Buildings, Security, Procurement, Design, Counsel, Curatorial, and the Administration; an external display case vendor was also contracted to ensure information required to accurately plan and construct permanent cases was included. The evolution and rationale for all three documents are described here, and each is available in the supplemental materials.