Distinctly Montana Magazine

w w w. d i s t i n c t ly m o n ta n a . c o m 43 I am told all this by Kevin Hansen, who despite what is clearly a wealth of knowledge is quick to point out that he's "only the janitor." Hansen, friend- ly, engaging, a consummate history- buff, takes obvious pleasure in speaking to guests of the museum and sharing what he has learned with them. According to the Museum's last in- depth inventory of their collections in 2007, some 256 items are registered as "History Collections: Weapons", which includes guns, ammunition, and armaments. The Civil War era artillery piece featured in the Paugh Hall is definitely one of the larger examples. But whatever the size, all the items in that category must be numbered and kept track of, and do- ing so is the job of Pat Roath, Museum Registrar. As self-described "Chief Librarian," her job requires a fastidious nature and is very satisfying. Once the Cura- tor of Collections for Virginia City, she arrived with a connection to Western history. And while her heart is with 19th century women's clothing, her tenure at the Museum has taught her a great deal. "I couldn't have told you 10 years ago what a dinosaur brain case looks like," she says, smiling. Now she can. Another aspect of Roath's job is the accession and de-accession of items into or out of the museum's collection. Artifacts are accessioned into collections frequently, whether through donation, acquisition, or discovery in the field. Deaccession is rarer. When items are removed from the collection, they are done so under the method set down in the museum's policy and procedure manual. It is heady, complex work, the kind that wouldn't suit me, but Roath must be doing something right; everyone I speak to at the Museum of the Rockies mentions how great she is at her job. Among them: Dave Kinsey and Jeff Holloway, who are in charge of design- ing, building, and setting up exhibits. Dave's the logistics guy. His office is small and warm, enlivened by cozy clutter. Today there's a picture of a Concord Felwyn sewing machine from 1888 on his desk, a piece that the mu- seum is considering for the Living His- tory Farm, a long-time project to recre- ate as accurately as possible a real late 19th century Western house. Staffed by historically minded volunteers who weave, make preserves, and operate a blacksmith's shop, the Living History Farm is special to Dave, who has man- aged it for 15 years. Dave's coworker Behind the Scenes at the Museum of the rockies r esiding serenely in a corner of the paugh re- gional history hall of the Museum of the rock- ies in bozeman is an ordnance rifle. One of the most common pieces of artillery used in the American Civil War, the machine-grooved, cast-iron, three-inch gun was punishingly accurate and fa- mously reliable. This particular gun, number 29, was installed along with another at Fort Ellis, a post that was critical in the early exploration of Yellowstone Na- tional Park. Almost a half-century later, students from Montana State University (then the Agricultural College of the State of Montana) broke into the remains of Fort Ellis and made off with one of them. Number 29 stayed in Bozeman, and after a distinguished career being fired at football games, the gun ended up here. The other is in a Pennsylvania museum. artICLE aND pHotoS By JoSEpH SHELtoN Michael Fox with ornate dress Preparing a dinosaur exhibit Watch MOR dinosaur fossils being preserved www.distinctlymontana.com/dino142 DISTINCTLY MONTANA | DIGITAL

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