COLLECTION MANAGEMENT VOLUNTEER
There are countless jobs to do in the castle for the collections management department. All of these jobs demand to be tackled. Here, too, a group of volunteers help out. One moment you are inventorizing and replacing vermin traps. The next moment you are in the ballroom helping to move the carrying carriage. Then maybe you are redecorating a room for an exhibit, or polishing silver!
HOE ZIET EEN DIENST ERUIT?
It is Monday morning. Around a quarter to ten, I enter the volunteer room. Some of my colleagues from collections management are already sitting down to coffee. Look, someone has filled the cookie jar. The others trickle in one by one. Some come from the surrounding area, others have already had a long drive.
By ten o'clock our coordinator arrives. We are going to start. Today, "housekeeping" is on the program. Every room in the castle must be thoroughly cleaned at least once a year. Now it is the Baroness's bedroom's turn. On to the third floor to get the necessary materials.
On the stairs, we untie a cord that closes the passageway. We are now in the area forbidden to visitors and hall guides. If necessary, members of collections management are allowed behind the cords. This is quite exciting.
With special "museum" vacuum cleaners, all kinds of brushes and brushes, cloths, a rageball, steps and ladders we tackle everything in the rooms. Ceilings, walls, curtains, but especially the furniture, beds, lamps, statues, there is dust everywhere.
Around twelve we have lunch together and then we go back about two hours to finish the job.
We talk some more over a cup of tea. Next week we will measure UV light and attack moths, carpet beetles and other pests. There are no newly restored rooms to furnish by then, and we polished the copper pans in the kitchen just last month.
(Herman Engering, collection management volunteer)
HOE WORDT U VRIJWILLIGER COLLECTIEBEHEER?
At the beginning of 2019, I became unemployed. To stay active I joined Castle de Haar, through the Utrecht volunteer center. After a short interview, I joined the collections management team.
Monday is the regular day for "housekeeping. On my first day, after an introduction, I immediately helped clean a carpet. Then we packed it for the depot. Now I'm not much of a housekeeper myself, so you can imagine it was a surprise that I enjoyed doing it so much. You are working on the collection in a direct way, together with your colleagues. You help each other and have to pay close attention to what you're doing. You discuss with each other how best to move a vase or hang a tapestry in the ballroom. A tapestry that I had seen hanging in the Kröller-Müller museum a few months before!
In addition to working on Monday, I was able to start checking the collection records. We check that everything that belongs in a room is there. In addition, we check that everything that is in the room is registered. Otherwise, I complete this.
Working at the castle for me is like belonging to a family. From the first day, I have felt very welcome!
(Jan Willem Golsteijn, collection management volunteer)
AS A COLLECTION MANAGEMENT VOLUNTEER....
- Do you have an affinity for performing collection management tasks,
- Are you aware of how to handle collection, or are you willing to learn this,
- Do you dare to stand on a ladder and are not afraid of pests,
- do you have a sense of the value and fragility of the interior and artifacts in the castle,
-understand that maintaining the ancient interior of the castle goes differently than in your own home,
- Are you available on the designated (fixed) day,
- Are you physically fit,
- You are not older than 70 years of age.
WHAT DOES CASTLE DE HAAR OFFER YOU?
Castle de Haar organizes a lot for volunteers. There are several extra activities throughout the year. You can think of participating in working groups. There are also lectures, outings, the annual volunteers drink and the annual volunteers party. Also, your travel expenses will be reimbursed(19ct p/km).
Furthermore, Castle de Haar gives volunteers discounts on (group) visits in the castle and park, rental of rooms and items in the castle store with various schemes.