The Galt's Vaults: Tell people why your objects are meaningful

It’s hard for a lot of us to let our personal things go because things attach themselves to us and we attach ourselves to them. Things represent major milestones, they represent special places, they represent special people.

A lot of donors want to give us their things; they know that the meanings behind their objects will live on here. That's what we do, museums perpetuate memory.

A lot of donors want to give us their things; they know that the meanings behind their objects will live on here. That's what we do, museums perpetuate memory. te memory.

And we know that donors are often quite desperate when they call us.

They’ll say things like, “If you don’t take it, I’m gonna throw it in the garbage because my kids don’t want it.” So how did it come to that?

If you want other people to value your stuff, you have to put it at risk; you have to pull it out of those basement stairwell closets, you have to take it out of the boxes, you have to tell people about it often. And you have to tell them what it means to you. You have to, if you can, put it into use so that the people visiting you in your home can associate it with you and they can associate themselves with it too.

And if you’re lucky, they’re going to ask for it before you’re ready to even give it up.

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